On Marriage Equality

Feel like out of the cool clique on this one. Perhaps I’m nuts – or maybe just a bigot? But from a policy perspective marriage should ultimately not be about love but about children. Cheers! I think you should be able to love whomever you want. Multiple people even. Love it! Sexy! However, let the reasonable consider that taxation and benefits are a matter of social policy – and any promising social policy should always pivot around what’s best for progeny. No? Would it be fair for example that I’d have to file head of household while raising two young boys, by myself (which I do), and pay a higher marginal tax rate than two homosexuals with no children? Does that make sense to anyone? Call me crazy but my raising two young citizens should earn more of a right to tax breaks than their love. Society should subsidize my work as parent before it should ever consider subsidizing the love between two men – or two women. I mean, let the two men love – that’s fantastic! – I just don’t want to pay for it! And such absurdity doesn’t stop at marginal rates. If a same sex couple were to sell a $750,000 home and I were to similarly sell a $750,000 home both with a basis of $250,000, I’d have to pay $37,500 in additional capital gains tax that they would not have to – despite the fact I have the additional burden of raising two young children. Again, perhaps I’m just a pistachio but that’s just stupid. And then there’s the issue of benefits, unlimited marital deduction, etc. So before we go about turning millennia’s worth of tradition on it’s head and emoting progress, let’s just give it some thought folks. And yes, there’s the issue of same-sex parenting, I’m still noodling on that one. Perhaps parental deductions should supplant marital deduction? Still noodling.

Punch

Swivel hip quick, and swinging heavy wing of meat and stabbing bone.