Subscribe to Breaking NewsRuby-Sachs: Local progress in California reminds us that National politics isn’t always where it’s at
I know today is the end of George Bush and the beginning of Barack Obama. I can’t tell you how happy this transition makes me. Even if Obama is a huge disappointment, letting Bush retire to the plains of Texas warms my heart.
Though National politics are all anyone wants to talk about, there is interesting stuff happening on the local level.
The American story is one of a populist struggle that influences courts and law makers to grant rights and freedoms not already read into the Constitution. Gay marriage in California seemed to be following that pattern – residents didn’t necessarily like gays, but when the courts dictated equality, it was expected that legislators would follow.
Instead, the people took huge steps backwards and the courts have, as yet, not been involved in fixing things. But don’t despair, the legislature in California is going to pick up the slack. In L.A., Bill 103, proposed by Assemblyman de Leon would allow same-sex couples to avoid property tax increases when their partner dies and Resolution 7 (Senate) and Resolution 5 (House) not only aim to repeal Proposition 8, but to eliminate the electorate’s ability to take a fundamental right from a minority group without first passing through the legislature.
Boy, does that sound like a good idea.
These initiatives may fail, but their presence indicates not only support for gay rights amongst California’s lawmakers, but a fight for gay rights that is being waged on all levels. This is heartening and gives me hope for the future of California and the country.
[as an unrelated addition – I am truly disappointed that the Obama transition team would aggravate and anger an entire population of Americans and then forget to include their consolation prize in the official broadcast. Who is running communications for these people? And why do they insist on disappointing me so often? At least now I can honestly say that nothing less than a DOMA repeal will undo the offense given to LGBT people in this administration.]
David Axelrod reports to Obama.
per inside sources name we have to watch out for is David Axelrod…don’t know what ax he has to grind, but his is the one who prevented Robinson from being shown.
There are some people in California who always vote “yes” on measures put on the ballot by the legislature, always “no” on measures put on the ballot by voters. So it would be a good thing if the measure to repeal Prop 8 comes from the legislature, rather than a petition drive.
Everyone’s talking like GLBT’s were intentionally slighted by the HBO ommission of the Robinson appearance —as though Obama or HBO had something to lose by showing it, so they “sold us out.” First of all, it’s an odd assumption that Robinson was Obama’s “Bone to throw to the gays” anyway. Second, who among us was in a hurry to catch a bone thrown at him? Not me. Bringing in a good guy to “balance” the bad guy would be a lame anyway, and none of us should have thought of it as a “consolation.”
I hope the Obama Administration team is more competent that his transition team (who are incompetent at best). If this was done willfully, then I’d say the GLBT community has once again been manipulated for the gain of another.