Georgia GOP hears Steele frame gay marriage as financial burden to small businesses

[CurtEastPoint]

Source: AP

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says gay marriage would place a financial burden on small businesses.

Steele tried to recast the debate over gay marriage as an issue of money during a speech to delegates Saturday at the Georgia Republican convention.

He said allowing same-sex couples to get married would cost small business owners money by requiring them to pay for health care and life insurance for people who previously weren’t entitled to the benefits as spouses.

Steele says that argument is an example of how Republicans need to retool their message to broaden the party base without sacrificing core conservative principles.

Read more: http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2009/05/16/from-the-gop-convention-expand-or-die-says-rnc-chairman-michael-steele/?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

---

The headline on the AJC article is that the GOP risks irrelevance (NO!) and that they must open up the tent or die. One can only hope.

[WillParkinson]

1. Oooh, so we're like slave labor?

Given the bare minimum to help us survive, but none of the perks that everyone else gets? Gotcha.

(On edit: My first post was said badly. Apologies to anyone who saw it and might have been offended.)

[Wapsie B]

2. The health insurance argument is precisely why we need to take the burden

of health insurance costs off employers of this country and adopt a single payer system.

[Locrian]

3. so he's anti marriage huh?

Soooo - that means he's not for ANY marriage? Since, like, it costs small business owner money?

What an astoundingly stupid argument.

[tanyev]

4. And anti-children, too.

Those little blighters are always having to go to the doctor.

[iamjoy]

27. That's What I Thought

If we had same sex marriage (or civil union) in this country, it could actually save money on health care costs and reduce fraud.

My reasoning is that companies wishing to be competitive employers are probably already offering "Domestic Partner" benefits. Domestic Partner is varying, partially subjective and as a result, has a greater potential for fraud - either intentional or inadvertent.

But, if we had same sex marriage (or the legal equivalent) I bet a lot of companies could stop offering Domestic Partner benefits. There really wouldn't be any point, would there? Companies would no longer have to worry about whose benefits to tax (because spousal benefits can be pre-tax, but DP and their children can't be paid for pre-tax). So it would save them in administrative costs.

It may also lower claims costs. Some reports show married people are healthier than single people. So, if you let gays get married, maybe they will adopt some of these healthier lifestyles. And, they're less likely to have children -) Maternity costs are a major expense for many insurance groups.

Of course, the real case for gay marriage is moral - allowing it is the right thing to do. And of course, if we had single payer healthcare in this country, these arguments would be moot.

But hey, he wants to talk about how increases costs, I'll argue that it would lower them.

Oh, and I meant no insult on gays being less likely to have children. It was a tongue in cheek comment about health care costs, not an evaluation of parenting aptitude.

[bulloney]

30. That was my impression after reading Steele's commnents.

He makes it sound like every employer would have a bunch of gays in their workforces and legalizing their marriage would increase their costs for health insurance, etc.

It also sounds like he's complaining about costs of supporting employees with heterosexual marriages. But, speaking for his party, Steele cannot offer any alternative health care systems to the present one.

This party is in such disarray it's spooky.

[Tempest]

Employees pay the cost of insuring spouses and dependents

Few companies pay for spouses and dependents.

The GOP appears to have expanded the fear mantra from terrorism to gays.

[Baby Snooks]

5. What small business?

Thanks to his party's "economic policies" small business is an endangered species.

And we all know how the Republican Party feels about endangered species.

[Faygo Kid]

6. What a buffoon.

All the GOP sycophants will talk about for weeks to come is Pelosi. Meanwhile, people are unemployed, without health care, and want solutions. And the GOP and their Faux News buddies have none. Zero. So they will rant about Pelosi, 24/7.

[caraher]

7. For consistency's sake...

I'm sure he's also against "traditional" marriage as an unfair burden on small business, too...

[Toucano]

33. That is the kind of question a journalist would put to the man.

Since we don't have any, it's up to you! ;)

[Bandit]

8. What small business provides "life insurance" for it's employees?

I have not heard of this..

[krispos42]

11. Mine does

In the amount of man annualized hourly wage. No cost to me.

And I have another life insurance policy through AFLAC, I think it is, and a third through my bank.

They started it about a year ago.

:shrug:


Of course, if they're lying, I'll never know... :D

[Baby Snooks]

22. You are very lucky...

And I suspect you also have a nice employer who values his employees.

[krispos42]

35. Seems too,

Although there have been a lot of layoffs, and most of the plant is down to 32 hours per week. And I haven't had a raise in 2 years.

But they've heavily invested in new equipment to replace aging stuff and expand the plant's manufacturing ability. They've probably spend 3 or 4 million in the past 2 years.


On the plus side, we get dental, vision, and health, and we have a secondary insurance that pays for half of the copays the primary insurance doesn't. And AFLAC is available, and a 401(k). No employer match, but they did kick in a bonus at the end of the year into the plan equal to 15 percent of our contribution for the year.

:shrug:


Not bad. And I finally had my performance review recently and they're issuing raises in August.


Could be worse.

[Akoto]

9. So, his new argument is basically ...

"Lets deny them equal rights, because to do otherwise would be economically inconvenient."

Yeah, I'm sure that'll open up the tent. They're combining their two favorite things, bigotry and cash, to form a whole new attack plan! :crazy:

[krispos42]

10. So then.... divorce and staying unmarried are beneficial to small businesses?

I thought marriage was a sacred institution, something that we need to support regardless?






