Chuck DeVore and Tom Harman Support Higher Taxes*

*If you are a part of a gay/lesbian couple….

And Heather Pritchard inspired this post ;) 

Today is Tax Day, and if you just happen to be part of a Gay/Lesbian couple, you’re paying more taxes than your straight/married counterparts. 

Why? 

Gays and Lesbians cannot take advantage of the marriage deduction and routinely pay more in taxes and have more complicated tax returns than straight/marrieds because our Republican state legislators have a problem with the concept of boys kissing.  Both DeVore and Harman (and the Republicans in the assembly and state senate) support a new ballot initiative designed to make a gay marriage ban a constitutional amendment.

What bothers me is how these guys routinely wave the flag and talk about protecting liberty and freedom while at the same time, denying equal rights (liberty, freedom, pursuit oif happiness) to all of our citizens under the law.

A story in the Irvine World News/OC Post today quotes both State Rep Chuck DeVore and State Senator Tom Harmon on efforts to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot to kill gay marriage in California once and for all.  Their support of this measure, quite simply, means that they support a tax increase on gays and lesbians.  If Republicans can call closing a loophole for luxury boat owners a tax increase and block the ability of the majority in the legislature from closing the sloophole, then we need to call attention to the GOP’s support of higher taxes for gay and lesbian couples. 

So, when you, that nice gay couple in the neighborhood, file your returns today and you’re paying more in taxes and you paid more to your accountant for handling a more complicated return, be sure to thank Chuck DeVore and Tom Harman and the rest of the Republicans in the state legislature for their support in making sure you paid more than your fair share.