posted on December 3, 2004 05:29:06 AM new
Mich. moves to revoke partner benefits
Thu Dec 2, 8:41 PM ET
Because of an announcement from the governor's office late Wednesday, contracts for Michigan's state employees won't contain domestic partnership benefits as originally planned.
Gay employees were supposed to get the benefits added to their contracts for the first time this year. The contracts are supposed to be adopted by the Civil Service Commission on Dec. 15. But before they could be approved, Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office made an announcement that the office had decided to hold off on the benefits in light of the voters passing the anti-gay marriage amendment to the state Constitution, known as Proposal 2.
Gov. Granholm had opposed the marriage amendment in the November election. But Proposal 2 passed with 58.6 percent of the vote in Michigan. The courts are now considering the legality of the amendment.
The governor's office announced they wanted to hold off on the benefits until the state courts make their final decision on the amendment.
The states unions, who said they were consulted on the deal, said the other big unions in the state could soon follow suit with their own contracts. The United Auto Workers (news - web sites) Local 6000, which is the largest union of the five covered by the labor agreement with the state, has the UAW law department reviewing ways it could get a court decision on whether these benefits can still be offered. Without the courts, the UAW said it's afraid the commission would remove the benefits.
"The governor's office and the union representatives are being overly cautious," said Jeffery Montgomery, the executive director of the Detroit-based gay rights group, the Triangle Foundation.
"Proponents of Proposal 2 kept telling voters it was only about marriage, the amendment wasn't about domestic partnership benefits, and people believed it," he said. "But this decision shows that just wasn't true. We warned them. Eliminating domestic partnership benefits from the current contract exposes those people who backed Proposal 2 for the deceitful scoundrels that they are."
The benefits could be reinstated before the contracts go into effect if a court decision overturns Proposal 2. The contracts don't actually go into effect Oct. 1, 2005.
"Sure there's a chance they could add the benefits back in, but now we have a broader issue of the what the jackals will claim they can do next to limit our rights after such a decision," said Montgomery. "This is about as punitive as you can get for gay people in Michigan."
Hahahahaha...poor homosexuals... sounds good to me...
However they seem to be overlooking the fact that normal couples living together won't get benefits either... but then they can get married
posted on December 3, 2004 07:01:49 AM new
So if normal couples that are not married and living together dont get the benefits either whats the dudes b*tch?????
Me and my wife lived together for 11 years and we NEVER got any benefits until we got married.Cant get married? well too bad...sucks to be you
[ edited by classicrock000 on Dec 3, 2004 07:11 AM ]
posted on December 3, 2004 07:08:30 AM new
Gays are like every other group in america. Nothing but crybabies and whiners. They don't deserve any benefits of any kind
posted on December 3, 2004 11:52:44 AM new
classic: Me and my wife lived together for 11 years and we NEVER got any benefits until we got married
And how did you like living in sin for 11 years you pervert couple you
Q. What's the difference between the Vietnam War and the Iraq War?
A. George W. Bush had a plan to get out of the Vietnam War.
--------------------------------------
There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." —George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
---------------------------------- "Give it up for George W. Bush, the best friend international jihad ever had."
posted on December 3, 2004 12:39:40 PM new
I wish that I could reply to twelve's comment, but I can't. He's on ignore.
quartermass says,
"Gays are like every other group in america. Nothing but crybabies and whiners. They don't deserve any benefits of any kind."
Are they like the group that you are in? Of course I don't expect an answer from you, a coward never usually answers. Unless of course to supplement his first stupid response with another one.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on December 3, 2004 12:44:58 PM new
This is old news here in Michigan. In some areas of the country, the population has only a limited media exposure and get the news about 2 days later than rest of the modern world.
I guess it would depend on the wind speed and how strong the smoke signal were.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on December 3, 2004 01:03:11 PM new
Did you know that on........
December 2
1997 - Republican David Cantania became the first openly gay person to be elected to the Washington DC city council.
December 3
1968 - Rev Troy Perry, founder of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, officiated at his first same-sex holy union.
December 6
1993 - The Massachusetts State Senate approved a bill to protect lesbian and gay public school students from discrimination.
1994 - Delegates of the American Medical Association declared their opposition to medical treatments administered to "cure" homosexuals, urging non-judgmental recognition of sexual orientation.
1998 - The Los Angeles Times published an editorial by Robert Scheer on conservative Michael Huffington's recent decision to come out of the closet, saying it should come as no surprise that Republicans, even conservative members of the party, are gay.
Bigots are miserable people. Prevent Bigotry through Education.
posted on December 3, 2004 01:35:30 PM new
How archaic! Here in Canada, if you live common law with someone, after one year you get all the benefits that a married couple would get. It's been that way forever and works fine.
Prevent Bigotry through Education.