Posted on 11/24/2005 10:55:21 PM PST by Coleus
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
It's not even an issue of that. If I want to transfer my assets to my girlfriend or even my cat upon my death, I don't see where the state should be allowed to say "no".
Translation: They're cheap (*#@$(@#^$ looking for any way to avoid having to pay out.
Her pension terminates when she dies, unless she's married, in which case her spouse is entitled to continue getting the pension. Pensions are already a huge drain on most government agency budgets. Agreeing to pay benefits to unmarried partners would cost the city a lot more money.
Yeah, but it's not like she's asking for her pension to go to the guy who owns the pizza parlor down the road. It says in the article that they have been registered as "domestic partners" for 6 years.
Couldn't she have asked before if she could actually transfer the benefits? It's a little late in the game to realize that she couldn't, she should have found out up front.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
AND THE RULES SAY you have to be married to pass on pension benefits. Playing house doesn't count.
Sure, and if the Freeholders cave, ie., get sloppy with the taxpayers money, in this case then expect every state employee who's not married to find a "domestic partner" who can continue to collect their pension in the event of death. Maybe a young son or daughter would do.
Neither do I; after all it's HER pension, and she should be able to designate whomever she pleases.
I don't approve of homosexuality but what people who live together do, ought to be their own business. I don't see where any laws were broken here.
The only thing broken here was the principle known as Freedom.
Do you understand that it's not the transfer of assets that's involved here - - any common will could take care of that - - it's the taxpayer-funded pension?
And it is opinions such as yours that conservatives are trying to keep off the Supreme Court and other courts.
Hester sure is an appropriate name for her.
It's not her pension after she dies. IRAs and 401s are assets that can be willed to anyone. Government pensions are different. The Agency keeps writing checks to the retiree until they die. And then it stops.
I believe that most California governments do allow pension benefits to be passed on to registered partners, but I'm not sure about that. If so, it's because local law allows.
I can't speak for all States, but government pensions are what will bankrupt California. Watch the West Contra Costa Unified School District as the bellwether. Years ago, local politicians didn't have money to give teacher pay raises, and rather than anger the teacher's union, they promised them incredible retirement packages. Within just a few more years, retirement costs will be greater than the entire school district budget. Will they break their promises to the teacher's union or shut down all the schools? They certainly won't be able to raise taxes enough to solve the problem.
Within the foreseeable future, State and Local Governments will need to convert from "defined benefit" retirement plans to a "defined contribution" plan like most private employers use. Then, the retirement benefits will indeed be an asset of the retiree, and may be passed to anyone they choose.
No, but soon it will be.
Devalue marriage down enough and in some time, it will be common to have "pension-spouses" or some such slang term. If "marriage" doesn't mean anything, it doesn't mean anything.
I'm old enough to remember when co-habitation was shameful, and illegal. Same will happen with same sex legal agreements.
Absolutely! And it's YOUR money that they don't want to pay.
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