Feb
05
SSDPB
ByAsheville Now is doing some stuff around the same-sex domestic partners benefits proposal that I’m bringing before City Council on February 9th. Here’s a brief video they shot of me offering the short form:
You can also have a look at the powerpoint presentation I’ll offer to Council by clicking here. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg report on SSDPB is here. A presentation to the Charleston, S.C. Chamber of Commerce extolling the virtues of promoting an inclusive community is here.
37 Comments
February 5th, 2010 at 9:07 am
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February 5th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Bthwllsggsts n hs nwslttr:
< hrf="http://scrtnyhlgns.s/2010/02/04/ll-rs-4/" rl="nfllw">http://scrtnyhlgns.s/2010/02/04/ll-rs-4/
tht SSDPB mght b llgl nd m ssmng tht th lgl chllng wld b bsd n rvrs dscrmntn. My rgmnt thr s tht thr s n lw n NC gnst rvrs dscrmntn, r ny sxlty bsd dscrmntn, nd tht ths hs n mprtnt slvr lnng.
Grdn pnts t tht t s dfnsbl gnst rvrs dscrmntn chrgs nd m fn wth tht bcs t nly mks 2 dfnss, whch r ntrly cmptbl nd bttr thn n.
dbl dfns s srt f lk “ ddn’t kll hm bt th prsn wh dd kll hm ctd n slf dfns” t lks lk prblm bt rlly t sn’t. Grdn s dfndng SSDPB gnst lw tht h wshs xstd, bt dsn’t nd s s nt prblm n th frst plc. f crs myb Bthwll s thnkng f sm thr lgl chllng tht hsn’t ccrd t m. r y Ccl???
ws ls smwht n rrr n chllngng th stn’s 8.8% rs n csts:
< hrf="http://scrtnyhlgns.s/2010/02/01/dmstc-prtnrshp-bnfts-fr-cty-mplys/" rl="nfllw">http://scrtnyhlgns.s/2010/02/01/dmstc-prtnrshp-bnfts-fr-cty-mplys/
lthgh 8.8% s cls t th mdcl nfltn rt, chld mdcl svngs wld b ncldd, thgh nt chldcr svngs, nd mmntrly frgt tht ths svngs wld nt hppn ntl th prprtn f gy mplys r rsdnts rs n rspns t th plcy, whch wld prbbly tk svrl yrs nd nt b rflctd n nxt yr’s csts. Tht ds mk th cnmc tmng f th plcy bt nfrtnt bcs t’s nt th bst tm t nvst, hwvr th plccl tmng s wll wrth t.
ls Grdn ctd th 8.8% cst ncrs t dfnd th sm sx nly prvsn nd gr wth hm bcs dn’t knw th frtlty rt f ppst sx dmstc prtnrs nd s dn’t knw th cst.
d stnd by my pstn hwvr tht smply msrng th cst nd ctng t wll b msldng bcs t wll gnr th svngs n chld rltd bnfts, thgh thy wld b dlyd.
February 5th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
“Lvng rqrmnts t stff” s bg mstk, nt nly bcs thy r nt lctd bt bcs thy wr hrd by mngr wh ws nt vn ppntd by th crrnt cncl ncldng bth Grdn nd Ccl. lctd ffcls nd t ld drctly, nt dlgt t hldvrs ppntd by ppl wh wr ppntd by Crl Mmpwr. Tht s nt dmcrcy.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
d nd t pnt t tht lthgh m fr SSDPB, t ds NT, gt s t frnss. Grdn pnts t n hs prsnttn tht
“Mny f r mplys wrk ql tm fr nql cmpnstn” nd tht 70% f cty mplys d nt mk s f fmly bnfts t ll.
m sngl nd chldlss nd s sch wld rmn nbl t ccss fmly bnfts f wr t tk cty jb, rgrdlss f whthr ths psss bcs ql tm fr nql cmpnstn wld prsst rgrdlss. S rlly wnt t jn Bll Rssl n dnncng th nfrnss f ll fmly bnfts nd sng th sm fnds t ncrs py whch wld b ccssbl t sngl ppl lk m, nd sngl gy ppl s wll, whch ls nclds mst gy cty mplys.
