And I think the history of legal reform in this country would back me up on this. For instance, with regards to sodomy laws:

Number of state sodomy laws invalidated by U.S. Supreme Court: 13
Number of state sodomy laws invalidated by State Supreme Courts: 10
Number of state sodomy laws repealed by State Legislatures: 27
Number of state sodomy laws repealed by awesome “power to the people” ballot initiatives: 0

Generally,”the people” have an extremely poor track record when it comes to civil liberties. If the voters were given the option to decide on racial segregation in the 1950s (or women’s rights in the 1920s), the historical record suggests they almost certainly would’ve made the wrong decision.

Rather than the masses supporting programs that will policies that will help us achieve our long term financial interests we choose the illusion of politicians telling us what we want to hear. This is usually a “something, for nothing- get rich through no having a long term stable system” plan.

California seems to be just the a clear example of that. The very notion one would turn the equal protection clause on its head was more than enough to make me pause. I am still hating on Brooklyn, but for all its flaws, I think it is probably better than Los Angeles for right now. Better the devil I’ve lived with for 6 years than returning to the one I left.

This state certainly isn’t in my long term plans. If it becomes possible to leave California with my assets largely intact (and a reasonably secure job elsewhere), I would do so with no reservation.

Ironically, while the voters won’t elect too many GOPers anymore, they have passed many of the party’s policies – eliminating affirmative action, banning same-sex marriage, freezing property taxes, repealing rent control, restricting immigrant rights, and so forth – through the ballot initiative process. This lowest common denominator populism is the only leverage the Republicans have left. And they’re not about to give it up. It doessn’t matter if the state has to declare bankruptcy or not.

It doesn’t come as a surprise to me that they’d value their own prosperity above others’ livelihood though.

Before the mid-1990s, California was a solid red state. And I think that Clinton era shift only happened because the rise of the “New Democrats” allowed Californians to switch parties without actually becoming any less conservative.

The impulse voting is also a big problem. California voters largely created thier own economic meltdown – independent of anything happening in Washington – by constitutionally mandating spending on all sorts of extravagant pet projects. It has gotten to the point where there’s no “discretionary funding” left for the legislature to tap whenever tax revenues are low. The masses then proceed to blame lawmakers for their budget binge (as if they had nothing to do with it themselves). California is a great example of why direct democracy doesn’t work. I don’t think we needed Prop. 8 to prove that. The marriage ban was only the latest in a long list of stupid “dumbocracy” decisions.

Not like those crazy western states who ammend their frickin’ constituion with a simple majority in one vote. You can convince most people of anything for a day. For example, Oregon’s is the most amended constitution on the planet with all sorts of stuff like speed limits, zoning laws in it, not to mention wholesale revocation of citizens’ rights. Why have a constitution at all?

Thankfully, in the east, we’re not so rash.

Vermont is a closed case.

Civil Unions in Vermont are legally identical to marriage, save the name and that they must be between people of the same sex.

Having a civil union in Vermont gets you no fewer or more rights than a marriage, but the issue of portability to other jurisdictions is different. For example, Canada, New York, and Massachusetts will recognize same-sex marriages, but not civil unions.

But next we need a state with a more temperate climate. I just can’t deal with midwest and northern winters! Maybe part of the reason equality does well in these places is because people are too busy running to get back inside to warm up. And don’t care about anything else, BRRRR

Maggieiav@aol.com

In New Hampshire, Lynch hasn’t actually said he’d veto (yet). And Corzine – despite his dismal poll numbers – is generally supportive of same-sex marriage. Polls show a slim majority of New Jersey residents are for it too. So, those two states are still up for grabs.

New York is “cold” until at least after 2010 because of the Smith-Diaz deal in the state senate. Similarly, a reversal in California is doubtful. The voters there have made it clear they don’t care whether we think they’re bigots or not. And based on that disasterous hearing in March, the state supreme court will probably rule that voters get to define what constitutes “human rights.” It is a cowardly, crap argument. But there you have it. Though hopefully, the costs of another election campaign out West will drain some of the right wing’s resources in other states. If there’s a silver lining to the Not-So-Golden State, then that’s it.

http://www4.egov.nh.gov/govern.....mments.asp

Let’s get it together, gays & lesbians, and bombard his office with e-mails in support of the legislation.

and congrats to the gays in vermont! all 10 of ‘em.

Well, nice try to the governor of Vermont.

It’s unlikely to happen I think this year given the governor’s polling number. NY is stalled for similar reasons.

Someone I know has it in his head that if half our country legalizes SSM that all of the marriages will become recognized federally. Is this true? I doubt it, myself.

Fantastic news!

The problem for the right wing is they’ve created a considerable backlash with Prop. 8. Even if we assume Connecticut and Massachusetts are irreversible at this point, they STILL have to fight a war on 5 to 7 fronts.

The timing couldn’t be worse for them either. With the economic crisis, the churches don’t have quite as much money as they did before the 2008 election. The Republican Party – their natural allies – hasn’t been this weak since the events of Watergate in the 1970s. And there are simply too many things happening at once.

I’m rarely impressed by parliamentary maneuvering. But this is an amazing bit of it by the Democratic leadership in Vermont.

Wow indeed. Bravo.