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Posted on 12/29/2001 7:54:23 AM PST by victim soul
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains has responded to an independent auditor's findings that it has illegally used state funds to subsidize abortion with a fiery political counterattack accusing Gov. Bill Owens of "bullying 13,000 of the state's most vulnerable citizens."
But Planned Parenthood's legal response to the state's cutoff of $382,000 in taxpayer funds is so weak that it evokes the lawyer's adage: "When you have the facts, argue the facts. When you have the law, argue the law. When you have neither, attack your accusers."
The law, in this case, is a 1984 state constitutional amendment forbidding the use of state dollars to subsidize abortion, directly or indirectly. The Denver Post opposed that amendment and supported a subsequent drive to repeal it. But the voters first passed the amendment, then upheld it.
Instead of complying with the letter of that law, Planned Parenthood's response to the Owens administration can be accurately paraphrased as saying: "Why don't you just ignore the law? Gov. Lamm and Gov. Romer did."
The fact is that the pro-choice lobby is so powerful within the Democratic party that any governor of that political faith who attempted to enforce the 1984 amendment would be ostracized within his party the way the late Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey was. The advent of a pro-life Republican, Bill Owens, to the governor's office obviously didn't change the law. But it did remove the political barriers to enforcing the law, a step the Owens administration took by hiring the Greeley-based firm of Anderson & Whitney to audit Planned Parenthood. The auditors concluded Planned Parenthood was renting facilities to abortion providers at below market rates, clearly violating the ban on indirect subsidies.
Lawyers supporting Planned Parenthood fired back by basically conceding they were indeed providing subsidized facilities, protesting that "the fair market value rent rule interferes with Planned Parenthood's freedom to conduct its affairs, to use its property, or to deal with others on mutually agreeable terms."
The hard fact is that the agency has no legal right to thus subsidize abortions unless it eschews state funds. It may well be that Planned Parenthood has concluded that it is better off openly defying the Owens administration and relying wholly on private donations to fund its activities.
The agency has every right to make such a political decision. But until it truly builds a "Chinese wall" between its abortion services and other activities, it has no right to state funding.
WE must stop government funding of Planned Parenthood et al.
in 1992-colorado Planned Parenthood They bought tv advertisement to defeat the Parent's Rights Initive that was on the ballot.
they get money by the way of grants through our Government and allso get money through the United Nations.
They use the money to defeat their opponents. They have learned the lessn well.
All these 503c groups is a racket to get votes for the democratic party.
and the Terrorists use & love them 503c too
I refuse to subscibe to this left wing rag. If they are printing a story like this, either it's an accident, or PP has done something really, really wrong.
Or maybe both.
What a crock! How about "Planned Barrenhood caught stealing again". or PlannedDeadBabyHood gives middle finger to taxpayers again"
Surprisingly, they do have some common-sense editorials, which can be conservative, although it is a liberal paper, generally speaking. Although I cannot find the clippings I kept from the algore attempted coup, they were strongly against was he was doing and what the Florida supremes did. I remember the Denver Post also said, the U.S. Supreme Court must accept the case (of Bush v. Gore). I was quite surprised.
"Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains was caught red-handed violating Colorado state law, and now the state will withhold $381,956 in taxpayers' dollars from this death-dealing organization," said Ed Szymkowiak, national director of STOPP International (an American Life League division). "That's good news."
In 1999, Gov. Bill Owens implemented a ban on state funding for any group linked with abortion. To get around the law, the Colorado Planned Parenthood affiliate formed a separate corporation to operate abortion clinics in the state. A recent audit showed Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains was illegally subsidizing rent payments for the new abortion corporation.
"This is not the first time Planned Parenthood has been caught violating the law in order to soak the taxpayers for more money for abortion," said Szymkowiak. "For instance, in 2000, the U.S. Government Accounting Office caught International Planned Parenthood illegally giving $700,000 in U.S. taxpayer money to affiliates engaged in abortion and abortion advocacy overseas."
Szymkowiak said, "Planned Parenthood can't be trusted. It's time for every state legislature and the federal government to de-fund Planned Parenthood." He pointed out that in its last annual report, Planned Parenthood Federation of America noted that it received $187.3 million from taxpayers in one year. That's 30 percent of its total income.
Release issued: 19 Dec 01 STOPP @ www.all/stopp.org
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Marching onward toward a more Christian Nation. If your worship the Pro-death God then thats just what you will get. When you defend it yer jus wearin down yer Grinders Eatin' goober Peas
Planned Parenthood is ---- run by -------s?
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