It was dumb when Maggie said it, stupid when Brian repeated it and downright moronic for Backholm to regurgitate it

Marriage equality is good for the economy. I'll get to that in a sentence or two but first, for the logic challenged, let me explain a basic concept; The confusions of correlation and causation. Here's a simple example of either misleading or bewilderment:

• The rooster crows.
• The sun rises.
• Ergo, the rooster causes the sun to rise.

Supporters of equal marriage have often made the logical claim that marriage equality is good for business. It seems undeniable that gay marriages produce weddings. These weddings require the purchase of a myriad of goods and services; from liquor and food to catering halls and invitation printing. Furthermore, weddings frequently attract out-of-area friends and family who stay in hotels, consume food and shop at local stores. The logic is undeniable. Equal marriage creates taxable revenues that otherwise would not exist.

Microsoft and other companies make a different point which is also perfectly logical. It is easier to recruit the very best talent to states that recognize same-sex marriage. It's not just LGBT executives. There are family and other considerations. Furthermore, when a business guy like David Koch supports equal marriage, it may be time to reconsider opposition.

Desperate to deny the undeniable, about a year ago Maggie Gallagher revved up her cerebral cortex, used some selective observation and assigned correlation to causation. I hate to say that Maggie is dishonest but she has been known to fib from time to time. Maggie's "eureka" goes something like this:

1. Nine of the ten “best states for business” according to a survey of 650 business leaders by Chief Executive Magazine have voted to preserve traditional marriage and;
2. According to Moody’s Analytics, nine of the top ten states for job growth have voted to protect traditional marriage and;
3. Eight of the top ten performing states for “creating jobs, economic development and prosperity” do not have same-sex marriage, according to a study published by the National Chamber Foundation.

Assuming the above to be true, Maggie's argument, if it is to be meaningful, is that these conditions exist because these states do not recognize same-sex marriage. It's laughable. Aside from impact issues like taxes and "right to work" laws, today's business geography represents perhaps a decade of evolving conditions.

Nevertheless, here's Washington's Joseph Backholm doing what NOMmers do. This time in response to a full-page ad in Sunday’s Seattle Times, paid for by prominent business leaders, endorsing Referendum 74.