Texas GOP Takes Drastic Measures To Defund Planned Parenthood

[onestepforward]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/28/texas-gop-defund-planned-parenthood_n_886227.html

WASHINGTON -- In an attempt to defund Planned Parenthood without breaking any federal rules, Texas lawmakers passed two measures this month that will decimate the state's family planning program and result in nearly 300,000 women losing access to cancer and diabetes screenings.

In early June, Rick Perry, Texas' Republican governor, signed a budget bill that reduced the state's family planning funding from $111 million to just $37 million. Then on Monday, state lawmakers passed a measure that forces the Texas Health Department to dole out the remaining funds using a tiered priority system, in which Planned Parenthood is at the very bottom.

"It doesn't completely defund us, but it puts the agency in a position where they have to put us third in line for the money," said Yvonne Gutierrez, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of South Texas. "And it's not only us that's in the third tier -- it's all the traditional family planning providers that don't provide comprehensive care, many in rural areas. So it's the hard to reach population that's really being affected by this."

-snip-

Further, if Texas breaks federal Medicaid rules by discriminating against Planned Parenthood, the state could risk nearly $150 million in federal family planning funds.
-snip-

I first heard about this tonight on Rachel's show. These bastards make me sick.

[sonias]

1. Yes it is bad

Because it's not about abortion like they claim at all. It's about the war on women, especially poor women. Planned Parenthood is the only medical provider in some rural areas that poor women can access. Most women don't go to PP for abortions - they go to get a pap smear or some other family planning service like birth control. But while they're there they get as close to a physical as some of these women ever see.

Basically they've now been shut out of the medical system. If PP closes in those areas some women won't ever see a doctor for years. :cry:

I certainly hope there are some lawsuits in the works.


I did my part with a small donation. We're going to have to start having fundraising concert tours to fund Planned Parenthood. :(

Planned Parenthood

www.plannedparenthood.org/ppaustin

Yesterday, the Texas House and Senate passed a measure that places Planned Parenthood health centers last in line to receive family planning funds. Earlier this month, Governor Rick Perry signed the new state budget that slashes funding for family planning programs. The combined effect of the budget cuts and the biased system for funding will have the intended effect— that Planned Parenthood health centers will be almost completely excluded from the state's family planning programs.

These attacks on women's health are shortsighted, mean-spirited and will deny nearly 300,000 Texas women basic life-saving health care, including screenings for hypertension, diabetes, breast and cervical cancer. These cuts will result in 20,000 more unplanned pregnancies.

Planned Parenthood is under attack. We could use your help now more then ever. Please consider making a donation today, and forward this email to friends and family.



Thank you for your continued support,

The Staff at Planned Parenthood

:kick:

[onestepforward]

2. It appears that lawsuits are all we've got right now.

Donating to PP is a great idea.

PP was a treasure for me as a teen and young woman. Because of their services, I didn't have an unwanted pregnancy. I'm very grateful for their services. Always professional and caring.

It would be a great loss to thousands of women and men (they provide very affordable vasectomies) to lose PP.

[sonias]

3. I'm a former PP client too

This is why I still support them.

They were invaluable to me as a young woman. So sad to see this great organization for women being destroyed by stupid, greedy men. :mad:

[w8liftinglady]

4. as was I. The majority of young women in Texas use Planned Parenthood for healthcare.

We are going back 40 years.

[sonias]

5. And what breaks my heart is this happened under our watch

I feel ashamed for us.

:cry:

[onestepforward]

6. Comedian Lizz Winstead Tours For Planned Parenthood

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/01/huffpost-greatest-person-_n_888912.html

-snip-

"I thought: they need money, I've got to get back home; I might as well do another tour," said Lizz, speaking to the Huffington Post by phone from Minneapolis. "I want to make this drive meaningful."

The "They," in this situation, is Planned Parenthood, the women's health organization she has supported for years. Lizz decided that, for this tour, all her proceeds would go directly to the organization. To seek donations for the rest of the tour's expenses, she took to the fundraising site Crowdrise and she has already raised almost $15,000.

Her message is clear and succinct:

"I have this crazy notion that in this life I wanna be part of the solution. And when it comes to reproductive rights, throughout my life, I have had to turn to Planned Parenthood for many of my healthcare needs. They were the only affordable solution. And they were always there for me. My life could have been very different without them. I am grateful. Very grateful."
While her comedy has always been inherently political--and she's not backing down from her own personal affiliations--this tour is not aimed at those on the right or left. It's merely to raise awareness and support for an organization that has been an essential part of her life.

"This stems from my own personal experiences, yes, but also watching decades of depletion of resources to reproductive health care organizations from politicians and the media," she said. "It just seems OK these days to throw women under the bus. Like we're a bargaining chip."

This is so awesome! Thank you, Lizz!
:loveya:


(added)
Here's a link to her tour site: http://tour4pp.wordpress.com/

[sonias]

7. Thank you for this!

This is great!

I would love to see a bunch of ads even if they were just YouTube ads of women and men too saying "I am Planned Parenthood".

We are all Planned Parenthood! :grouphug:

[onestepforward]

8. I hope she'll come to Texas!

I'd love to see the show! From what I understand, her schedule is still in the making. We are learning very quickly that we will lose what we don't fight for and practically everything is on the line right now.

We can do it! We have too.

:grouphug:

[Vogon_Glory]

9. Texas Women's Life Expectancy Declines

We don't even have to wait for the effects of the Radical Right's war on Planned Parenthood to raise the death rate from cervical cancer and other illnesses. The life expectancy for Texas women has declined from 1997 to 2007. http://www.statesman.com/news/local/study-life-expectancy-of-women-falls-in-80-1576222.html. Admittedly, most of these are rural counties, but I should note that between 1997 and the present, we've had Republican-controlled state legislatures, Rick Perry in the Governor's chair, and I'll be almost all of the affected counties had Republican legislators and state senators representing them.

[sonias]

10. You got it

The Texas Republicans have been waging a war on women for at least a decade and it's starting to become obvious.

I just wish more women would wake up and vote the bastards out of office! :mad: