Baldacci DHHS Prints, Distributes Gender Neutral Marriage License Applications

The government, the media and the homosexual lobby all were quoted as saying, "Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!"

The majority of Mainers do not approve of the gay agenda. They proved it by voting it down.

How is it that the state is pretending that didn't happen? Is it the same reason that the Legislature shot down the amendment which gave the people the vote in the first place? Once again, state government "public servants" are deciding that they know better than we do?

Taxation without representation?

I took and blew up the copies of those forms. I have the feeling that either the Governor and his administration were either over confidant or they were seeing the numbers turning towards Yes on 1 and thought it would be best to change the form before the election...just a few days before the election. If you look at the cover letter it is dated 10/30/09 and the forms were dated for 10/2009.

As of this writing there are conflicting reports on these forms. One town clerk was told today by someone at DHHS the printing and distribution of these forms was a mistake, a wrong guess on the outcome of Question 1. However, the DHHS spokesman in the BDN report tells a 180-degree different tale.

skf

They should have waited, or just given Matt Dunlap the job.

But if the veto had been defeated, the same-sex marriage law would have gone into effect as soon as the results were official so the State was in a tough spot either way.

Badly worded letter. It should have said, in the event the legislation is upheld, you will need to begin using these forms, otherwise continue to use the forms you have.

Steven Scharf
SCSMedia@aol.com

with the budget shortfalls you think they would have waited.......they have no problem spending OPM though.

Dan's post would indicate that DHHS has great forethought and dazziling brilliance.
Other posts seem to believe this was just political arrogance.
Considering past DHHS blunders and the "in your face" attitude of the gay activists, coupled with the fact that government has done it's share of pushing an agenda; I think the majority of posts here are pretty much correct.

This is the same agency that lost $138,000,000 of taxpayer money and Augusta has not deemed that crime worthy enough to investigate.

The letter and new forms arrived in the town office on Tuesday, November 3rd.

And don't miss the statement by DHHS spokesman (why isn't he gender nuetral, btw?).
""updating all of our forms" Who authorized the state to erase gender?

The arrogance is astounding.

Bob,

Maybe we need to invent a new word? My first effort seems a little long: DHHS Spokesgenderneutralpublicservant. Maybe spokesneutered? I should apply for a government grant to study this issue with the gravity it deserves. Since the Mills campaign has created a blue ribbon shortage, I'll need to convene a rainbow ribbon commission.

Clearly another case of he said/she said/it said...

I agree with Dan. Separate from the merits of the measure, if it had been defeated, the state would have been meeting due diligence in providing forms to those who needed them.

If the measure had been defeated, and they hadn't prepared the new forms, there would have been complaints and delays.

Where the state erred was in distributing the forms before they knew if the measure was going to pass or not.

Dan Billings:

...as soon as the results were official...

And my reading of Maine State Constitution indicates that would be a minimum of 30 days after the "vote." So plenty of time to get new licenses in place, were they needed.

Another concern: Who or what authority is authorizing DHHS to unilaterally change ALL forms to gender neutral?

I have written my state Senator and Rep. about this issue. Will see what they have to say.

...and they STILL can't get it right.
Apparently, English is the state government's second language?

"Parent" and "Co-parent"?

So much for 'equality'.

Morons.

Allow me to point out that "moron" is gender neutral.

Correct! And, depending upon your attitude, equally appropriate for the applicants on any license, whether marriage, adoption, or other!
lol

I suggest the state start using this designation on every form immediately, particularly the line formerly occupied by the amusing term "taxpayer."

from Brenda Harvey - DHHS

Subject: Explanation regarding the Vital Records Marriage Forms

Dear President Mitchell and Speaker Pingree,

We have received a few angry calls from legislators saying that some of their constituents have been calling to voice their outrage about the new marriage form that our Vital Records division sent to municipalities, which changes the applicant wording to be gender neutral.

