Equity for those who cannot marry

(Original publication: December 27, 2005)
New York Journal News Letters

I was dismayed to read the news that four New Rochelle residents are suing the city to end health benefits for unmarried domestic partners of city employees. At a time of year when peace, love and family are at the heart of the season, it is disheartening to know that there are people who are seeking to undermine the stability and health of their neighbors.

The benefits these four people are trying to rescind are already in place, already have employees requesting them, and are protecting the families of all New Rochelle employees, not only those that have the legal right to marry.

The comment made by Peggy Godfrey is inaccurate. Offering these benefits is not "politically pandering." It is a fair and marginally equitable solution to a situation where a minority is being left out in the cold, again. It is blatantly hypocritical to insist that taxpayers should not be "paying for two people to be living together outside of marriage" when some of those people, who are taxpayers as well, don't have the option of marriage, as Godfrey so clearly pointed out.

Once the playing field is even and everyone has the same choices, then perhaps we may have this dialogue. Until then, I commend Mayor Tim Idoni and Councilman Noam Bramson for their efforts to make sure that all New Rochelle families can have health benefits to protect each other and their children. I urge the government of New Rochelle to fight to keep the benefits in place.

Yvette Christofilis, White Plains