Benefits for Unmarried Partners?

The issue of domestic partner benefits was brought to the front burner, at least briefly, in the recent Los Angeles municipal election campaign.

Los Angeles already offers spousal benefits to city employees’ unmarried domestic partners. However, earlier this year, San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown went further, moving to deny city contracts with any company not offering such benefits.

State Sen. Tom Hayden has also introduced a bill that would require domestic partner benefits for contractors doing business with state or local government.

While such action would be a boon for gay and unmarried couples who do not have such benefits, critics argue about the fairness of such a requirement.

Should the city of Los Angeles require businesses dealing with the city to offer domestic partner benefits?

State Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica):

“Yes, I believe Los Angeles should. As we know, San Francisco has done so and every business including Catholic Charities and United Airlines who had not yet such a policy has complied. There has been no loss to the city. . . . I think it would be very difficult at first for cities and counties to imagine how to comply. However, I believe that it would be a lot easier than most think, and if indeed we are spending public money to buy a service, we would prefer companies to treat their employees fairly.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Feuer:

“This is an issue that the council will be looking at very carefully in the coming months, [but] given how general the idea is at this time, it’s very hard to say what direction this will take. There are so many facts not on the table: [For example,] how many companies already have these benefits? . . . San Francisco is a much smaller city than Los Angeles and it may have a smaller number of companies affected by this. . . . Until I know more factors . . . I could not make a firm decision.”

Bob Scott, local issues chairman for the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn.

“VICA has not taken a position on that but VICA generally opposes issues that tend to make the city of Los Angeles less competitive. We’re not in favor of things generally that put an additional burden on coming to Los Angeles. . . . [But] it’s not a question of whether we think that it’s a good idea. What we think is a bad idea is the city of Los Angeles becoming less and less competitive.”

Gerry Ansel, spokesman for AIDS Project Los Angeles.

“We would be in favor of such an action. . . . For one thing, it’s available in same-sex relationships, and secondly, from a public health point of view it provides access to much-needed HIV and AIDS treatments to those who need them. The new AIDS treatment called protease inhibitors that we have been hearing so much about are very expensive. They cost anywhere from $11,000 to $16,000 per year per person, so only those who have private insurance or government assistance can afford to pay for these drugs. [Domestic partner benefits] would provide access to these drugs for more people.”