By Scott Tibbs, June 15, 2011
Tonight at 7:30 in City Hall, the Bloomington City Council will vote to distribute about $226,000 to local social service agencies as part of the Jack Hopkins social services fund. That package includes $4,200 for Planned Parenthood, which operates an abortion "clinic" a few blocks from where the vote will take place. Tomorrow morning, Planned Parenthood will murder several children at that "clinic."
If it were up to me, there would not be a social services fund at all. But if the city is going to have a social services fund, it makes no sense to give money to Planned Parenthood. The national office and all regional affiliates combine for over one billion dollars in annual revenue. Planned Parenthood clearly does not need this money, yet they have gone to local government every single year since 1999 seeking a handout from the taxpayers. (PP did not apply for money from the city council in 2009, but did get a handout from the county council for the first time.)
Meanwhile, there are local charities genuinely need the money they get from city government, charities that do not have the backing of a national organization with $1 billion in overall revenue. Every single penny that goes to Planned Parenthood is a penny that could be put to good use by legitimate charities such as Middle Way House or Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.
So why does Planned Parenthood ask for this money every single year? Thw answer is simple, and is the primary reason why PP's request should have been automatically denied. PP is seeking a political endorsement from city government. They do not respect the other organizations, they do not respect the social services funding process, and they do not respect the taxpayers of Bloomington. This is a shameful, cynical misuse of tax money.
Planned Parenthood claims this money will be used to test people for HIV. But it is the culture of promiscuity that is promoted by Planned Parenthood that causes HIV to spread, along with multiple other sexually transmitted diseases. Giving this money to Planned Parenthood to test for HIV is like giving Philip Morris or R.J. Reynolds a grant to help screen for lung cancer. It makes no sense.
But this has nothing to do with people who may be infected with HIV getting diagnosed so that they can seek treatment and prolong their lives. Persons infected with HIV are political pawns for Planned Parenthood, nothing more. The city council could easily find another organization willing to perform these tests. Perhaps Volunteers in Medicine could administer these tests instead of Planned Parenthood.
Of course, let's not forget the key issue here. Every Thursday, Planned Parenthood's kills babies at their "clinic" on South College Avenue. Less than twelve hours after the City Council votes to give PP our tax money, the "doctor" at Planned Parenthood will be busy killing babies by dismemberment. The tens of thousands of people in Bloomington who find abortion morally repugnant should not be forced to finance an organization that performs this barbaric procedure.
The one city council member who has stood against these shameful handouts is Brad Wisler, who represents the Second District and is the only Republican on the City Council. When Planned Parenthood played their cynical political games in 2007, 2008 and 2010, Brad voted against the allocation of funds. We should all thank Brad for his courageous stand, which led to vicious personal attacks against him in the last city election.
Tonight, the City Council has an opportunity to break with the cynical political gamesmanship of the last 12 years and spend our tax money in an appropriate, ethical and non-partisan manner. I know I can count on Brad Wisler to vote "no." Will 4 of the 8 Democrats finally stop playing along with Planned Parenthood and instead vote to distribute the limited funds available in a way that is financially and morally appropriate? Don't bet on it. This will pass 8-1 just like it always does. The social services funding process is hopelessly corrupt and the only way to fix it is to throw the Democrats out of office in November.
