Governor signs ban on partner benefits for unmarried public employees

[Wesley Mouch]

I wasn't sure at the time if I was doing the right thing by voting for Bernero, but now I certainly think he would have been better.

I voted for Snyder. Am happy with my vote.

On this particular issue, I'm less happy -- because as a single person I've always thought it unfair that married people [[of any orientation) effectively get a much larger health/medical benefit with the cost of coverage for relatives at no cost to the employee. Why is this fair?

[Baselinepunk]

"So with Virg, we would have "stayed the course"?"

Nope. This State sure as Hell wouldn't be so hostile toward people that pay the salaries of those who claim government can't create jobs.

You're conveniently missing that pretty much all of the recovery is not due one bit to what Dick Snyder has done. We have had one year of Dick and I'm not looking forward to getting dicked for another 3 years.

[muskie1]

I think the time has come for benefits to be cut. The state does not have the cash to keep paying the benefits in its current poorly run condition. I however would have liked the existing benefits to stay the way they were.

I think government needs to follow the times. New hires should have to absorb a portion of the cost of the benefits for their families. I have never had free benefits and when job searching always take the cost of these into account when pay amounts are discussed.

[R8RBOB]

I think the time has come for benefits to be cut. The state does not have the cash to keep paying the benefits in its current poorly run condition. I however would have liked the existing benefits to stay the way they were.

I think government needs to follow the times. New hires should have to absorb a portion of the cost of the benefits for their families. I have never had free benefits and when job searching always take the cost of these into account when pay amounts are discussed.

Cut benefits for who? All or just a certain group. It is nice of you to point out that the state is broke and that the benefits should be cut but if you didn't read the story, Governor Snyder signed a bill eliminating benefits for non-married same-sex couples..oops...domestic partners is the PC phrase that is being used.

[muskie1]

Cut benefits for who? All or just a certain group. It is nice of you to point out that the state is broke and that the benefits should be cut but if you didn't read the story, Governor Snyder signed a bill eliminating benefits for non-married same-sex couples..oops...domestic partners is the PC phrase that is being used.

I read the story and was aware of who was cut, that is why I said I wished there was a way to keep the current benefits the same. I am very against same sex domestic partner benefits, they should also apply to oppisite sex domestic partners if you are giving them out or at the least be based on the partners combined income.

I am getting sick of my tax dollars being wasted on health benefits for govt. employees when the money is not there to give. Phase it out as the current employees go away.

[Baselinepunk]

"The state does not have the cash to keep paying the benefits in its current poorly run condition. I however would have liked the existing benefits to stay the way they were."



Buuuuuuuuulllllshit!!!

"I read the story and was aware of who was cut, that is why I said I wished there was a way to keep the current benefits the same."

Buuuuuuuuuullllllshit!!!

I also read a story where I read that you where full of shit. I read it on the Internet so it must be true. Further, I read it on the Internet, restated it, backed it up with Wikipedia; ergo, therefore, yes. I'm right.

Your play, Sir.

[SteveJ]

I read the story and was aware of who was cut, that is why I said I wished there was a way to keep the current benefits the same. I am very against same sex domestic partner benefits, they should also apply to oppisite sex domestic partners if you are giving them out or at the least be based on the partners combined income.

I am getting sick of my tax dollars being wasted on health benefits for govt. employees when the money is not there to give. Phase it out as the current employees go away.

They should make all government employees work for free and no benefits. Throw them a few slices of bread for lunch so they don't get too weak. Then all the money we save, we should take it and make sure the job creators pay no taxes.

Gotta love ignorant people. Honestly pisses me off people are that stupid to side with the elites and want government workers to have no health care. Just so fucking stupid.

[Bham1982]

I am very against same sex domestic partner benefits, they should also apply to oppisite sex domestic partners if you are giving them out or at the least be based on the partners combined income.

What? What are you talking about?

Heterosexual couples already receive partner benefits. The bill in question eliminates benefits for folks in same-sex relationships.

In other words, the govt. is endorsing discrimination on a class of employees based on the employees' sexual orientation.

[DetroitPlanner]

They should make all government employees work for free and no benefits. Throw them a few slices of bread for lunch so they don't get too weak. Then all the money we save, we should take it and make sure the job creators pay no taxes.

Gotta love ignorant people. Honestly pisses me off people are that stupid to side with the elites and want government workers to have no health care. Just so fucking stupid.

