| MisterOpus1 |
So the hypothesis was that gay marriages would bankrupt the state. The study, however, suggested the opposite.
Oops, that's not what they wanted!:
| quote: | There appear to be substantial economic benefits to gay marriage. Forbes magazine estimated that legalizing gay marriage would result in $16.8 billion in extra revenues due to weddings nationally. Using Census Bureau data showing 594,000 U.S. same-sex couples living together in 2000, Forbes assumed that only 85 percent would have formal weddings. If Minnesota's share of gay marriages were proportional to its population of 5.1 million, the weddings benefit would be $247 million. In May, a UCLA Law School study found that same-sex marriages would result in gains to California's state budget of $22.3 to $25.2 million a year. Savings would come mainly by causing the income of a person's married partner to be included when determining eligibility for means-tested state benefit programs.
In other words, from a fiscal perspective, gay marriage is a conservative's dream come true because it takes people off of entitlement programs. Economist and UCLA study coauthor M.V. Lee Badgett noted: "Even if only a small percentage of individuals living with partners register and become ineligible for public benefits, California is likely to reduce its expenditures on these programs by more than $23 million a year."
The California study also predicted increases in tourism dollars and tax revenues -- $100 million per year in increased business revenues and $10 million in sales taxes. Similar findings have resulted from studies of same-sex marriage in Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut. From a fiscal perspective, Gov. Tim Pawlenty should be leading the gay parade.
One thing is certain: There will be further deep cuts to state program benefits resulting from the coming $1 billion state deficit and Pawlenty's no-new-taxes pledges. What better for his partisans than to blame the resulting losses to individuals and families on gays?
In addition to its bigoted intolerance, the argument has little economic foundation. But I'm glad someone asked me the question. The answer, it turns out, is that gay marriage may be good for the economy, and for state budgets.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/562/4975091.html |
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