Government seems to operate on a business model exactly opposite that of any successful private venture; if a program doesn’t achieve adequate results, throw more money at it. If a program achieves its goals efficiently, the obvious solution is to reduce its funding. Following this model to its conclusion over time, effective programs no longer exist and inefficient, ineffective programs are gifted with the entirety of the available resources.

At a time when money is as scarce as it seems to be in Kansas right now, when even education is being looked at for budget cuts, it seems to me that we might want to step back a bit and look at another of the sacred cows of public funding.

Planned Parenthood receives $300,000 every year from the legislators in Kansas…or should I say, from the Kansas taxpayers. What are we getting for our money?

Nationwide, Planned Parenthood receives about $350 million of taxpayers' money. This money is, ostensibly, used to fund their efforts to reduce abortion through contraceptive hand-outs and educational endeavors. Is it working? That’s hard to say for certain, but it sure looks rather bleak. In 1997, Planned Parenthood received about $160 million in public funds and performed about 160,000 abortions. In their 2007-2008 budget year fiscal report, they received $350 million in public funds and performed 305,310 abortions. I realize that correlation doesn’t prove causation, but you’d think that increased funding of $190 million to reduce unplanned pregnancy ought to have some kind of an effect.

The reality is that Planned Parenthood understands exactly where the real money comes from: abortion and tax dollars. In a 2009 interview, Abby Johnson, the former director of a Planned Parenthood office in Bryan, Texas, said, “The money wasn't in family planning, the money wasn't in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that." She also told KBTX that she was told to bring in more women for abortions.

For a group that claims to want abortion to be “safe, legal and rare,” there sure doesn’t seem to be much emphasis on the “rare” part.

Nor is “safe” much of a concern, based upon a growing body of evidence indicating that Planned Parenthood may be knowingly and willingly protecting men who rape children.
Phill Kline filed over 100 charges against Planned Parenthood as the District Attorney of Johnson County. Among the charges are several instances of failure to report the impregnation of a minor by an adult. Now, before you say “Oh that Phill Kline, he’s such a zealot,” understand that the identical practice has been videotaped numerous times by Lila Rose. A 20-year old pro-life college student, Ms. Rose pretended to be a 13-year old girl who claimed to have been impregnated by a 31-year old man. In Planned Parenthood offices in California, Arizona, Indiana and Tennessee, the result was the same. The Planned Parenthood employees instructed her how to avoid getting her “boyfriend” in trouble. I guess they see the abortion money as more important than prosecuting child rapists.

These kinds of videos were enough to get the federal government to de-fund ACORN, but the same outrage just doesn’t seem to get roused against Planned Parenthood…until now.

Sen. Tim Huelskamp, candidate for the 1st District U.S. Rep. this year, has initiated a campaign to de-fund Planned Parenthood in Kansas at www.defundplannedparenthoodks.com. This petition will be presented to Gov. Mark Parkinson. Mark vetoed similar legislation last year, so Sen. Huelskamp wants to show him exactly how many Kansans are outraged at this irresponsible and ineffective public spending.

Speaking of outrage, the same 2007-2008 fiscal year financial report showed Planned Parenthood making a profit of $115 million, after receiving government handouts of $350 million. I wonder if they ever paid back any of that stimulus money. I also wonder if any year-end bonuses were handed out. Surely I’m not the only person who cares about the obscene profits of these fat-cat abortion providers. Oh wait, I guess they did pay back some of the money. Planned Parenthood invested $10 million to recruit and buy legislators who would guarantee the public support of Planned Parenthood.

Your tax dollars at work.
__________________________________

Bill Sutton is the President of the Proud Catholic Voters Association of Kansas, an organization dedicated to unifying the Catholic vote to achieve a government more representative of Catholic beliefs and ideals.

The Week in Review