Flo Mingo
Flo Mingo's JournalSimple words, huge impact
So. My partner and I were married in May this year. We live in North Carolina, so we went to Massachusetts as homage to their being first in the nation to put out the rainbow welcome mat. My partner planned to change her name and, knowing that NC didn't recognize our marriage, she went the "civil" route. At the county court house, she was told she had to buy a package of forms for $5, pay for an FBI background check, pay for an SBI background check, submit a notarized affidavit that she has no liens against her, etc, etc, etc to the tune of $150-$200 dollars. And that was if we didn't pay a lawyer to help with the process.
We were discouraged and outright mad, since her straight co-worker who is planning to marry later this year said all she has to do is take her SS card and marriage certificate to a SS office and voila, all done.
We were still paying for an EPIC wedding adventure so we decided we'd hold off for a while and hope that DOMA would be overturned. Once it was, she took her paperwork to the local SSI office, showed the clerk her paperwork. When he noticed, he said, "This is a same sex marriage. We haven't had one of these yet, I have to go check to make sure I get this right".
She wasn't sure how it would go but nervously waited for him to return. When he did, he looked her in the eye and said, "I'm to treat this like any other marriage".
Who knew such simple words could have such a powerful impact.
Question about DOMA
Does anyone have any insight into how this affects couples married in a state where it is legal but living in a state where it is not?
It would seem to open a can of worms to only allow federal benefits if you're living in a state where it is legal, no matter where you got married. After all, what if your job transfers you from Massachusetts to North Carolina?
Judge tells Raleigh.......Not so fast!
Good first step with a long row to hoe.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130515/NEWS/305150029/Water-transfer-blocked-now
Any DU travel guides out there?
So, I'm going to do it. I'm going to tie the knot with the love of my life.
Unfortunately, I can't marry her here in N. Carolina so we're going to Massachusetts. We chose Mass. to honor them for being the first in the nation to allow same sex marriages. The wedding will be in Gloucester but we're taking a couple weeks and plan to see most of the coast from Acadia Natl Park to Boston.
I'm a huge fan of out-of-the-way interesting places that you don't find on the map or in travel brochures. Not too particular about what might be there but I am a self-confessed food slut so if you know where to get the best lobstah po boy, or cup of clam chowdah, that'd be great!
Thanks to my DU family. (even if you didn't know we were family!)
State blinks first in Asheville Water Wars
So....... Rep Ramsey floats the idea there has been talk of a settlement with City Leaders. City Leaders say, Uh, not so much. But if you want to put $1.5 b on the table, maybe we can.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130510/NEWS/305100021/City-officials-dispute-Ramsey-s-claim-water-settlement-talks|
Asheville City Council Votes to Sue State
This could get very interesting watching the R's try to explain their faulty logic in court.
Wish us luck!
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20130508/APN/1305080682?tc=ar|
Republican calls on voters to drop the party if GOP in Raleigh continues on current path
Finally a Republican to speak the truth to Republicans. Never thought I'd EVER agree with Carl Mumpower on anything but I had to give his FB post a like for the brutal honesty he dished out in this piece.
He is railing against his own party's power grab that is specifically targeted at the City of Asheville. Asheville has been reliably Democrat for quite some time and so, of course, they must be punished. Here are a few of Mumpower's reasons Raleigh has over reached and betrayed Republican principles.
2) This is a local governance matter being decided in Raleigh. Asheville is being singled out for action that has not occurred anywhere else in the state. The end result will have a dramatically harmful social and economic impact on the citizens of Asheville and by association, Western North Carolina. This effort represents the effective practice of eminent domain – a misapplication of elected authority antagonistic to everything the Republican Party stands for.
3) Legislation against Asheville is a patterned activity. Recent seizure of the Airport, being singled out as the only city in NC not allowed to share room tax revenue, Sullivan Acts II & III uniquely applied to Asheville, and other actions reflect a mismatch between word and deed in supporting the viability of chartered municipalities.
4) The reasons tendered for this legislative seizure of Asheville’s water system are dishonest and beneath the dignity of the elected officials offering those justifications-
More at the link
http://www.mountainx.com/article/49751/Former-Asheville-City-Council-member-Carl-Mumpower-threatens-to-leave-GOP-over-water-system-bill
The push to steal Asheville's water marches on. Check out HB 488.
AN ACT TO PROMOTE THE PROVISION OF REGIONAL WATER AND SEWER SERVICES BY TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC WATER OR SEWER SYSTEMS THAT DO NOT FUNCTION AS JOINT OR REGIONAL WATER OR SEWER SYSTEMS TO A METROPOLITAN WATER AND 5 SEWERAGE DISTRICT.
Full text at the link.
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2013/Bills/House/PDF/H488v0.pdf
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Member since: Tue Nov 30, 2010, 03:14 PMNumber of posts: 492
