Commentary by Jim Sedlak
On June 6, we commemorated the anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy and other sites during World War II. It was a bloody day in the annals of war as the allied forces hit the beaches and were met with stiff resistance from a well fortified German army. Thousands died.
On that same day, Planned Parenthood Federation of America posted to its web site its 2005-2006 annual report. Opening to page four of the Planned Parenthood report, we find that 264,943 died by medical or surgical abortion in Planned Parenthood’s facilities during 2005. That’s 5,095 a week ? as many each week as the highest estimates of allied forces deaths on D-Day.
However, the Planned Parenthood report contains much more than a death count. It sheds revealing information about the funding of this organization ? especially when taken together with historical Planned Parenthood data gleaned from previous reports.
Planned Parenthood reported a total income of $902.8 million dollars. That is a record number for the organization, but is a modest 2.4 percent increase from the year before. In contrast, Planned Parenthood reported total revenue increases of 10.7 percent, 5.7 percent and 8.9 percent in its previous three years.
Once again, Planned Parenthood took in much more money than it needed. It reported “excess of revenue of expenses” of $55.8 million for the fiscal year. This marks the 34th year in a row that Planned Parenthood has reported “excess revenue” ? otherwise known as profit. Over the years, Planned Parenthood has reported total profits of over $700 million. It has amassed a treasure chest of assets worth $839.8 million.
A review of Planned Parenthood’s reports through the years shows that its revenue comes from three main sources: fees charged at its clinics; donations from corporations, foundations and individuals; and taxpayer money received from government grants and contracts. A brief look at each of these in the latest reports reveals some interesting information.
Planned Parenthood’s clinic income comes from fees charged to its customers. It reported a total clinic income for 2005-2006 of $345.1 million dollars. The significant thing about this year’s clinic income is that it was $1.5 million less than last year. We estimate that $112.6 million (32.5 percent) comes from abortion.
We have checked our files of Planned Parenthood annual reports back to the 1950s, and cannot find another year in which clinic income went down. We understand that a fall of $1.5 million out of $345 million is not earthshaking. We also understand that a one-year dip may be an anomaly and not a trend. But it was a decline-the first clinic income decline in the last 50 years. It couldn’t have made Planned Parenthood very happy.
Planned Parenthood’s donations were reported to be $212.2 million. That figure is $3.6 million less than last year. Donations have a habit of going up and down and there is not much significance to the number other than the fact that it did go down ? albeit just 1.7 percent.
The final category of Planned Parenthood revenue sources is you and me ? the American taxpayer. I am sorry to report to you that Planned Parenthood reported receiving taxpayer funds totaling $305.3 million ? a whopping $32.6 million (12 percent) more than last year. This means that taxpayer money now accounts for 34 percent of Planned Parenthood’s income.
The bottom line is that Planned Parenthood is losing donations, its clinic income is down and you and I are being forced to pay more so the organization can kill our children through abortion and spread its perverted ideology throughout the land. It is really incredible when you realize that Planned Parenthood put every penny of the increased taxpayer money into the bank. It got $32 million extra and then reported a $55 million profit. Something is wrong here.
And what is Planned Parenthood’s response to this taxpayer largesse? It is demanding even more from the taxpayer.
As I write this, Planned Parenthood in California is fighting for increased Medi-Cal reimbursement rates so it can get more taxpayer money for every customer it sees. Never mind that its nine affiliates in California have received over $270 million in taxpayer money since 1998 and have total profits of over $83 million during that time.
When you study the work of Planned Parenthood, you come to realize that it really considers itself an entitlement program. It believes it is entitled to our money. Never mind the horrible work it does or the fortune it has amassed over the years at our expense. It is Planned Parenthood; therefore, it should get our money ? that’s how it feels.
Our elected officials must feel the same way, or they wouldn’t keep giving more and more of our hard-earned money to Planned Parenthood.
This year’s annual report makes it clear. Average citizens are spending less and less at Planned Parenthood clinics. Wealthy citizens are not giving Planned Parenthood as much in donations as they have in the past. Only our government officials are giving more to Planned Parenthood and they are giving it our money.
It is time to put a stop to this. It is clear that the politicians, left alone, are not going to cut off the money. It will take action from average American citizens-you and me-who are fed up with funding this outrageous organization. Register your complaint today. Let your elected officials at every level of government know you do not want your money going to Planned Parenthood. Sign a petition against taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood-there is one available online at www.StopPlannedParenthoodTaxFunding.com.
It is time we all said no to Planned Parenthood.
Release issued: 8 Jun 07