Bth ptns rmn nfr t mplys wtht nclr fmls.
February 5th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Alan,
While this isn’t a rule, think of it as a helpful suggestion. Anytime you see your name more then twice in a row in a comment section, maybe consider holding off. 6 or the 13 most recent comments are yours. This means you’re monopolizing the conversations. It’s not capital ‘b’ Bad to do such a thing, just poor etiquette. It also discourages others from posting if they think their comments will be drowned in a pool of Alan.
Like I said, not rules, just helpful suggestions for making Scrutiny Hooligans a destination.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Y hv mr psts n th pst wk thn d, nd mny mr n th pst mnth Grdn.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
nd hv mr vts thn y d, rnd 28,000.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
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February 5th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
nvr cwr t thrts, prfnty r xtrtn mk.
February 5th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
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February 5th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
As a long time reader and despoiler here at Scru Hoo I just want to state the obvious about how G getting himself elected to CC has really cranked up the wacko quotient here, and for that–if nothing else– I am very grateful.
February 5th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
@Alan:
You should know better than to expect to be allowed to disagree for too long on a progressive blog. What are you thinking? Profanity is a considered a virtue for some, it seems. LOL.
You’re messing up a thread dedicated to attaining a protected status for Homosexuals…progressives will not tolerate that in the slightest, unless, of course you agree with them.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
If this blog becomes Topix Lite, then I’m bored.
February 5th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Th rl rny hr s tht D gr wth thm, jst hv dffrnt rsns fr dng s, nd ctch th sm PC flk fr vn tht shrd f ndpndnc.
February 6th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Alan,
I think you’re missing the point. Your opinions are valid and valuable. In trying to build an effective blog culture it can be helpful to allow room for other opinions as well. Further, it can be helpful to have a range of opinions.
It’s not about disagreement or independence or political correctness or fertility rates or any of those things. It’s about being effective in a social situation and helping to create a place where others want to be involved. That’s my hope for this blog. There are other venues as well if this one doesn’t suit you.
February 6th, 2010 at 7:00 am
Spprssn f stylstc nd scl ndpndnc s s thrtrn nd pprssv s tht f pltcl ndpndnc. f prsn thnks ndpndntly, thy wll ct ndpndntly n vry wy, nt jst n pltcl wys.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:20 am
There is no ‘suppression’. If you went into a person’s living room, and that person asked you to behave in a way that disagreed with you, then you would have three choices:
1) Leave the living room and behave any way you please.
2) Remain in the living room and behave away, discounting the homeowner’s request
3) Remain in the living room and adapt to the rules of the house in order to build relationships and meaningful discourse.
If you find it authoritarian that someone would ask something of you (very nicely in my case), then I guess I’m Mussolini. However it feels more like a parent asking an adolescent not to say the ‘f’ word in front of grandma and having the adolescent say “Stop oppressing me!”
It’s a big internet, Alan. If this blog isn’t going to work out for you, then there are millions more. You could even have your own blog. Lots of people do. This is a group blog that’s not administered by a public entity. We get to set our own rules, and that’s o.k. I’d rather have you involved and understanding that, beyond your passionate political beliefs, the intent here is to create a space that lots of people want to be involved in. This is why we have our comments policy in place and why I make helpful suggestions to people.
Admin can step in any time and alter people’s access to the blog. Admin is sovereign. I think Admin has let it go on this long because you’ve been generally willing to try to help us build something lasting. There’s no telling. I don’t ask.
Good luck.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:30 am
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February 6th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
G… ’m ff th ntrnt fr dy (c tk t my wrlss rly n Spvy) nd y gys strt th ld (Bbby sd t) “dsgr wth th Prgrssv cnt y’r tst” md.
