Congratulations to Commissioner Rodstrom!
Congratulations to Commissioner Rodstrom!
We all need to congratulate Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom and the rest of the Commission for approving Domestic Partners Benefits to City employees this week! This decision is long overdue, and will now allow the domestic partners of City employees (both gay and straight) to have the same level of benefits that married couples have.
This step helps bring employees of Fort Lauderdale in line with most other larger US cities and large corporations across the country; providing unmarried couples the same health, tax and provider benefits that married couples have enjoyed for decades. Fort Lauderdale is one of the most diverse cities in the US; this decision helps the Commission recognize that fact.
Why do I single out Commissioner Rodstrom? Because it was Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom that took the initiative and came up with this proposal weeks ago. Taking the initiative. Actually coming up with an idea that benefits the City and then getting the rest of the Commission to vote on it. What a novel idea!
After more than two years, has either the Mayor or any of the other Commissioners actually come up with an idea on their own that benefits the City? Have they come up with any unique proposal that would improve the future quality of life for us all? Have they done anything more than just sit back and have City Staff spoon feed them an agenda at every Commission meeting?
I wish I was wrong, but I believe that this is the first time in more than two years that anyone on our Commission has come up with an idea on their own. Thank you Charlotte Rodstrom, for showing some leadership! But we should be seeing our Mayor and every other District Commissioner come up with ideas like this all the time. New ideas make our City a better place to live!
Our elected officials were elected to lead, not to be glorified administrators at a Commission meeting every two weeks. Unfortunately, leadership seems to be a scarce commodity with most of them. What are your thoughts?
Earl Rynerson
www.abetterftlauderdale.com
Reader Comments
Thank you Earl for giving Commissioner Rodstrom credit due. She has consistently made wise decisions, and kept an open mind for changes to be implemented, like the partner benefits.
THANK Commissioner Rodstrom for her vision and
courage to push forward a very fair and worthwhile
change for Fort Lauderdale citizens. We are a gay,
married couple residing in Fort Lauderdale and we
are proud of the commissioner Rodstrom.
Hi Earl,
While hardly a “new idea” and maybe just a “snoozer” in an age of decades-old partner benefit programs in scores of cities and in many corporations (not to mention same sex marriage; gays soon to be serving openly in the military; and, a large percentage of US households composed of unmarried heterosexual adult partners to cite only a few examples), nevertheless Commission Charlotte Rodstrom deserves kudos. Glad you pointed it out!
Ken
Why is “approving Domestic Partners Benefits” a good thing!?!? That’s the point of the legal contract we call marriage… why are taxpayers being forced to support this nonsense? Now anyone who needs some extra cash can claim to be a “domestic partner” for a while… how convenient! When I started reading your article, I thought you were being sarcastic, since you usually make good sense. Don’t city employees get enough from the abused taxpayers as it is????
Chauncey-
Please see the reply posted by Sto above who is answering your questions. The “nonsense” that you refer to is an equality issue here pure and simple; giving couples who choose not to marry or who cannot marry (because they are gay/lesbian) the same rights and privledges that straight couples have who do marry. And as far as marriage being a “legal contract” as you describe it; well, yes, there are certain legal aspects to a marriage that should be made available to everyone who commits to another person. But there is nothing special about marriage per se when you can get divorced the day after you get married. (If you made it illegal for people to get divorced, then yes, marriage would be something special.) I do agree with you though, that taxpayers are abused; but offering this benefit to city employees costs the taxpayer nothing, so Chauncey, unless you have some religious perspective to this issue, you should be supporting it.
Earl
Thank you Commissioner Rodstrom, for supporting equal rights and taking us into the future.
Dear Chauncey
Some Facts. In Broward County there is a legal contract known as the DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP REGISTRATION. Registering with the County amongst other requirements must be met prior to this benefit being made available. Since Gay Couples cannot marry in Florida, and many str8 couples choose to not marry for various tax and social reasons this is an issue of equality and fairness.
The addition of Domestic Partnership Benefits adds ZERO cost to the taxpayers as it will cost an additional $525 per month in premium to the city employee, post tax dollars.
In the various cities in Florida that do extend benefits to Domestic Partnerships, less than 2% of the covered employees receive them. This would amount to about 35 employees of Fort Lauderdale.
Kudos to Charlotte. It helps bring Ft.L. into the 21st Century and may help others realize that this is a better place to live.
Dear Commissioner Rodstrom,
Thank you for taking action on this issue. I read your newsletters frequently and I am pleased to have someone like you to represent me.
Sincerely,
Rick Wernsing
Dear Earl,
I enjoy the informative nature of your posts but I really wish you could get through just one with out finding it necessary to belittle, ridicule, or stick your finger in the eye of someone. That only serves to belittle you and the points you are trying to make and tarnishes your agenda. Please try being positive for awhile and see what happens.
Thanks,
Randy Holloway
Randy-
Thank you for your feedback. I’ll try to be more positive on certain issues in the future, but it is difficult when I see very little improvement in our “caretaker” form of government within City Hall.
Earl
It is only fair that we can now all be equal in getting the same benefits. Commissioner Rodstrom thank you for bringing Ft. Lauderdale into the next century, thank you.
Thank you Commissioner Rodstrom for taking the lead in this matter of simple justice; and thank you Earl for giving praise where it is due. Ian