Abortion foes open a new front

Abortion opponents are pressing state and local governments to stop sending taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, arguing that the nonprofit group has plenty of cash and shouldn't be granted scarce public funds at a time of economic crisis. Planned Parenthood receives about $335 million a year -- a third of its budget -- from government grants and contracts to subsidize contraception, sex education and non-abortion-related health care for poor women and teenagers. The group is also the nation's largest abortion provider, and critics have long argued that the public funds indirectly subsidize abortions by keeping hundreds of Planned Parenthood clinics afloat. But the new lobbying effort, backed by conservative Christian groups such as the Family Research Council, focuses more on economic than moral concerns. The campaign paints Planned Parenthood as a wealthy organization that doesn't need taxpayer help. Planned Parenthood reported record revenue and a $115 million budget surplus last year, and it is building a network of elegant health centers to attract middle-class clients. "The money needs to go to local organizations that actually need it and don't have the backing of a multimillion-dollar organization," says Scott Tibbs, an antiabortion activist in Bloomington, Ind. Planned Parenthood responds that its health-care services fill a critical need, especially now, when so many people are losing their jobs -- and their health insurance. Past reductions in government funding have forced local chapters to close clinics, raise fees and cut back on subsidized contraception, which Planned Parenthood's president, Cecile Richards, described as "a lifeline for millions of people." In recent weeks, Planned Parenthood chapters have lost public funds in two states as elected officials juggled tight budgets. Fulton County, Ga., which includes Atlanta, canceled a $420,000 contract as part of statewide cuts in health care. The move ended a teen-pregnancy prevention program and prompted a local Planned Parenthood clinic to raise fees to make up lost revenue. Sarasota County, Fla., ended years of subsidizing Planned Parenthood's sex-education programs with annual grants of as much as $30,000. "It had nothing to do with Planned Parenthood's mission," said Paul Mercier, who recently retired as a county commissioner. "It had everything to do with them not needing the funding." The Family Research Council is developing a kit to help grass-roots activists dig through financial reports so they can make detailed presentations to elected officials about the assets and revenue of local Planned Parenthood chapters. The council has sent letters to 1,200 state legislators describing Planned Parenthood's strong financial position and urging "a second look" at public funding. With a Democratic president soon to take office, "we're very limited as to what we can do" on a federal level, said Thomas McClusky, vice president for government affairs at the Family Research Council. "But on the local level, there are a lot of victories to be had." The group has been courting elected officials who they think would be receptive in states including Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky. Regional executives of Planned Parenthood say the campaign misleads legislators about the state of the nonprofit's finances. The chapter in Sarasota, for instance, is wrapping up a $12 million fund-raising drive to build a new flagship building and three clinics. "Our audits look pretty fat and they've used that against us," said Barbara Zdravecky, chief executive of the chapter, which covers southwest and central Florida. But operating revenue is down, Ms. Zdravecky said, and the chapter is running at a deficit. She and others argue that cutting Planned Parenthood funding is short-sighted and will cost taxpayers more in the long run if low-income women can't get services such as birth control or cancer screenings. That argument has succeeded in some places. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who has said he opposes abortion but doesn't want to ban it, has vowed to hold firm against cutting Planned Parenthood's funds. Still, in an era of financial crisis, even some ardent supporters of Planned Parenthood say it is difficult to justify making the group a top priority. Planned Parenthood of Indiana applied for the first time this year for a small grant from Monroe County, which includes Bloomington, to subsidize cervical-cancer tests. County council member Sophia Travis says it is a worthy cause -- but not as high a priority as the local food pantry. Planned Parenthood didn't make it to the final round in the competition for county grants.