By Scott Tibbs, April 26, 2010
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: No corporate welfare for the merchants of death
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2010 09:20:34 -0400
From: Scott Tibbs <tibbs1973@yahoo.com>
To: piedmoni@bloomington.in.gov, ruffa@bloomington.in.gov, satterfm@bloomington.in.gov, mayert@bloomington.in.gov, sandbers@bloomington.in.gov, sturbauc@bloomington.in.gov, wislerb@bloomington.in.gov, rollod@bloomington.in.gov, volans@bloomington.in.gov
Councilors,
For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, Planned Parenthood took in over one billion dollars in revenue. Planned Parenthood's expenses came to a total of $953 million, leaving America's most prolific abortionists with a profit of $85 million. That is quite a lot of money, and continues a long trend.
It was a welcome relief last year when Planned Parenthood did not get a handout from city government for the first time since 1998. This was in the wake of a sex abuse scandal where a Planned Parenthood employee was caught on tape attempting to cover up the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl by a 31-year-old man. This undercover investigation by Live Action exposed Planned Parenthood for what it really is.
Now Planned Parenthood is back asking for yet another handout from city government, showing disrespect for the local charitable organizations that actually need support from city government and do not have a billion-dollar national organization supporting them. Year after year, it has been made very clear that Planned Parenthood simply does not need the funds that they are requesting. This is a request for a political endorsement, nothing more. All nine of you know this.
| Year | Abortions |
| 2005 | 676 |
| 2004 | 775 |
| 2003 | 784 |
| 2002 | 753 |
| 2001 | 825 |
| 2000 | 784 |
This year is different from past years. This year, voting to give money to Planned Parenthood is an endorsement of Planned Parenthood's efforts to cover up sexual abuse. The undercover video shot in Bloomington was not an isolated incident. It was part of a pattern established by multiple undercover videos at multiple locations. Voting to give $6000 of corporate welfare to these people is a slap in the face to sex abuse victims.
As to the request itself, Planned Parenthood is asking for "help" (that they clearly do not need) to fund a "Recession Rx" program that among other things provides "discounted birth control." The are two things you should consider regarding this program.
First, there is evidence that the birth control pill can act as a very early abortifacient. How this works is the pill can prevent implantation of an embryo. Deprived of nutrients, the embryo quickly dies. Even Planned Parenthood had recognized this in the past, and this is even more common with things such as the "morning after pill." It is well-established scientific fact that life begins when sperm and egg meet and form a new being. For those who believe life should be protected from the moment of fertilization, this is morally unacceptable.
Furthermore, will Planned Parenthood only be giving "discounted birth control" to married couples? Or will PP be subsidizing sexual activity outside of marriage? Many in this community strongly object to the further cheapening of sexual intimacy by having government funds promote sexual immorality. You should be "pro-choice" and refrain from forcing those people to subsidize sinful behavior through their tax dollars.
The basic problem with Planned Parenthood, of course, is that the Bloomington "clinic" kills children every Thursday. Between 2000 and 2005, Planned Parenthood killed 4,597 children at the "clinic" a few blocks away from City Hall. Abortion is a legal procedure, unfortunately. That does not mean that the people who pay for your salaries and benefits should be forced to subsidize a "clinic" that sheds innocent blood every week.
The people of Bloomington have entrusted you with their money, and there is no reason to give that money to a billionaire organization that is 17 months removed from a sex abuse scandal. There is no reason that city government cannot find some other way to help provide medical care to people struggling in this economy. Please do not fund the abortionists on South College, and instead give the money to organizations that actually need it.
After eleven years of divisive subsidies, it is time to end the city's practice of giving corporate welfare to the merchants of death.