And of course, if we had universal single-payer, the small businesses wouldn't be burdened AND marital status would be irrelevent.



Pssst, Mr. Steele, your idiocy is showing!

[Hoyt]

12. I'm sure the Georgia GOP loved that BS.

Was not too many years ago that Mr. Steele would have been banned from the room by that bunch.

[xxqqqzme]

28. Sure they would, as long as he was

pushing a broom or carrying a tray.

[madrchsod]

13. i bet the wedding industry begs to differ with mickie

[Downwinder]

14. Is health insurance grounds for divorce? Maybe, for Steele

Republican "Family Values" BS!

[judesedit]

15. What a selfish asshole

Like HE pays for his insurance. WE pay for his insurance and it's about time to STOP paying it!

[stevietheman]

16. Using stinginess to mask bigotry. That's the GOP, all right! n/t

n/t

[McCamy Taylor]

17. WTF? Gays have been denied equal benefits and that is a GOOD thing (for business).

Next, Steele is going to praise Jim Crow, because it keeps wages down for Blacks.

[LiberalFighter]

18. There needs to be a chart/graph explaining this.

Here are some considerations.

1) Cost factor for single, family without children, family with children.

2) Cost to businesses that don't provide insurance.

3) Cost to businesses with married employees having insurance through their employed spouses.

4) Cost to businesses with married employees having insurance through both.

5) Cost to businesses with married employees having employed spouses without employer insurance.

6) Cost to businesses with unmarried employees with significant other under points 3-5 above.

7) Businesses that have a higher burden of paying insurance than other businesses because a family chooses the insurance plan provided by a employed spouse over another employed spouse.

8) Businesses that don't provide health insurance.

9) Businesses that provide basic health insurance.

10) Businesses that provide excellent health insurance.

[Wizard777]

19. Shouldn't an EOE small business expect to pay out these benefit to ALL their employees?

[Wizard777]

20. Let reframe Steele's argument. The RNC only expects to pay out benefits to fat old white chairmen.

Then along comes Steele, a fat old black chairman, to impose an unforeseen financial burden on the RNC. Nope still doesn't hold water. Steele always was good at cutting his own throat.

[AndyTiedye]

21. Throw The Argument Back At Them for Universal Health Care!

He said allowing same-sex couples to get married would cost small business owners money by requiring them to pay for health care and life insurance for people who previously weren’t entitled to the benefits as spouses.

Tell them how much those small businesses would save under single-payer. The larger ones would save a bunch too (hello GM).

[sellitman]

23. I wonder how this works with the Log Cabin people?

On the other hand the Democrats couldn't have wished for a better spokesman for their Party than this idiot.

I am thankful we have him.

[Wizard777]

34. The Log Cabin People are probably shitting bricks.

So of course Steele will go old school on them and sing them the chorus to Brickhouse. SHE's mighty mighty. Just letting it all hang out. Then tell them to pick up the bricks they just shit and get to building.

[greiner3]

24. My kooky, Turkish, Fundy Uncle;

Used this argument on me a year ago. Xtians are together on one topic; they hate!

[friedgreentomatoes]

25. Is he crazy or what? n/t

[IndianaGreen]

26. As it is paying women same as men, and paying Blacks same as Whites

I've heard this argument before! Steele forgot to wear his sheets.

[pipi_k]

29. Oh, maybe he thinks small businesses should also have the right

to dictate limits on family size of their married, hetero employees as well.


geez...it never ceases to amaze me what arguments and justifications they can come up with for being assholes

[Toucano]

31. Since our entire economic system depends, according to Steele, on GAYS and LESBIANS

in the workforce, will he argue in favor of the ENDA?

Will we build a monument to gays and lesbians who keep the nation's small businesses rolling simply by not getting married?

Is this the new way to save social security and medicare?

"We need more gay sons and daughters in order to save the economy, people!"

[DU GrovelBot]

32. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

This week is our second quarter 2009 fund drive.
Donate and you'll be automatically entered into our daily contest.
New prizes daily!



No purchase or donation necessary. Void where prohibited. Click here for more information.

[Turbineguy]

36. That's the basis of repub

economics. If you don't have to pay for the cost, it doesn't exist. The pixies foot the bill. OK, maybe the Easter Bunny pays for it.

[LatteLibertine]

37. KO needs to put this in his WTF segment on Countdown

nt

[burning rain]

38. Contemptible.

Steele wants to retain and develop support among homophobic religioids, even though he doesn't care about the issue, himself, and at the same time he wants to corral moderate voters who really just care about their pocketbook but at least want to appear modern on social issues. Steele really doesn't believe in anything except getting ahead himself, so he's not a serious man or a real enemy, and I can neither hate him nor respect him in that weird limited way that I can a fierce, forthright enemy like Cheney, who has solid evil principles that he will do battle for. No, for Steele I have only contempt, whether it's of the eye-rolling or laughing-out-loud kind.

[aquart]

39. Neatly skirting the burden of STRAIGHT couples on small businesses

Because the US ungovernment refuses to provide healthcare for its citizens.

[Dark]

40. So's fair wages for women. Let's get rid of that too.

Of course, that's assuming women actually get fair wages...