Unfortunately, some constituents have linked this change to Referendum #1. In truth, this form was simply the next in line to be changed as we are moving all appropriate forms to gender neutrality. We had sent the new form with a letter asking town clerks to use the old forms until they were exhausted and then substitute the new one. Our staff is working hard to be consistent in our policies, and never intended this to coincide with any political debate.

Because this has become so highly charged, and citizens have voiced such strong and angry feelings about the change, I have made the decision to withdraw the form and notify the town clerks to continue to use the existing form.

We are facing serious challenges as we are working to find $64 Million more in budget reductions; we should not spend more staff time trying to explain this change.

I will forward you the letter we are sending the town clerks as soon as it is drafted, within the next day.

I hope this is helpful to you and that you pass this on to your members.
As always, please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions.

Thank you,
Brenda

What a relief to see that they are doing this for every government form. They must have hired the same troupe that rewrote The King James version of the Bible to refer to God as "She"..

Are they using the new gender neutral contraction for she/he/it? It's spelled sh'it.

quote from above: "And my reading of Maine State Constitution indicates that would be a minimum of 30 days after the "vote." So plenty of time to get new licenses in place, were they needed."

Are you kidding? Can you imagine the amount of 2 year old whining that would have been done if the courthouses were not instantly up and ready for all the homosexual "marriage" applicants?

Brenda Harvey:

In truth, this form was simply the next in line to be changed as we are moving all appropriate forms to gender neutrality.

How is this possible?

Why does the Marriage License Application of a MAN and a WOMAN, in a state that just rejected same-sex marriage have to be gender neutral????

On who's authority do we all now become applicant 1&2, Party A&B, Parent A&B or Parent & Co-parent, etc. on government forms, without any prior notice?

Brenda Harvey:

We had sent the new form with a letter asking town clerks to use the old forms until they were exhausted and then substitute the new one.

This is not true!

There was no such direction given to the town clerks - "to use the old form until they were exhausted and then substitue the new ones." - in the memo/letter sent from DHHS.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention cover letter (available for download in the first post on this thread) regarding the License and Certificate of Marriage forms reads as follows:

October 30, 2009

ATTENTION NOTICE OF CHANGE:

To All City and Town Clerks:

Enclosed please find a small supply of the revised form VS2, License and Certificate of Marriage. These forms have revised headings which now read: Applicant 1 and Applicant 2. (sic) instead of Bride and Groom.

Please order a supply of these forms from Office Services at 287-2558. Their fax number is 626-5555.

You may also order the VS2-A, Intentions of Marriage as these will also be available when you order the revised VS2.

Lorraine A. Wilson
Deputy State Registrar

Tim's right. It is 30 days after a vote is official. The one day that I was thinking about is what happens if it is determined that a People's Veto petition is not valid. (That assumes that the Secretary of State actually does his job and reviews such petitions.) I confused my constitutional provisions and was thinking about the part I have been deadling with most recently.

I think Scott has the right idea. Design the form; send it out; and tell people only to use it if the Veto fails.

Isn't that a waste of taxpayers' money? (Not that the state of Maine cares...)

There was no need to re-design the form, even if the veto had failed.
The law did not prohibit use of "bride and groom". It simply rendered the terms "gender neutral".
This had a much more significant intent than "updating" forms.

DHHS is
laden with lesbians
who have as their mission
the dismantling of the traditional family.

I know that there is no such thing as accountability in government but someone must be in charge of holding employees feet to fire isn't there? If I did something like this at my job I'd be on the street so fast I wouldn't know what hit me. My boss is really funny about two things, one of course is me wasting his money, but more important, my boss isn't tolerant should I purposely work against his wishes. He can fire me. What can I do about it?

You have made some assumptions here that cannot work. First, you assume the Governor worries about his employees spending money. Its not his money, what does he care? Second, you assume the employee worked against the Governor's wishes. You're wrong on that point as well.
Governor Baldacci sent a clear message to his Commissioners and employees that he supported gay marriage. The follow through was the natural result of his "leadership" on the issue. Lay the blame where it belongs: Governor Baldacci's door.