Orange County legislators have removed nearly $300,000 in funding for Planned Parenthood to provide health education and outreach.
The county Supervisors who voted to end the contract are well aware that county funding pays for information on contraception and STD prevention, and does not fund abortions in any way, but they still gave the fact that Planned Parenthood provides abortions as the reason for cutting their funding for other programming.
Take Action!
Contact the Orange County Board of Supervisors and call board chair Patricia C. Bates' office a call at 714-834-3550. Tell them that this decision is an abuse of discretion, given that county-funded hospitals also provide abortions, and that no evidence-based non-ideological reason was given for the funding cut. Also be sure to let them know that cutting comprehensive sex education that has been proven effective in reducing rates for STDs and unwanted pregnancies is irresponsible.
We learned about this thanks to RH Reality Check, and got contact info from Feministing.
This is a horrendous abuse of power. Another action people can take is to make a donation to Planned Parenthood in Orange County in the name of Moolach/OC Board of Supervisors, to fund the health education programs being cut.
http://www.pposbc.org/action/issues.asp
Posted by: Ms.Divine | March 13, 2009 at 08:37 AM
Making a donation is a great idea too, maybe we can replace the $300,000 without strings attached. Unfortunately, that won't get Planned Parenthood back in the schools where they need to be to get the real comprehensive sex education teaching to the kids who need to hear it. That's why lobbying the Board of Supervisors is still important.
We're hearing an outcry about this, even in conservative Orange County, so there's a chance we'll see that funding restored if we mobilize. You can go to nowoc.org to contact the Orange County NOW chapter and join in their efforts on this.
Posted by: CA NOW | March 13, 2009 at 09:52 AM