Second thoughts about the Komen/Planned Parenthood debacle…

Maybe there is something useful to be learned from the recent backlash against the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation’s (hereafter, Komen) momentary withdrawal of support for Planned Parenthood (PP).

CBS News stated:

Within 24 hours of the announcement Planned Parenthood had raised more $400,000 online, mostly from small donors, according to Tait Sye, a spokesman for the organization.

Additionally, the Fikes Foundation gave Planned Parenthood a $250,000 grant toward starting the Emergency Breast Health Fund, Sye said, in the aftermath of the Komen decision.

And on Thursday afternoon, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he would match up to $250,000 donations from his personal wealth.”

And from the Washington Post:

Donors reacting to the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s decision to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood contributed $650,000 in 24 hours, nearly enough to replace last year’s Komen funding, Planned Parenthood executives said Wednesday.

The organization had raised more than $400,000 from more than 6,000 online donors as of Wednesday afternoon, compared with the 100 to 200 donations it receives on an average day, said Tait Sye, a spokesman for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. He said donations were still coming in.

The group also launched a Breast Health Emergency Fund to ensure funding to affiliates that will lose their Komen grants. That fund received a $250,000 gift from the family foundation of Dallas philanthropist Lee Fikes and his wife, Amy.

“People respond powerfully when they see politics interfering with women’s health,” Sye said. “That’s why we’ve seen a tremendous outpouring of support.”

The last paragraph sums it up nicely: there is plenty of financial support for Planned Parenthood out there, and this proves it.

So why do they need government money?  According to most sources, PP receives about $75 million from the government every year.  Wouldn’t the objections to its mission mostly disappear if the public is not forced to fund it?  Clearly, lots of “fat cats” and regular people with open wallets support PP in an “emergency”, so why not let them do it all the time?  Come to think of it, with the possible imposition of Øbamacare in 2013, will we need Planned Parenthood?  Recent events have shown that family planning in the form of contraception will be covered if Øbama has his way, as will mammograms (maybe not every year though), HIV screening etc.   Between mandated coverage provided by insurers, and the “universal” coverage we will be paying for with Øbamacare, won’t PP simply become redundant?

An organization as popular as Planned Parenthood should be allowed to prove that popularity by removing the crutch of government support.  The Komen controversy has convinced me that they can do it.

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Dimsdale

A TEA party partisan, guerrilla fighting in the trenches of liberal Massachusetts.

5 Comments

  1. johnboy111 on February 22, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    PP then they can fund NPR also??lets make a list…



  2. Lynn on February 23, 2012 at 7:30 am

    I know I’m in the Minority on this subject, but I was a huge supporter of Planned Parenthood.? This issue is a deeply personal one for all. But government money is not necessary for any of these organizations.? If a charitable organization has to work on donations, they handle their money much more responsibly. The administration is handled by truly dedicated people not concerned with earning huge salaries. I am also tired of charitable organizations that threaten and bully another organization when they stop funding them. Planned Parenthood has totally trashed the Komen Foundation. Never get involved in a cat fight. Women can be vicious.?



    • crystal4 on February 23, 2012 at 8:13 am

      That is totally not true. look at Brinker from Komen who paid herself abou, 1/2 million a year. other execs in the foundation, 5 of them, made in the 6 figures and ave. clerical salaries $40,000. I think I read only 25% of their donations actually went to women’s preventative grants.
      Glad that was all brought to light.



  3. Lynn on February 23, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    I am totally dismayed that you continue this onslaught on the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Their Annual Reports are on-line and are clear and transparent. They are a 4 star Charity Navigator . They do NOT receive govt. money. They receive money from Private Corporations and from donations. On a five year average, they spend 84% on their missions of research, giving grants and treatment for breast cancer. They spend 12% on their administration costs.
    http://ww5.komen.org/uploadedFiles/SGKFTC_FY10AnnualReport.pdf
    Planned Parenthood also spends 12% on Administration and 68% on Medical Services and receive 46% of their money from Govt. services and grants.
    ?
    The reason given by Susan Komen’s sister that the Susan G. Komen Foundation denied the grant to Planned Parenthood is because of their exacting standards. They do not give grants to any organization that is under investigation by Congress. They were given a grant before because they said that they give mammograms. However, 30 PP locations when contacted do NOT do mammograms, that is why they are being investigated. My statement above stands. I still hate cat fights but even more so now. Women should not be condemning women when they can’t get…



  4. Lynn on February 23, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    What they want, so they use the media to trash a perfectly wonderful organization.



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