Our view: County benefits are contractual matters
November 14, 2012 at 6:00 pm in Duluth News Tribune
Buoyed, no doubt, by the Election Day vote that rejected defining marriage in the Minnesota Constitution, several gay and lesbian St. Louis County employees, joined by supporters, approached their elected County Board this week. Among other things, they asked about extending to gay and lesbian employees and their partners sick time, funeral leave and other benefits married employees already receive.
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What if I’ve been living with my best friend for years and neither of us is gay? I would think it would be discriminatory not to offer us the same deal, right?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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In many instances you have to sign an affidavit that you’re actually in a relationship.
You could technically get away with it, but it would suck if you got caught.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I have never been asked to sign an affidavit for the person I live with, shouldn’t the same policy be for woman/man, woman/woman, man/man or woman or man/whatever they chose to have live with them?
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A wedding certificate is a pretty good indicator two people are legally stuck with each other.
Maybe places that have done domestic partner benefits where you’ve been didn’t require it. I’m saying that at places where I’ve worked, from < 100 to Fortune 500, if you've claimed domestic partnership rights, you had to sign off that it was legit.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Benefits given should be given equally to straight couples as well as gay couples if any benefits AT ALL are given to gay couples. Fair is fair and all people should be treated equally or the County will open itself up to expensive discrimination lawsuits. Sounds like this is going to cost us a lot more in taxes if “couples” benefits are given to ANYBODY.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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And the voters thought it was just about gay marriage. Well that just seems plain silly now, don’t it?
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Don….that is what we tried to explain to the Liberals before election day! Well….you see how that went! Try and hang on folks…..this is gonna be a bumpy and very fast ride, up ahead of us! Please review your voting stances before the next election folks……this is digging us in deeper and deeper!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Right, Vern. The problem is I don’t want to be saying the same thing every week on end for the next 4 years. “I told you so” only cuts it a few times, of course I’ll cutesy it a bit, but those that voted for a continuation of the nanny state are very delicate flowers that can only take being told they were wrong a few times before they become permanently entrenched on the wrong side. I’m actually suprised that they stopped short of not asking for healthcare benefits, but then again I guess we’ll all be on the same meal ticket quite soon.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Don…..give them time….they will be asking for health care benefits for their “significant other” as well! And, if this thing balloons out……nationally? If you think your taxes and the cost of goods are high now….just wait…..like you say, ….we ALL will be lining up for a chance at the “watering hole”……all on the Gov’t's dime! And where will the Gov’t get that money???? Hard to believe this is happening…..right here, in the good ol’ USA! The dream will be gone…..just like our rights!
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And what about common law marriages. Where do they stand? This is really opening a pandoras box.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I’m excited to see Pete Stauber work on this issue. I’ve been tough on him in the past, but let’s hope he stands with his Catholic faith on this trying issue.
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I heard there is a group trying to ban catholics. I wonder how that makes him feel. Equality for all…. except catholics.
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So after peel away the conservatives exagerated claims of liberal conspiracy, the destruction of our country, how everything will spiral into total ruin, how will cost them tons of money….blah.blah, blah…..what you really have is a whole bunch of conservatives here whinning that equal rights for others just because of sexual orientation just isn’t fair…FOR THEM.
In a heartbeat though…they’ll of course proudly proclaim that conservatives are the one’s all for supporting individual rights and freedoms, defending the constitution and less government interfence from telling us what we can and can’t do….yeah right…..whatever….but it’s really…as long as it is perserving their rights…and to hell with everyone else as long as they got theirs apparently…
“Heterosexuality is not normal, it’s just common.”…… Dorothy Parker
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