LOL. Its not just that we are getting dollars and bennies cut, but the jobs are getting much more stressful as the workforce shrinks. The shrinkage comes from two chief areas: making it attractive to the most well paid and expierienced to retire; and hiring freezes. This means that while the same amount of work needs to get done the number of good knowledgeable workers have shrunk. Those of us who actually care about performing excellent customer service have to rely on an increasing percentage of coworkers who should have been fired, but mostly through patronizing employment policies have jobs. These are the ones that should have been cut first as they just drag every one else down.

Those who are left are getting increasingly frustrated with this broken system.

When do the cuts stop? We are already keeping numbers of police and fire staff at record low numbers. Do these folks really not deserve to make what they do? Would you want to rush into burning buildings or get shot at for a living? These services are the most visible to the public. If the lower staff levels have negatively affected these services, how overwhelmed do you think those of us who are in adminstration feel?

Cutting taxes is not the main thing that creates jobs. The govt should be looking at anything that improves the economic climate. It can't do that when the best and brightest are stuck changing light bulbs or cleaning floors because the maintence folks are all laid off/retired/not replaced.

[RaumVogel]

In other words, the govt. only want couples that breed them future slaves.

[BagAJellyDonuts]

What? What are you talking about?

Heterosexual couples already receive partner benefits. The bill in question eliminates benefits for folks in same-sex relationships.

In other words, the govt. is endorsing discrimination on a class of employees based on the employees' sexual orientation.

"Governor signs ban on partner benefits for unmarried public employees"

So who's right? Thread starter or?

BTW, my problem with benefits being "given" in relationships out of a marriage is the opportunity for fraud.

[313WX]

Wouldn't problems like this be eliminated if Michigan just moved into the 21st Century and legalized Gay marriage?

[DetroitPlanner]

Wouldn't problems like this be eliminated if Michigan just moved into the 21st Century and legalized Gay marriage?

No. Unmarried couples does not equal gay. Incidentally not all public employees had this benefit, but it was permitted by the State. It would be up to the City, County, University, or whomever to make the decision they seemed fit. What this does is essentially hand tie the government entities by banning it in hopes that it would be an improvement.

[Bham1982]

"Governor signs ban on partner benefits for unmarried public employees"

So who's right? Thread starter or?

Like I said, in MI, heterosexual relationships are recognized and receive benefits. Same-sex relationships aren't recognized, and don't receive benefits.

My problem with this is that it's blatant discrimination based on sexual orientation. It's no less morally bankrupt than discriminating against women, minorities, disabled, etc.

BTW, my problem with benefits being "given" in relationships out of a marriage is the opportunity for fraud.

Wouldn't that be inherent with any sort of benefit? There's certainly ample potential for fraud with any sort of compensation, regardless of the beneficiary and household type.

[BagAJellyDonuts]

Wouldn't that be inherent with any sort of benefit? There's certainly ample potential for fraud with any sort of compensation, regardless of the beneficiary and household type.

Yes there is.

Sorry about the cut & paste.

Yes there is IMO a great deal of fraud associated with state benefits. Make that all benefits.

I can see how this is interpreted as anti alternative. But it sure does also answer a problem with fraud which was too easy for some people to commit.

BTW, I am under the impression that this exclusion will also affect heterosexual relationships.

[SteveJ]

Believe me, their is very very little fraud with public employee benefits at the state level. Unless you can show me proof, I don't think you have a clue.

[Novine]

"State's broke. Won't fix it by spending more. Don't know about you but when I'm low on cash, I don't look for ways to spend what I don't have. "

The state's not broke. If the state was broke, it couldn't have afforded to forego $1.8 billion in revenue that it's giving up by giving a massive tax cut to businesses. After that goes fully into effect, 2/3rd of the businesses in the state will be exempt from paying state business taxes.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

This was a good decision by the Governor Synder.

Governor Granholm also denied benefits to same-sex partners.

It opens up a Pandora's box of legal issues.

[bailey]

Its painful how stupid some of these posts are. Seriously, many of you people are just ignorant, backwater, mouth breathing, knuckle dragging fools.

[Johnnny5]

Its painful how stupid some of these posts are. Seriously, many of you people are just ignorant, backwater, mouth breathing, knuckle dragging fools.

Ignorant, backwater, mouth breathing knuckle dragging fools? Does this description apply to everyone in this thread or just those who disagree with the beliefs of the almighty bailey?

[bailey]

Ignorant, backwater, mouth breathing knuckle dragging fools? Does this description apply to everyone in this thread or just those who disagree with the beliefs of the almighty bailey?

If the shoe fits....

[maxx]

Reducing benefits to gov. employees ensures that fewer of the best and the brightest will go into gov. service which thereby confirms conservative thought that the gov. is no good.


http://pa.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/1/79.extract
Burning the Village: The Civil Service under Reagan and Thatcher