Posted on 02/23/2005 3:17:19 PM PST by AFA-Michigan
Family group: EMU tuition plan violates constitution, attorney general and lawmakers should investigate
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Eastern Michigan University's new expansion of a half-off tuition break for students involved in homosexual relationships with university employees violates the state's constitution by recognizing and treating such relationships as equal or similar to marriage, a statewide family values organization said Wednesday in a statement delivered to Attorney General Mike Cox and lawmakers responsible for higher education funding and oversight.
The American Family Association of Michigan -- a lead supporter of the Marriage Protection Amendment last year added to the state constitution by voters -- urged Cox and legislative leaders to investigate the planned expansion of EMU's half-off tuition plan and take steps to stop its implementation.
Administrators at EMU and other Michigan universities "are not above the law or exempt from the principles enshrined by vote of the people in our state constitution," AFA-Michigan President Gary Glenn wrote in a statement to Cox, Senate Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Michael Goschka, R-Saginaw, and House Higher Education and Career Preparation Committee Chairman Rep. Lorence Wenke, R-Kalamazoo.
"On behalf of Michigan taxpayers," Glenn wrote, "the American Family Association of Michigan urges you to conduct fact-finding, hold public hearings, seek a court order or take whatever other action may be necessary to end -- or cut off funding for -- EMU officials' abuse of taxpayers' dollars and any similar violations of our state constitution you discover by other government employers."
"By vote of the people of Michigan, our state government -- and that includes state university officials -- are required to recognize marriage as being only between one man and one woman," Glenn wrote. "Conversely, government employers are prohibited from recognizing or treating homosexual relationships as equal or similar to marriage, which is clearly the intent and effect of EMU's unconstitutional policy."
Glenn said the issue is a matter of fairness. "If EMU officials can't afford to give half off tuition to the family and friends of all university employees, how can they justify singling out only those employees involved in homosexual activity for special treatment and benefits?"
He said that if every EMU employee were allowed to designate an individual, no matter the relationship, as eligible to receive the half-off tuition break, that policy would not violate the state constitution. However, singling out EMU employees specifically on the basis of their involvement in a homosexual relationship, and offering the special benefit of having that relationship treated as equal or similar to marriage, is now unconstitutional.
"What's particularly galling to many taxpayers is that by giving students involved in homosexual behavior half off their tuition, EMU officials force taxpayers and other students to make up the difference and thereby subsidize behavior they sincerely believe is wrong," Glenn said.
Most taxpayers oppose tax funding of such benefits, he said, citing a Detroit Free Press poll conducted last September in the heat of public debate over the proposed Marriage Protection Amendment. The poll found that "54 percent say local governments and universities should not provide benefits, such as health and life insurance, to the partners of gay and lesbian employees," the Free Press reported Oct. 2nd. http://www.freep.com/news/politics/marriagepoll2e_20041002.htm
Glenn said the new constitutional definition of marriage will not immediately affect EMU's policy of giving half-off tuition to students involved in homosexual relationships with unionized EMU employees covered by a collective bargaining contract. Under federal contract and labor law, no state policy can abrogate an existing contract, but the new constitutional provision will be applicable when current labor contracts expire or are renegotiated.
The constitutional provision does apply immediately, he said, to EMU's new policy -- announced after the Nov. 4th election at which the Marriage Protection Amendment was approved -- of giving half off tuition to students involved in homosexual relationships with university employees who are not covered by a union contract.
"The cost associated with this change is projected to be in the range of $2,000 per year for each same sex domestic partner," EMU officials said in a Nov. 30th news release. (http://www.emich.edu/univcomm/releases/113004BORbennies.html) But Glenn said the cost to taxpayers and other students could be even higher if the half-off benefit is applied to higher non-resident tuition paid by out-of-state students.
The Ann Arbor News reported Dec. 4th that EMU's Board of Regents "approved the tuition waiver benefit, which reduces tuition by half, for same-sex partners of non-union EMU employees...which include(s) administrators, coaches, and administrative secretaries."
Glenn said in addition to violating Michigan's constitution, the new EMU policy "recklessly validates, encourages, even uses our tax dollars to financially subsidize and reward unhealthy, self-destructive homosexual behavior that medical research says may literally cut up to 20 years off the lives of EMU students who engage in such behavior."
He cited a study published by Oxford University's International Journal of Epidemiology which reported that due to the increased incidence of life-threatening disease associated with homosexual behavior, "life expectancy at age 20 years for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for all men."
* Original citation by International Journal of Epidemiology: http://ije.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/26/3/657?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&searchid=1021138136284_166&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&minscore=50&journalcode=intjepid
* Also cited by Canadian Medical Association Journal at: http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/162/1/21#SEC3
Office of the President Phone: 734-487-2211
EMU Board of Regents E-mail: dana.aymond@emich.edu
Comedians couldn't think this stuff up.
ping
"Eastern Michigan University's new expansion of a half-off tuition break for students involved in homosexual relationships with university employees"
So do they give half off to heterosexual students who are sleeping with a professor?
Don't boycott it--abuse it!
If you are a man, say you have a boyfriend, then demand 1/2 off tuition; if a woman, follow the proper course. If they challenge you on it, threaten a lawsuit ("How DARE you question my orientatioN!")
This is RIPE for the rip-off...
was just gonna say the same thing.......for half off, hell fake if for awhile.....sue their ass off is they ask questions.....boy, I'm glad you guys did this first so I wouldn't have to hear "only in Calif" today......LOL.....
I seriously want to see some heterosexual who is involved in a normal relationship, but not married, demand the same benefits, and be willing to see it through and push the issue.
Nope, sorry, gotta have an employee vouch for the relationship with them. It's just for gay EMU employees' significant others, the way I read it.
This perverted sickness has to stop.
bump
So, a gay EMU employee can offer a student 1/2 off tuition if they'll shack up. What's the alumni think of this?
I never gave a damn about queers years ago. I just figured "whatever floats yer boat, just don't pull it on me".....Now I'm finding that they (the vocal faggots and carpetmunchers) are really pissin' me off, but the people "in power" piss me off more by caving in to every demented demand the queers want. When does it stop?!
Hope I don't get suspended by the mods for this, but I'm steaming about all this faggot BS.
FMCDH(BITS)
Dont feel like the Lone Ranger pal, I got a bellyful of this crap years ago. Half off for queers dating employees of a college is trulty frickin insane.
If you want on/off the ping list see my profile page.
"You mean like, flaming?"
And it will only get worse. What I don't understand is how such a very small group could do so much damage. The Supreme Court made a huge mistaken in their Lawrence v. Texas ruling. I wonder if homosexual doctors in the area will give discounts for AIDS patients?
How about a NAMBLA scholarship?
"So do they give half off to heterosexual students who are sleeping with a professor?"
Only if they're married.
Does it count if you're a lesbian trapped in a man's body?
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