Christensen: Domestic partner health coverage inappropriate

Monday, August 15, 2011

Bruce Back

McCOOK, Nebraska -- In response to a question from the Gazette, State Sen. Mark Christensen said providing health coverage for domestic partners of city employees would not be appropriate. McCook City Councilman Aaron Kircher has put just such a proposal on tonight's City Council agenda. "I feel this is not in the best interest of the people of McCook for several reasons. First, the state does not acknowledge domestic partnerships as a legal union. This proposed benefit would not align with our state laws. Secondly, enacting more benefits for city employees would cause an increase in cost, which could result in higher property tax.

"Higher taxes are exactly what the people of McCook are not wanting.

"With the hard economic times we are currently going through, we all have to make sacrifices. This includes not expanding social benefits," Christensen said.

The City Council meeting, which convenes at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium, also includes proposed water rate increases of 3 percent and sewer rates of 5 percent.

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If my rates are going to go up for water, sewer, etc. that's fine. I'd better NOT be paying more in taxes just because two people WON'T get legally married. If they "can't" get legally married, that's NOT my problem. Where's the moral values in today's society? Why should we pay for something that even at the State level doesn't agree with? Move on Kircher!

-- Posted by FNLYHOME on Mon, Aug 15, 2011, at 3:38 PM
How does it feel to be a second class citizen? Ask someone who doesn't subscribe to the idea that they need the government to recognize their personal life.

-- Posted by hometown1 on Tue, Aug 16, 2011, at 3:00 PM
ironcat, the city council voted NO 4-1 against the proposal Councilman Kicher to expand insurance coverage. The riases in utilities rates are due to increased costs to provide those services to the citizens. The past 3 years there has been no increase in water rates.

-- Posted by dennis on Wed, Aug 17, 2011, at 2:18 PM
Again the fact is there were NO raises in water rates the last three years AND the council has used over one and one half million dollars in sales tax to offset water bills, This year $120,000 was used from sales tax to pay off the bond on the water for the property where the plant sits. Please ironcat base your comments on facts not emotions or misguided and mean spirited attacks.

-- Posted by dennis on Thu, Aug 18, 2011, at 11:41 AM
Facts not emotions, eh? I agree, that would be nice. Too bad that's not how it works whether you be citizen or councilman.

-- Posted by hometown1 on Thu, Aug 18, 2011, at 11:54 AM
How lucky are we that we have such an expert on the law in the form of Senator Christensen? Oh, wait! LB701: declared unconstitutional... yeeeeaaahhhh, not so much. I really don't know what he's going to do in his final year of the Legislature when he passes bills and can't go back next year and correct them. I guess that will just be someone else's mess to clean up.

-- Posted by McCook1 on Thu, Aug 18, 2011, at 12:12 PM
ironcat

what the heck is a slave mater? ;)

-- Posted by boojum666 on Thu, Aug 18, 2011, at 9:39 PM
Slave mater, Noun:

1) A designated Tomato that does all the work for the rutabaga overclass.

2) When networking vegetables (or if you are going to get all sciency, fruit), the secondary tomato.

Just thought I would clear that up.

-- Posted by Sir Didymus on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 12:31 AM
grins and glee

thanks Sir Didymus

or in ironcat speak

preciatit.

-- Posted by boojum666 on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 5:18 AM
I don't intend to laugh at anyone's expense here, but S.D., I about snotted out of my nose. Thank you for the clarification.

-- Posted by speak-e-z on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 12:24 PM