"We are currently located in San Ramon, California in the Contra Costa Telecommunications Incubator, east of San Francisco. I have been entranced by your description of Cleveland as THE place for [my company] Missing Lynx to move its operations, building both factories and setting up our consumer and technical support divisions. Until now.

As of this morning [1/22/04], I could not, in good conscience, move Missing Lynx to Ohio. This morning, Ohio's Governor and majority party in the state house have voted the most vicious piece of anti-gay legislation roposed since Anita Bryant and Florida. Of the dozen engineers I know we are going to hire, three of them would be criminals in Ohio. Our domestic partners rights (written into our by-laws) would not be treated as normal benefits (for the sake of state taxes) and half of the families we'd want to bring to Ohio would be unable to legally keep their foster and adopted kids.

One of these couples that Ohio finds so terrible has raised 6 special needs kids (Down's and CP, etc.) and currently has two others at home that Ohio's children's services division would take from them as "unsuitable" parents. Ohio has proven by passing that law, that they can farm corn and raise hogs, but is not ready for the twentieth century, much less the one we're actually in.

Ohio will not be able to deliver the high tech modern economy they say they want until they let ALL American citizens live free of discrimination in their state. If Ohio wants a 19th century state; they've got it, and the poverty that comes with it. Keep chasing out modern businesses and modern people, and they will never get out of it. NO Silicon Valley company would dare move into Ohio, or any state with such outdated laws. They would lose too many of their key people.

Ohio has proven itself to be Un-American, immoral, and a state I will not do business in or with until they remove such laws from their books and become a free state once again. Just as I would not do business with South Africa or any company investing in that nation during apartheid, Ohio is just another South Africa to me until they prove themselves to be true Americans, not bigots and fools."

From Cool Cleveland reader Mary Mason COO and Co-Founder Missing Lynx Systems, Inc. marymason@missinglynxsystems.com

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