Tag Archives: California

The State Should Get Out of the Marriage Business

Oh dear. Bush apologist, McCain supporter, and former senator Rick Santorum has offered his addlepated opinion on the recent gay marriage ruling in California (Fedora Tip: 2 Political Junkies. He says:

“…The state Supreme Court there ruled, 4-3, that same-sex couples can marry. In doing so, four judges rejected a statute that passed in a referendum with 61 percent of the vote that defined marriage as a union of one man and one woman. It’s merely the latest in a string of court decisions that have overturned the overwhelming will of the people.”

As another blogger (a valedictorian law student no less) pointed out, sometimes the will of the people is in conflict with constitutional law. He says, “California’s Supreme Court did not override the will of the people; it simply looked at two different expressions of the people’s will and decided that the constitutional expression trumped the statutory expression, which is entirely proper.” I agree. If it is truly the will of the people of California to limit marriage to monogamous heterosexual couples, they’ll have to amend their state constitution.

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Gay Marriage in California

A few days ago, the California Supreme Court struck down a statutory regime that gave same-sex couples essentially the same rights and duties as married couples, but called them “registered domestic partners” instead of “married couples.” This, the court said, violates the equal protection clause of the California Constitution.

The court did not say whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry and have their relationship called and recognized as a “marriage.” As the court pointed out on pages 4 and 5 of the slip opinion:

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Driven Crazy

Detroit Fights California Bid to Open Car Pool Lanes to Fuel-Conscious Import
By DEAN E. MURPHY

Aides to the governor say he will sign legislation approved on Thursday that could allow up to 75,000 hybrid drivers, mainly those behind the wheel of a gas-sipping Prius, to use car pool lanes even when taking to the road alone. The governor hopes the perk will encourage more people to buy the cleaner-burning cars, but by doing so, he will give the Japanese-made Prius vaunted status in a state where nearly 30 million registered vehicles compete for every inch of open asphalt.

[…]

But Mr. Schwarzenegger might as well promote a “Buy Japanese” campaign, William C. Ford, Jr., chairman of the Ford Motor Company, said in a letter to the governor. An official with the United Auto Workers National Ford Department also wrote to Mr. Schwarzenegger, urging him to veto the legislation because no American-built vehicle would qualify. The combined offensive nearly killed the bill in the Legislature; it passed the 80-member State Assembly with the minimum 41 votes.

It’s great seeing how Ford is complaining of prejudice, whereas in fact this law will only prefer the Japanese incidentally, insofar as they’re the ones building hybrids rather than whining about technical and economic difficulties. You’d think that a company like GM, with a gross income greater than many countries’ GDPs, would be be able to do it, but nooo….

Needless to say, I consider only buying American to be utter bunk with cars, especially with so many foreign companies building plants here. It’s like our "Dream Team" in basketball. Taking a dive might be beneficial for them in the long run.