When Bigotry Trumps Rationalism

By now, I am sure many of you who live in the Greater Tampa Bay area know of the controversy surrounding Kevin Beckner, the first term Hillsborough County Commissioner, and an openly gay man. Perhaps naively, he suggested that the county commission a study of the possibility of expanding health insurance to LGBT partners of county employees, provided it did not cost more. Before you know it, a firestorm had broken out. To read all the specifics of this controversy, click HERE

I believe that common sense had failed to prevail here. If for some reason the proposed idea will cost the county more money, then obviously the whole proposal is moot. But if it does not, then there is a possibility that the overall cost per employee could actually drop if more people are being insured.

Unfortunately hysteria, homophobia, and hyperbole prevailed in this case. And the end result is predictable: A good idea fell to the wayside because of overreaction on the part of the Religious Right and their followers.

Logic and common sense have no place in local governance, or so it seems.