Fr nc, fnd myslf grng wth ln (::shddr::)…
f y dn’t wnt fr spch nd dffrnt vwpnt npt, fn… gt lts f thr plcs cn b. Bt Y Grdn wll b flng flfll yr lctd pstn.
February 6th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
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February 6th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I think Ralph Roberts and Alan Ditmore should co-host a weekly URTV interview program.
I’ll help produce.
It’d be awesome.
February 6th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
N thnks, Mchl. pt n my tm t RTV.
hmmm… ln hs nt, thgh.
D t ln!
February 6th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
If you don’t want free speech and different viewpoint input, fine… I got lots of other places I can be. But YOU Gordon will be failing fulfill your elected position.Huh? This isn’t a city owned and operated blog…again with the socialism stuff Ralph. I am starting to worry.
February 6th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
s hv sd bfr cncl, mmbrshp nd trnng cms t rnd $120 nd cnsdr tht prhbtv t wrkng clss hbbysts. hv dn fw stnts n bth th T Prty nd Ctzns Spk bt yr bck.
dn’t thnk y gt rfnd whn thy kck y t nd ’m nt wllng t tk tht rsk.
February 6th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Y’r rlly strtchng, Shd.
Try lmpshd n yr hd, t sms t wrk fr Grdn.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
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February 6th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
I hope some of you thumb clickers say hello in the Lurkers Thread!
February 7th, 2010 at 6:24 am
Few may realize this, but I actually launched Brother Christopher’s television career a few years back. Sensing he needed a wider audience than the three minutes that public comment during City Council meetings afforded him, I ponied up the cash and paid for his initial URTV membership and training.
If I could afford it, Alan, I’d do the same for you. I think you’d make a hell of a TV personality…in fact, I see you interviewing local leaders and personalities Tom Snyder-style. I’ll bet Gordon might even agree to be a guest.
The Alan Ditmore Show. That even sounds good.
I can pitch in 20 bucks to help make it happen. Anyone else?
February 7th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Being an editorialist, it behooves me to offer MY opinion, even when no-one asks for it. It usually comes in an illustrated form, but I don’t know what Alan looks like, I’ve never seen Michael or Shadmarsh or Bobby or Jim other than their avatars, so I can’t do them justice in a cartoon.
Bear with me here.
It seems that the most desired type of commentator on this blog is one who has a pretty broad range of interests and knowledge. A lot of different things get discussed, and in my opinion, they don’t all originate from the same place. One-trick ponies get tiresome, and when they become pushy and overbearing,well, who wants to put up with that? If this were a publicly-funded and transparently run entity, like City Council is supposed to be, than everyone would get their three minutes to state their case, even if their case was the same no matter what the subject really was. Folks like Alan, with the population meme, or Stewart David with the vegetarian meme, or Carl Mumpower with the drug and illegal alien meme, or Ralph with the see-what-I’ve-done meme, would get to say what was on their mind no matter what.
But this is NOT a publicly funded or run forum. It is a PRIVATELY run forum, with a comments policy that is not overly strict, but IS firm about what it will and will not allow.
Michael, Gordon, and Admin have bent over backwards, it seems to this reader, to include everyone who is willing to abide by the rules of the game, and contribute their opinion in a respectful, by-the-rules way, even opinions that they do not agree with.
The idea that anyone who doesn’t agree with those rules should start their own forum is so patently obvious that if a complainer DOESN’T do that, they lose even more credibility. Who wants to listen to a complainer who won’t even get up the energy to arrange their room the way THEY want it?
That all said, please everyone, keep up the commentary. The flow of information on this blog is incredible and a great source of inspiration for me in my work as an editorial cartoonist.
Alan, if you start a blog, I will read it. At least once.
February 7th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Dvd, hv fnd mmrs f y frm bck n th rly 80s whr thr ws tht smll grp f s n shvll tryng t fnd r crtv wys. stll vw nd njy yr rt. Bt cstng m nt ‘mm’ s bt smll, h? Ys, hv dn lt f stff, d lt f stff, wll lwys d lt f stff. Bt t cvrs n xcptnlly wd rng f sbjcts nd chrctrzng t s lmtd n sbjct s smwht nfr nd lt ntr.
