Posted on 11/06/2003 5:10:13 AM PST by Arrowhead1952
Phone-calling campaign, subcontractor boycott contributed to difficult working conditions
By Andrea Ball
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, November 6, 2003
Construction on Planned Parenthood's South Austin clinic took a hard hit this week when the project's general contractor walked away because of intense pressure from abortion opponents.
Planned Parenthood officials said Browning Construction -- a San Antonio company that is one of the state's largest building contractors -- broke its contract to oversee construction of the 9,931-square-foot clinic.
"They were afraid their business could not survive this project," said Glenda Parks, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region.
In a written statement, company President James Browning said, "We have requested that the construction contract be terminated because we are unable to secure and retain adequate subcontractors and suppliers to complete the project in a timely manner, due to events beyond our control."
Planned Parenthood has not decided whether to take legal action and is exploring its options.
The clinic, to be located at 201 E. Ben White Blvd., would be the fourth licensed abortion provider in Austin.
It would also provide medical services such as tubal ligations, vasectomies, HIV testing and routine gynecological exams for poor or uninsured women.
Parks said two other contractors have volunteered to spearhead the construction but wouldn't give their names. Though work on the building has slowed, she said it has not stopped.
"I think in about two weeks, you'll see work as usual," she said.
On Wednesday, three former Austin mayors, a state representative and an Austin City Council member held a news conference calling on people to support Planned Parenthood.
The news conference came the same day President Bush signed a ban on a certain type of late-term abortion.
"People in Austin are tolerant," said state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin. "They are for affordable health care. We are not going to let a small group of radicals change that."
Browning's departure comes after hundreds and possibly thousands of people across the country participated in an Austin-led campaign to cripple the project.
In September, Chris Danze -- president of Maldonado and Danze Inc., a concrete construction contractor -- organized a boycott.
"Planned Parenthood is an organization with a health care wrapper, but it is a social movement at its core," he said. It's "a social movement that promotes sexual chaos, especially among our youth. Out of this sexual chaos comes the violence of abortion. That is the heart and soul of this movement."
The 48-year-old Austin man, who said he personally assists women who have troubled pregnancies, persuaded concrete suppliers to boycott the project. He kept a list of companies that worked on the facility, contacted churches and asked pro-life supporters to call the contractors.
Word got out.
News outlets across the country picked up the story, including the Christian Broadcasting Network, Parks said. Hundreds of people called companies working on the clinic.
One contractor received 1,200 calls to his business line, Parks said. Another received several hundred at his home.
Parks said the contractors felt harassed and threatened. Danze said he has told callers to be polite and respectful.
"The calls involved two elements," Danze said. "The first is that it's wrong to build an abortion chamber. The second is that it's bad for future business."
Former Austin Mayor Bruce Todd called that "economic blackmail."
"It's about tyranny," he said. "It's about harassment."
Texas Right to Life Director Elizabeth Graham called Danze a modern-day hero whose actions could inspire others to stand up against abortion. She could not recall another similar boycott in Texas.
But Kae McLaughlin of the Texas Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League called people like Danze a "tiny, vicious minority that wants its way."
Meanwhile, the battle continues. Danze says he'll continue to push the boycott. Parks says the project will move forward and that she has no plans to contact Danze.
"I don't think there's a lot of middle ground between us," she said.
And it's going to work...just like the Montgomery bus boycott.
Twit - if it was only a small group of radicals the company would have no problem. It's mainstream America making itself heard and that is hampering the efforts of "a small group of radicals" to further the baby-killing agenda.
How can we on FR thank him?
I know some Austin liberals who donate heavily to the abortion chambers.
...looking for ideas...
"We told people to be polite and respectful" is a favorite line of leftists after a conservative gets hundreds of phoned-in death threats.
I'll bet the ever-so-tolerant representative shows up to commune at Catholic churches whenever a photo op presents itself, and I expect the priests bless him and his family as they leer into the camera. This kind of thinking is infesting the Hispanic community just as it corrupted the African-American community. But in this case, the Church could serve as a counter-force to the spread of social rot if there were a will to do it.
I thought they promoted the "early-pull-out" method.
LOL! And, if that fails, they have no problem with the late pull out (and murder) that Bush banned yesterday. Can you imagine a doctor (who has taken the Hippocratic Oath) sticking a sharp implement into a baby's skull, using a vacuum to suck out the brain, and then sitting down to breakfast?
"Yes, the bacon and eggs will be fine. Whole wheat toast, orange juice and coffee. Thank you."
All of these people are J@ck@$$es. They runied the city for everyone living here.
As long as UT is in Austin, (like forever) things will never change. There are so many lib professors and the students are like duck in a row behind them.
But Kae! I'm shocked! I thought you liberals always sided with the underdog! Does that mean we can call all small vocal groups "tiny, vicious minorities"????
Nope... Check the link to the article...
I notice Commandant Parks stopped short of accusing anyone of a crime--she just implied it.
"Yeah, 911? I just got a threatening phone call. The Caller ID came back with 'number restricted.' What? You can't help me?"
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