Oh bollocks.. she's just covering her tracks.. poorly, I might add.

Yep, FSG, I think this is a job for ........Captain Obvious

Gotta give the lady credit. She got balls.

Oh yeah, how brave to use a public office to hide behind lies about budget constraints (when civil cerimonies are actually turning a profit) and "security" like anyone is going to bother making a big deal about this. Oh wait... where am I again?

She made nationwide news by being the only holdout. The only ones making a big deal about it are the ones who wanted to tar and feather her.

I'd never wish a tar and feathering on anyone... just watching the depiction on HBO's "John Adams" series was bone-chilling enough.

I think Palm Springs can absorb both the same-sex and opposite-sex folks who want to take the plunge. Heck, it's only two hour's drive and a pretty romantic setting to boot. Uh, that is if you come here between October 15 and May 15.

It was 114 on June 17, the day I got married. Some lady who saw all the news reports wrote a letter to the editor grousing about how the people getting married should at least dignify the event by wearing formal attire.  A camera man got carted off to the hospital for dehydration that day. That's why my avatar picture shows me holding my jacket. I was Hoooooootttttttttttt

Captain Obvious. LOL!!!!!

JBurger, is this story about Rubio's conversation with Barnett online somewhere?

HusbandMaterial, you can check out the Supes meeting on KGOV at the county website.

So Ann Barnett is penalizing hundreds of couples who have used this service as a low cost wedding. How is that reperesenting the people who elected her?

I think it's time to replace Ann Barnett with someone that understands that her job has nothing to do with her personal beliefs.  Until she accepts this she is unfit for office.

Good for Ann. She represents me.

Well, the voters who are against gay marriage feel they were represented. I personally don't see the threat to religious or moralistic precepts. We could be the sodomy capital of the country and it wouldn't affect individual convictions. But the perceived threat is there, so it is real to a lot of people.

Lost revenue and marriage to poor people is a moot point. Bako is in the ice rink business, the water park business, and until recently the wedding chapel business. Some would have city government be in the sports stadium business. Essential emergency services and schools are being cut for lack of funds despite these enterprises. In this context I'm perfectly content to see weddings dropped from city government. Ms. Barnett's motives are her own; dropping a nonessential service from the clogged  court building is a public service.

Good for Ann. She represents me.

Conservatives never did have a problem discriminating against a class of Americans.

Even if it was against the law.

catpaw,

The marriages were conducted in the Clerks/Elections office on the first floor of the county administrative building, not the courts building. If you've ever been there you will know that it is far from clogged on most days (it was clogged on June 17, 2008 and was clogged on Feb. 14 in past years)

All hail, the Heroine of Homophobia!!

Budget constraints and security needs is a copout. If the program was costing the county money then raise the fees. If there is a security problem, then hire security. Ann is still lying and not even doing a good job of that.

Bottom line is that she was hired to do a job that she is unwilling to do because of moral reasons. She must be fired or step down.

Ann also made the decision to purchase electronic voting machines that she knew weren't certified. They were eventually barred from being used in an election which ended up costing the county millions. Barnett is unfit for office.

PP, she wasn't hired, she was elected. So she can't be fired.

But she can be voted out.

Or recalled. Who wants to start the petition?

I'd sign it and circulate it, but in Bakersfield it would be a waste of time.

Best to wait for the next election.  I bet she announces her retirement before then.

You might be right. I believe it takes 38,000 signatures (10% of the registered voters). I did find that someone has picked up the packet and said it was for Barnett, but that doesn't mean anyone is gathering signatures. 

Another problem is that in this county, someone could run for that office saying they will continue the policies of barnett and just might win. 

Yep someone like me

Standing by your convictions is one thing, lying about it is another.

I would want Barnett out more for lying about her motives than actually doing the deed, which obviously, she has the right to do.

If your gonna stand by your conviction that homosexual marriage is wrong, then stand by it and say you are throwing out everyone's ability to get married by the County because you object to the 5% you feel aren't eligible.

Jburger: Still city gov't in the wedding chapel business. Don't need it. When it loses enough money, maybe get out of the waterpark business.

Catpaw:

Just to clarify, it's the county that was in the wedding chapel business, not the city. The city is in the ice rink, play-pool, swimming pool, and concert/sports venue business. Oh, and parking lot. And, although the feds pay for it, the residential real estate business.