What are the chances of gay marriage being repealed? (lawyers, school)

[1979]

Originally Posted by mustmove

The local economy is driven by state taxes, zoning and regulation.

A good economy will not lower Massachusetts real estate prices, it will raise them! It happened in the 80's with all the high-tech boom along route 128. Massachusetts real estate is high, because it has a diverse economy and it is a desirable place to live. Real estate in the Boston metro area may simmer, but will never stagnate. If the taxes are high, people will have to deal with it, if they don't, there are plenty of people who will take their place.

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by mustmove

The local economy is driven by state taxes, zoning and regulation.

The local economy is driven by local business. Local business is affected by state taxes, zoning, and regulation, but to say they are the dominant forces in a particular market is drastic oversimplification. Certainly for low margin industries like commoditized manufacturing, things like taxes, zoning, and regulation can be dominant; other, typically high-tier industries like finance and research aren't constrained in that way and often locate in expensive, over-zoned areas because a critical mass of others in that industry are located in the area. New York City for finance or the Bay Area for computers are two prime examples. Even things like allowing gay marriage can have a positive effect in attracting or keeping particular industries.

[mustmove]

The attitude that MA can tax and regulate as much as they want and not affect business is dangerously ignorant.

[CaseyB]

The last several posts have gone way off topic from the original subject of the thread.

TOS:

"Stay on topic. Attempts to hi-jack threads by switching topics or going off topic will be deleted and infractions issued. This is not a chat room - when people hi-jack threads by posting messages that are of interest to only few people, the threads often stop being useful discussions of initial topics."

[vivabigpapi]

Originally Posted by tangodoodles

I'd like to thank all of you for your responses. For me personally, it's hard to imagine a state where there is limited opposition to equal rights. From what all of you have said, Massachusetts is such a place. Anyway, I asked because I'm so disheartened with California right now and I need to apply to law school in a two years time so I'm sort of thinking ahead. I am not gay but I support gay rights and I'm concerned about raising children in a state where one can literally write something discriminatory and unconstitutional into the state constitution. I don't say these things to start an argument but because those are my beliefs and I'd have a pretty hard time saying to my kids, "Your cousin couldn't get married just because people don't think he should have the right in California." Again, thanks for all the responses, I now feel very good about potentially heading out to the east coast for law school and if I like it I may stick around.

Even though the majority of California voted Yes on 8, 77% of the city that you live in (San Francisco) voted No on 8. You live in the most tolerant city in California, if not the most tolerant city in the U.S. So if you raise your kids in San Francisco, they are not going to see biggotry and ignorance.

[CoastalMaine]

The most irritating thing about gay marriage in Massachusetts is the idea the liberal judges approved it. They took away our most basic right as citizens of the Commonwealth... the right to vote. I think gay people should be able to be as miserable as us hetero's are in marriage. Fair's fair after all! lol

[tangodoodles]

Originally Posted by CoastalMaine

The most irritating thing about gay marriage in Massachusetts is the idea the liberal judges approved it. They took away our most basic right as citizens of the Commonwealth... the right to vote. I think gay people should be able to be as miserable as us hetero's are in marriage. Fair's fair after all! lol

I respect your opinion but I'd rather not get into an argument about the branches of government, I'm kind of burned out after all of this fighting in California. But I appreciate that you seem to support gay marriage.

[tangodoodles]

Originally Posted by vivabigpapi

Even though the majority of California voted Yes on 8, 77% of the city that you live in (San Francisco) voted No on 8. You live in the most tolerant city in California, if not the most tolerant city in the U.S. So if you raise your kids in San Francisco, they are not going to see biggotry and ignorance.

Yeah, that's what I love about this city. But I worry about what else majority rule can write into the state constitution. The passage of the prop may be appealed on the basis that a simple majority passed a constitutional amendment which may or may not be legal but I'd rather live in a place where it isn't up in the air all the time. For instance, another prop was about whether or not minors had to get permission from their parents to get an abortion and it has been on the ballot three out of the past four years and it has failed every time but it's always close. Even if we voted again in two years and gay marriage prevailed, I'd wonder if maybe that would change the following year if it was on the ballot again. So, while I love that San Francisco is so liberal, it's the state of California that I worry about.

[jayrandom]

The chances are almost zero. Politicians don't want to touch the issue with a ten foot pole and they've figured out how not to. I do think that if the amendment made it to the ballot it would be soundly defeated, but I don't think we'll ever get that chance.

[tangodoodles]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

The chances are almost zero. Politicians don't want to touch the issue with a ten foot pole and they've figured out how not to. I do think that if the amendment made it to the ballot it would be soundly defeated, but I don't think we'll ever get that chance.

Defeated in a good way right? Like in California yes meant no on gay marriage and no meant yes on gay marriage? Just clarifying because sometimes these things get confusing. But if you mean that gay marriage would stay legal then that is awesome. It's nice to see that it has been around and people who may not support it may have even gotten used to it.