Domestic Partner benefits - new council s&!tstorm

Why in the world, with all the crap going on in the city of Toledo, is City Council wasting their time their time on this? I am pretty liberal, definitely in favor of legitimizing gay marriage or civil unions or whatever, but until that time, I don't see why a cash-strapped city like Toledo should be forking over hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide these benefits. And providing these benefits to opposite sex partners? That's really ludicrous. Want the benefits? Then you need to be married, period.

Collins at least had the right idea about putting this up to a vote. McNamara of course is furious because he knows that the public would not support it. But I think it is fair to ask the city: do we want to pay out these benefits to be "competitive"? Or do you want the potholes fixed?

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/04/27/Benefits-eyed-for-domestic-partners-of-city-employees-1.html
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/05/02/Toledo-City-Council-lashes-out-on-partner-benefits.html