Nw, Stwrd Dvd – ys h’s ff th wll. H’s gnn rlly njy my nxt bk TH RCVRNG VGTRN’S CKBK: 12 SY STPS T TNG MT GN.
ls dsgr ls wth y bt Crl Mmpwr. ’v knw Crl fr mny, mny yrs. pblshd thr bks by hm. Ys, h’s vcl n llgl lns nd drgs bt hs rng s fr brdr thn tht.
ln – wll, ln spks fr hmslf. Smtms m rmndd f th tm wnt t Gln Cmpbll cncrt n Chrltt mny yrs g. Th gy wh pnd fr hm cm n stg nd ht n chrd n hs gtr, thn std lkng t t. Fnlly, h sd, “ll thm thr cts r stll lkng fr t, dn fnd t.” f y knw n nt wll, thn by ll mns, pnd t t.
Bsclly, th shrtcmng tht bthrs m th mst bt lt f ppl n th Prgrssv mvmnt s thr rdnss t mk dsprg nyn wh ds nt t thr ln f thght. nd, ys, ths n th Cnsrvtv mvmnt d t s wll – s vr, cndmn bth.
Ppl r ppl. W ll hv r flts, w ll hv r strngths. Bt hp ths brd vds th tmpttn f bcmng lbrl vrsn f th Crln Stmprs. Tht (t s ths bzztrm) mm s n vltnry cntrprdctv ddnd.
f w cnnt ch xprss r thghts nd mk r wn knd f cntrbtn t ths brd r ny brd, th brd fls.
Bt d rsrv th rght t pnt t whn Grdn wrs lmpshd n hs hd.
February 7th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
I have to say as the frequent sand in the smoothly operating machine, My comments have never been removed. (although they have been hidden, a previous policy I considered censorship) Alan’s comments are interesting if sometimes repetitive and anyone can challenge his assertions at any time, or simply don’t click on them if you don’t want to see them.
February 7th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Ralph,
That lampshade really tickled you. I re-watched the vid and had a laugh myself.
This blog has been up and running for almost six years. It’s not apt to become a “liberal Carolina Stompers” unless we’re all victims of traumatic brain injuries. ScruHoo has been an ongoing experiment in democracy, free speech, intelligent, and entertaining discourse. Entertaining is as important as all the rest, mind you, and that is what escapes many of the folks who draw Hooligans’ ire.
Happy Super Bowl Sunday, y’all – The Great American Holiday is upon us, and I’m headed out into the mud to get my game face on.
February 7th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
cn gv ntrtnmnt s gd s gt.
Clts by 7.
February 7th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Ralph—
I have fond memories of you from the 80s too—it does seem like it was a small cadre of folks along Lexington Avenue who were trying to fight the sameness and speak our creativity.
I was only referring as to how in most of your posts you manage to announce something you have done or accomplished, not necessarily related to the topic at hand.
But in some ways that is part of your charm, and certainly who you are!
And like Jim says, we certainly don’t have to read the posts that we don’t want to read.
So I will continue to contribute where I think I have something to say, as will we all.
And for my part, I don’t think that there is much of a difference between Alan’s and Stewart’s one-note sambas. Different note, same repetition.
February 7th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Thnks, Dvd.
d blv ln hs bt mr syncptn thn Stwrt, thgh.
February 7th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Tlk bt dgrssn! nd m th nly n wh gt’s sngld t nd thrtnd wth cnsrshp fr dgrssn whn mn ws drp n th bckt. Jst lk t th hdng t th tp f th pg nd thn g hr fr th rst f my rspns:
< hrf="http://scrtnyhlgns.s/2010/02/03/wdnsdy-ptprr/" rl="nfllw">http://scrtnyhlgns.s/2010/02/03/wdnsdy-ptprr/
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February 7th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
n prsn’s dgrssn css ndgrssn n nthr. sggst Tms.