This week, Crain’s Chicago Business published an article highlighting three major Chicago area Planned Parenthood donors who have stepped up their contributions in response to the wave of pro-life efforts to deprive the abortion chain of state and federal funding. The piece unintentionally illustrates one of the reasons Planned Parenthood has no business demanding taxpayer funding: they have ample support from private donors.
The biggest donor by far is Helen Zell, who put up a million dollars to help build Planned Parenthood’s mega-center in Aurora. In the five-figure range are donors Laura Tucker and Fay Clayton—the infamous pro-abortion lawyer who lost the NOW v. Scheidler case in the U.S. Supreme Court.
With Such Big Donors, Why Demand Tax Dollars?
In the article, Planned Parenthood of Illinois CEO Carole Brite calls the three a “safety net,” adding, “We wouldn’t be able to stay in business without them.” She also notes that the growing campaign to defund Planned Parenthood of taxpayer money has led to an marked increase in donations.
With this kind of support from private donors, one must ask why Planned Parenthood insists they deserve taxpayer funding as well. If donors are ready to step up and fill the gap if the organization loses taxpayer funding, why are they fighting tooth and claw for every dollar, claiming that their centers will close down without this funding?
Planned Parenthood Is Lying, One Way or the Other
Either Planned Parenthood is lying about their need for tax dollars, or they’re lying about how much private support they’re actually getting. Either way, as we always say, Planned Parenthood lies to you.
I am quoted in the article, too. Of Planned Parenthood’s new emphasis on private donations, I remark, “It shows how effective the pro-life movement has been at exposing Planned Parenthood.”
Clearly Planned Parenthood is worried. I remark: “Who would have guessed a year-and-a-half ago that we would be talking about defunding Planned Parenthood? And here we have one state after another doing that. Momentum is on our side.”
Though it’s unfortunate anyone donates to Planned Parenthood, articles like this one are encouraging to see. Even people on the “pro-choice” side have got to be wondering why an organization that can hit up the likes of Helen Zell for a million bucks needs any taxpayer funding.
The simple answer is that they don’t.
LifeNews.com Note: Eric Scheidler is the executive director of the Pro-Life Action League and the son of the famous pro-life activist Joe Scheidler. He has led efforts against Planned Parenthood’s new abortion business in Aurora, Illinois.
