By Scott Tibbs, December 8, 2008
In the wake of a sex abuse scandal where a Planned Parenthood employee attempted to cover up what she believed was the sexual abuse of a 13 year old girl by a 31 year old man, here is a list of the corporate welfare that the Bloomington City Council has given to Planned Parenthood over the last ten years. When the City Council votes to distribute the limited social services funds next summer, will they give the money to organizations that actually need it, or will they again use city funds to give a political endorsement to a billion-dollar corporation that is nationally known for being an accessory to sexual abuse of children?
| YEAR | PURPOSE | AMOUNT |
| 2008 | Colposcopy Assistance Program | $2,500 |
| 2007 | Voucher program for reproductive services | $5,300 |
| 2006 | To install cabinetry and purchase files and furniture for the
front desk renovation | $2,440 |
| 2005 | Security cameras and equipment for the facility at 421 S.
College Ave. | $1,500 |
| 2004 | To purchase 6 sets of cervical biopsy equipment | $2,923 |
| 2003 | To purchase four computers for its 421 South College facility | $3,600 |
| 2002 | To purchase an autoclave for the purpose of sterilizing
instruments | $1,495 |
| 2001 | To purchase equipment to test for anemia | $1,394 |
| 2000 | Teen Education | $2000 |
| 1999 | Medical Exam Table | $5,000 |
I have been saying for several years now that Planned Parenthood's repeated requests for a handout from city government is little more than cynical politics. Planned Parenthood does not need the money they get from the city each year, and these requests represent little more than a political endorsement from city government. Some of the reasons for the funding requests for Planned Parenthood were especially weak, and had nothing to do with the stated priorities on the Jack Hopkins Social Services Funding Committee to provide "funds for basic services" such as "food, shelter or healthcare".
Tell me, what does a $1,500 grant for security cameras and equipment (2005) have to do with food, shelter or healthcare? What does a $2,440 grant for a front desk renovation (2006) have to do with food, shelter or healthcare? The request in 2003 was one of the worst, when the abortion clinic received $3,600 in corporate welfare to purchase four computers. Those types of projects should come from Planned Parenthood's operating funds, not from a program designed to provide social services to low-income residents of Bloomington.
Planned Parenthood's gravy train should have been derailed years ago, when it became clear that this was about nothing more than a pro-abortion political agenda. These grant requests are a slap in the face to other social service organizations that actually need the money that went to Planned Parenthood, as well as the people served by those social service organizations. They have disrespected charitable organizations that actually need money and they have disrespected the City Council and the taxpayers you with these cynical and politically motivated requests. In April and May of 2009, the Social Services Funding Committee and the Bloomington City Council should tell Planned Parenthood that they will not receive one more penny of corporate welfare.
Previous articles on the city's subsidies to Planned Parenthood:
♣ Don't subsidize abortionists -- June 1, 1999
♣ 'IDS' errs in not covering Planned Parenthood issue -- July 9, 2001
♣ Don't give tax money to abortionists -- May 05, 2002
♣ Say no to grant for Planned Parenthood -- May 14, 2002
♣ Funding for Planned Parenthood opposed -- June 18, 2002
♣ There is no reason to force taxpayers to subsidize abortionists -- June 18, 2002
♣ City Council gives money to Planned Parenthood -- June 30, 2002
♣ No corporate welfare for the merchants of death -- May 28, 2003
♣ No tax money for Planned Parenthood -- June 19, 2003
♣ Don't give tax money to Planned Parenthood -- April 30, 2004
♣ Stop divisive subsidy -- May 07, 2004
♣ Don't give tax money to Planned Parenthood -- May 08, 2004
♣ Planned Parenthood's grant request represents cynical politics -- May 13, 2004
♣ Sturbaum should recuse himself -- May 23, 2004
♣ City Council gives $$ to Planned Parenthood -- June 19, 2004
♣ Against city funding for Planned Parenthood -- July 08, 2004
♣ Deny the subsidy to Planned Parenthood -- May 20, 2005
♣ Countdown to the showdown -- May 26, 2005
♣ City Council gives $1500 to Planned Parenthood -- June 16, 2005
♣ Reject Planned Parenthood's funding request -- June 01, 2006
♣ No corproate welfare for the merchants of death, Part VIII -- June 19, 2006
♣ City Council funds Planned Parenthood -- June 22, 2006
♣ Funding social service agencies -- March 1, 2007
♣ City Council should not fund Planned Parenthood -- May 15, 2007
♣ Another option offered to Planned Parenthood funding -- June 12, 2007
♣ Planned Parenthood’s latest request for corporate welfare -- May 01, 2007
♣ Planned Parenthood’s request for corporate welfare -- June 18, 2007
♣ Time to end the city's subsidies to Planned Parenthood -- May 05, 2008
♣ Deny Planned Parenthood's funding request -- May 14, 2008
♣ Billion-dollar corporation gets corporate welfare from Bloomington City Council -- June 20, 2008
♣ Sturbaum should have recused himself from Planned Parenthood vote -- July 10, 2008
♣ More on corporate welfare for Planned Parenthood -- July 24, 2008
♣ Planned Parenthood seeks corporate welfare from county government -- November 29, 2008
