End the corporate welfare for Planned Parenthood
This is an open letter to the nine members of the Bloomington City Council.
Dear city councilors,
I am writing you again to oppose funding Planned Parenthood in this year's John Hopkins social services grants. The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic devastation have made it clearer than ever that local government should not be funding an enormous multi-state corporation instead of truly local charities that actually need the money.
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky took in $19 million in revenue in 2018. Last year, PPINK became an affiliate of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands, which took in $58 million 2018, $76 million 2017 and $47 million in 2016. They do not need $11,000 from city government, but it does give them a nice little political endorsement. This is why council chambers are usually filled with pink shirts demanding a handout.
I want to circle back to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an unprecedented event in our lifetimes. The "stay at home" orders have resulted in massive increases in unemployment and economic hardship along with the accompanying negative consequences for public health. The people of Bloomington are hurting. The last thing they need is a wasteful allocation of resources to an organization that does not need the money.
Planned Parenthood, of course, operates an abortion clinic on South College Avenue. For twenty years, pro-life members of the community have pleaded with you not to force everyone in Bloomington to donate to an organization we find morally abominable. There are plenty of other ways to fund the services Planned Parenthood provides without forcing us to contribute to this organization.
Please do not throw good money after bad, and please remove Planned Parenthood from the list of organizations that you will be funding later this month.