Planned Parenthood: The real victim of Katrina

One of the saddest things about disasters are the people who prey on the generosity of Americans and attempt to scam people out of money.

Most of the scammers set up off-shore websites and use fake credentials to obtain money from giving (but careless) individuals. But some organizations are even bolder. They place the headline "Help Those Affected by the Hurricane" over a plea for money.

But the potential donor can find out exactly where their money is going to by simply reading their appeal:

"100% of your tax-deductible contribution will go directly to helping Planned Parenthood affiliates and health centers in this region..."

Underneath the appeal to help Planned Parenthood "serve all those that come through the door" (just not food and water), they urge you to "Donate Now!" because:

"Your support is particularly important right now because Planned Parenthood is facing a truly tremendous number of challenges in the courtrooms, in Washington, D.C., and in our clinics."

So, instead of giving money to the Red Cross or other relief organizations who are helping those in need, I should give money to abortion clincs?

What's more important raising funds to feed children made homeless and possibly orphans by a devestating tragedy or helping Planned Parenthood keep abortion clincs open in the ravaged areas.

I think those at the top of Planned Parenthood's organization should be able to take care of those expenses on their own.

The head of Planned Parenthood, Gloria Feldt makes $363,426, with an added expense account of $80,489. Their Chief-Operating Officer gets over $200,000 and their Chief Financial Officer Makes over $170,000.

In Chicago, Director of Planned Parenthood, Steve Trombley, makes an annual salary of $192,000. One of their local contract physicians is paid $423,657.

All that is not to mention the huge grants and government money they receive. Planned Parenthood has been the recipient of more than $3.6 billion in taxpayer funds since 1987 and has current assets in excess of half a billion dollars.

So the next time you see the Red Cross or a Salvation Army volunteer asking you to help the victims of this tragedy, tell them you intend to help the real victims - Planned Parenthood.

Comments

[Stewart]

If this were another medical organization, you wouldn't be complaining. If it were, for example, a group of pediatricians collecting donations to fund services to disaster victims, then you'd probably think that was fine.

The point here is that, apart from how you personally feel about Planned Parenthood, they don't exist *soley* to abort fetuses. They provide gynecological services, prenatal care, HIV testing, counseling, adoption services, and the list goes on.

As far as salaries go, I think they're inflated too, but Planned Parenthood is hardly alone here. Marsha Evans, the CEO of the Red Cross, is paid over $600,000 a year: almost twice as much as Gloria Feldt. And what do you suppose the assets of the Salvation Army or the Red Cross are valued at? Not that I believe it's actually relevant, but I doubt you looked that up either.

Obviously this isn't about salaries or taxes; this is about abortion. If you weren't opposed to what Planned Parenthood does, I can't imagine you posting about how scandalous it is for them to accept donations while very clearly indicating that 100% of the proceeds would go towards "Planned Parenthood Clinics Hit by Hurricane". They're not hiding anything, and they're not misleading anyone. What, exactly, is the problem here?

[Aaron]

Stewart, you are right that part of my problem is the very nature of Planned Parenthood. I vehemently disagree with everything they stand for. They might supply many different things but their primary objective is abortion. Why are they fighting battles in the courts, asking for money if they simply wanted to medically help women?

Having said that, I would also disagree with a pro-life group asking for funds to "help those affected by the hurricane" while using the funds to rebuild their crisis pregnancy centers or continue their medical services in those centers.

And that is very much the same thing, since those centers also do "gynecological services, prenatal care, [ultrasounds], counseling, adoption services, and the list goes on."

[Stewart]

Why would you oppose that? What's wrong with any non-profit group asking for donations to help rebuild their disaster-torn infrastructure? Assuming that you agreed with the morality of what this pro-life medical group did, why would you oppose their right to ask for funding?

Planned Parenthood isn't hiding anything from anyone. They're asking for donations, they're being up-front (if not graphically descriptive) abotu what they do with the money, and they're doing this fund-raising on their own homepage no less. It's not as if anyone could just stumble across the Planned Parenthood website and confuse it with Oxfam.

You're essentially saying that it's not alright for these groups to accept donations, ostensibly because you don't think their brand of aid is as worthy as another's. I think that's grossly arrogant.

Let people donate how they see fit, and to whom they see fit.

[Aaron]

Some aid is better than others. Aid that is going to people who have lost everything to help them eat and survive is better (at least for right now) than giving money to help rebuild buildings of national organizations.

What if Wal-Mart starting raising money to rebuild their stores would you cheer that? Since it is arrogant to think that any aid is different from one another.

I never said that people couldn't donate how they see fit. Anyone can donate to what ever charity they please, but some charities are in need of more funding and have a direct impact on the hurting and hungry.

[Aaron]

Also, you keep speaking of their "right" to raise money. I never said they should be stopped from raising money.

Why is this always part of the argument? Just because I oppose something does not mean that I don't think they should be able to do something.

You are battling straw men, if you are battling me over whether a group has the right to ask for donations.