Napa doesn't back same-sex marriage, pair axes trip

[davidinalameda]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/20/BALQ16JI4B.DTL

Bethany Holden-Soto and her wife were planning a weekend getaway in Napa - until they found out the city council had just declined to pass a resolution in support of same-sex marriage.

"We want to take a trip with our tax return money and Napa seemed like a nice place," said Holden-Soto, 28, of Modesto. "We like wine and we wanted to go somewhere gay friendly, where we wouldn't have to worry and people wouldn't care. Then I heard about the resolution and thought it might be a bad idea."

On Tuesday, Napa City Councilman Mark van Gorder asked his colleagues to support a resolution saying the "city does not support discrimination and finds that all people regardless of gender should be able to enter into the legal contract of marriage."

He was the only one who voted in favor. Three other council members did not vote, saying they were not comfortable taking a position on the issue. The vice mayor did not attend.

[elleng]

1. GREAT for tourism!

Anyone think they'll rethink this one???

[Adsos Letter]

2. I followed the debates in the LTTE columns of the Napa Valley Register

during the runup to Prop 8...there is a very strong right-wing element to The Valley.

[Stevenmarc]

3. Maybe they should have typed "gay friendly Napa" into Google

Personally I don't base my vacations on city resolutions but on venues competing for my gay dollar.

[Chovexani]

4. You spend your gay dollar anywhere in that town

And it ends up in the town coffers via taxes.

Maybe the gay friendly businesses there need to apply some pressure.

[Stevenmarc]

5. Only a small % of that dollar goes to taxes the other 90+% goes to a gay or gay friendly business

You don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, if you don't support those business, those business go away and then what base do you have to create change.

I get a little tired of thin-skinned knee jerk reactionary behavior that ultimately hurts our self interest especially in a town that leans towards our position on the matter. What that city council vote illustrates is that the council is out of touch with their constituents and that can certainly be remedied when they are up for reelection.

[Creideiki]

12. I'd fully support the gay-friendly businesses in a move from Napa

[davidinalameda]

6. they probably would have received primarily hits on businesses

not the city council vote

[Stevenmarc]

7. Mmmmmm yeah, that would be my point

[mitchtv]

8. I like Sonoma more anyway

Less traffic less congestion very pro Gay

[Riverman]

9. That's Jsut the City!,, Drive North to the rest of Napa County, St. Helena, Calistoga

More there to see and enjoy anyway. Or go over to Sonama County, lots of cool places to visit, taste wine, stay and relax - Windsor, Healdsburg, City of Sonoma! Wine is just as good, maybe better and accommodations less expensive!

Screw the City of Napa! the Bastards!

[xchrom]

10. kick

[Toucano]

11. Not comfortable taking a position?

I've never let that stop me! :dilemma: