Calif. Economy will Suffer from Prop. 8 Vote
Denver Post - Opinion
by Gabe Martinez
November 14, 2008
With the passage of Proposition 8 in California,
outlawing gay marriage, it is ironic that the voters
will be the ones who will suffer the most. With the
California economy in trouble, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger has announced plans for tax
increases, statewide layoffs, cuts in services and
has even floated the idea of a multibillion-dollar
bailout from the federal government.
Never mind that an estimated 18,000 legally
married gay couples will be entitled to a refund if
those marriages are invalidated, at a cost to the
state of $2.9 million. Never mind that a June 2008
study by the Williams Institute at UCLA estimates
that same-sex marriage could boost California’s
revenues by more than $63.8 million. Never mind that
gay buying-power is projected to exceed $712 billion
for 2008, according to a Witeck-Combs survey. When
the tax increases come, the religious coalition that
financed the passage of Proposition 8 won’t feel the
pinch because they are tax-exempt entities.
My partner and I spent a week in San Francisco
and were married at City Hall on Sept. 25. Like
other couples, we contributed thousands of dollars
to their economy.
It is clear that the real losers will ultimately
be the voters of California.
