RNC chief: Gay marriage will burden small business

Republicans can reach a broader base by recasting gay marriage as an issue that could dent pocketbooks as small businesses spend more on health care and other benefits, GOP Chairman Michael Steele said Saturday.

Steele said that was just an example of how the party can retool its message to appeal to young voters and minorities without sacrificing core conservative principles. Steele said he used the argument weeks ago while chatting on a flight with a college student who described herself as fiscally conservative but socially liberal on issues like gay marriage.

"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. "So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."

As Steele talked about ways the party could position itself, he also poked fun at his previous pledge to give the GOP a "hip-hop makeover."

"You don't have to wear your pants cut down here or the big bling," he said.

Full Article Here

Wow ... not too sure what to say about this claim. I'm actually kind of shocked as to how far fetched this statement is, I am not gay, but I do not understand as to how this is a credible statement. You could pretty much say anyone can burden small business in these times! Everyone has the right to happiness!

What are your thoughts?

[edit on 16-5-2009 by baseball101]

The argument is a farce. Extending benefits to same-sex couples is no different from providing these same benefits to heterosexual couples. A couple is a couple. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

PROPAGANDA



[edit on 16-5-2009 by king9072]

This is how the conservatives do it. They know they are losing this battle, that their reasoning is absurd, so instead of sticking to one of their already flawed arguments they start coming up with this silliness. This is the problem, whether it burdens small businesses or not really is not the issue. Fifty years ago they could have claimed that interracial marriages would burden small businesses. There are a lot of things that could burden small businesses, that doesn’t define if something is right or wrong.

[edit on 16-5-2009 by rapinbatsisaltherage]

Clearly, they should get spousal benefits.
Clearly, if they're not, something is wrong with the system because a family is a family.

Republicans can reach a broader base by recasting gay marriage as an issue that could dent pocketbooks as small businesses spend more on health care and other benefits, GOP Chairman Michael Steele said Saturday.
Full Article Here

We don't even need to dismantle this absurd argument from a monetary angle. It's a matter of decency. How offensive to suggest that equality of American citizens, simple equality, is to cower before financial concerns! What a moron! If the subject was any other minority group, an argument like this would cause an uproar. I am embarrassed by the fact that, in 2009, we're still having this discussion. Gay marriage should be a fait accompli. The next generations will be absolutely appalled by our painfully slow progression in the arena of liberty, without a doubt.

This is just appalling.



[edit on 16/5/09 by paperplanes]

Again, it comes down to the same *Snip* issues of money and christianity. Since when was gay/lesbian marrage a bad thing or a social evil? Why can't two men or two women be together like a man and a woman? Why do we listen to these mouth-piece pricks like Limbauh, Hannity, Holmes, Coulter, Miss California, O'Riely, or any Republican for that matter?

Answer me that.

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.


[edit on 5/17/09 by niteboy82]

reply to post by The Killah29


Miss California is pretty. And Rush Limbaugh is scary.
That's my theory.

Originally posted by The Killah29
Why do we listen to these mouth-piece pricks like Limbauh, Hannity, Holmes, Coulter, Miss California, O'Riely, or any Republican for that matter?

Answer me that.

Because the sad truth is a lot of ignorant people are just bigots who don’t want to be enlightened.

Thanks to the OP we see one of the stupidest, most blatant example of pathetic pandering to come out of the RNC chair's mouth:

"Now all of a sudden I've got someone who wasn't a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for," Steele told Republicans...

Does Steele even think about what he's saying? 'Someone who wasn't a spouse before' daring to *gasp!* get married!?

So, by his logic, all marriages are an undue burden on small businesses??

Sheesh!

[edit on 5/16/0909 by weedwhacker]

The RNC had better drop this 'strategy' and right quick. It is a clear definition of discrimination, imo. You're playing around with the idea of stepping on somebody's rights.

Mind you, it does nothing to advance the argument from gay marriage supporters.

My argument for supporters of gay marriage is: if, under civil unions, you can have all the benefits of heterosexual couples, then what does it matter if you are legally married? The only thing I can think of is that you want to take that distinction away from heteros because of...jealousy? Agenda?

This tack would remove a right from gays. That still doesn't make marriage a 'right', though.

Under the socialist health care system that Obama wants everyone WILL have health care.

That would totally remove this argument from the GOP because everyone would have health care.

That is utter nonsense.

There is nothing more to be said about such an idiotic statement.

OMG! GOP Chairman Michael Steele is a genius! Why didn't I see this before!

He's trying to solve the health care crisis by not allowing gay marriage (civil unions). Yes, this will save small businesses. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Steele for letting me see the errors in my thinking.

Mr. Steele, you need to apply for a job with Cirque de Soleil as a contortionist.

Oh lordy.

You know, by that thinking marriages as a whole are a burden to small businesses.

So are those darn children.

In fact, all benefits for individuals are a burden as well!!!!

Or;
Maybe Steele should consider that businesses that offer domestic partnership/marriage benefits to all will end up being more sucessful because they do not disenfranchize the best workers, gay or not. The free market will decide; and I guarantee those that offer equal rights for their workers will prosper-no matter the size of the company.

Such another facade of bigotry coming from the RNC. I'd have more respect for them if they just laid all their cards on the table-instead of wiggling around with this absolute nonsense of "reasoning" for their beliefs....

Michael Steele is a joke. The marriage between two people of the same sex is wrong....period...and the majority of Americans agree with that. Small businesses aren't burdened by married couples, they are burdened by government that almost mandates that business pay for employees heath care. If government didn't burden small business so much, they could actually pay their employees more and they could get their own health insurance.

I still don't get the gay marriage deal. If 2 gay people of the opposite sex want to get married....no one is stopping them? Equal rights for all!

The problem is when 2 people of the same sex want a special right to marry. That's wrong.

Equal rights for all....special rights for none.

reply to post by rapinbatsisaltherage

This is how the conservatives do it.

Please don't say conservatives. This is how Neo-cons do things. A real conservative wouldn't say this kind of garbage.

I for one see no problem with it....it doesn't do anything to me in the least...so why should I care?

No one is being hurt...no lives are being lost...if 2 people want to get married...then by all means LET THEM!

They have the right to be as miserable as the rest of us!

reply to post by baseball101


Fear. That is all it is, fear of change. Yes it will cost more to the employers as they have to offer the same bennifits to a gay couple, or same sex marriages. But what they fail to see is the other side of the equation. Gay marriage also means more of an income, increased revenue and business. Think about it if you look at the cost of a standard wedding and marriage, then it is safe to assume that a gay marriage will be the same cost.
The GOP is trying to play on the fears of people, and hopefully alot of people will ignore it.
I think it was best said that politics today is the art of branding. Both parties, Republican and Democrats, want to say they are the best thing since sliced bred, but when the doors are closed it is politics as usual.

What will actually happen is that it will cost small businesses less for healthcare. Small businesses will most likely cease to offer healthcare to any employees, thus adding more folks to the list of uninsured. Then The Government will shove Universal Healthcare down our throats.

[edit on 5/17/2009 by DarkStormCrow]

Perhaps Mr. Steele would also like to rebrand interracial marriage as an undue burden on business?

Another ridiculous tactic by a chairman elected in haste that is unqualified and completely wrong for what the GOP needs right now.

Didn't he just attack Mitt Romney for being Mormon? Seriously, what goes through this guy's head?

If the GOP seriously wants to appeal to a broader base, they should just drop the wedge issues like gay marriage and instead concentrate on real issues that actually affect the majority of Americans, because right now Americans don't care about that crap. It may have worked a few years ago, but Mr. Steele, things have changed. Get that through your head!