Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/105484
OPINION into an intimate relationship but, for family or inheritance reasons, not wish to be married. These couples want and need the right to be involved in critical decisions that affect each of them, but recent changes in healthcare laws and other regulations make this extremely difficult, if not impossible. Perhaps it is for that reason that the City of Venice, with the oldest average age of any city in America, unanimously voted last week to proceed with creating a domestic partnership registry. Certainly, a countywide registry would better protect citizens who are in intimate relationships but are not married. Unfortunately, most of the county commissioners ducked the issue by wistfully suggesting the Legislature could enact a statewide registry. In a state where legislative assaults on gay rights, the reproductive rights of women, voting rights and immigrants are fixtures of every session, such a registry is not likely. In fact, Sen. Eleanor Sobel, a Democrat from Hollywood, has filed bills to establish a domestic partnership registry in the previous four sessions of the Legislature. All died in committee. Undaunted, she has filed another bill for this session, although it likely will meet the same fate. That should not be a surprise to our commissioners, who know perfectly well that there is almost no chance of our Legislature establishing the registry. Their obduracy in refusing even to allow county attorneys to investigate the matter indicates their indifference to the needs of those who would most benefit from the law. And many people would benefit. Of course, the number who benefit from their action — or inaction — apparently is not a significant factor in the decision-making process. That was made clear when, on Jan. 16, the commissioners voted 3-2 to extend sharply reduced road construction impact fees — already half of what they were two years ago — for another two years. Impact fees are the most effective way for the county to mitigate the cost of demands placed on infrastructure by new construction and new residents. In fact, the commissioners were expected to weigh staff recommendations on a comprehensive overhaul of impact fees, based on the latest market data in our area, in an effort to make the fees more reflective of our nascent economic recovery. Unfortunately, an error by county staff member delayed updated calculations of the needed data, so staff requested a six-month extension of the old rates. Instead, some of the commissioners knuckled under to pressure from the construction industry and voted to keep the impact fees at their drastically reduced levels for two more years. This despite the real possibility that corrected data from the county staff might show that move to be a very costly one as construction activity increases in the months and years ahead. Another week or two was all that was needed to get hard data in front of them to make the most informed decision. Commissioners Nora Patterson and Charles Hines wanted to postpone a decision until that data was in hand. But the majority voted to ignore the prudence of waiting, and handed a late Christmas pres-