News station investigates clandestine taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood; cornered elected official huffs off
If Planned Parenthood is so popular, why did a news station in the heart of the West Coast’s abortion stronghold - Sacramento, California – spotlight it in an investigation of shady expenditures by city council members?
And why did a complicit council member, when questioned ever so lightly about it, abruptly yank off her mic while still on camera and end the interview?
In an investigation into the large amount of discretionary spending allotted to Sacramento city council members – $400,000 annually – KCRA noted that member Angelique Ashby gave a portion of hers to Planned Parenthood.
Ashby apparently didn’t like being asked about that. According to KCRA, in a December 17 broadcast story:
… she defended the contribution, took off the microphone and walked away.
“I hope that in doing so, that some of those young women grow up, love their city enough to come back, run for City Council and be the next mayor pro tem of the city of Sacramento,” Ashby said.
“Here you go,” she said, before taking off her microphone and walking off.
This came right after Ashby proclaimed transparency, “evidenced by the fact that I’m standing in front of you answering for those funds.”
… for only one second longer, until it came to Planned Parenthood.
You can view Ashby’s strange response here (during the last minute of the video).
KCRA followed up on December 18 with a story specifically on the fact that “[s]ince 2012, every City Council member gave some of their discretionary funds to Planned Parenthood, a total of $11,000.”
There was no vote on giving taxpayer funds to Planned Parenthood, no public announcement, no accountability on the part of Planned Parenthood to not use those funds for abortion, only a statement by unnamed Planned Parenthood “officials” that it is “their policy to keep funding for educational programs separate from other services.”
How do we know? What “other services” would those be?
Interesting that a mainstream media news organization saw a story, a controversy. Of all the odd expenditures made by city council members, the one KCRA knew would get a rise were those made to Planned Parenthood. Why?
Also interesting that the station didn’t bypass a story it knew had to be politically incorrect.
KCRA also found a resident who “doesn’t want her tax dollars going to Planned Parenthood programs – period,” who added:
“I think if people were aware of it, you would have an overwhelming amount of people showing up at a City Council meeting complaining. I think you would have calls to their offices. I think you would have long lines if there was an open forum for people to discuss. I think it would be a big issue.”
So don’t for a minute think Planned Parenthood maintains a sunny reputation, even in California. The work pro-lifers have done to expose the United States’ largest abortion organization to the light of day is slowly but steadily paying off.
Speaking of sunlight, KCRA reported that thanks to its investigation the Sacramento County Grand Jury has launched a “formal inquiry” into the city council’s discretionary spending habits.
I have a feeling Planned Parenthood has been cut off.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
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“I hope that in doing so, that some of those young women grow up, love their city enough to come back, run for City Council and be the next mayor pro tem of the city of Sacramento,” Ashby said.
What she really means is, “I hope the girls who are not killed before birth grow up and keep the Culture of Death Gravy Train going so I don’t have to feel guilty about choicing my child.”
My apologies if Angelique is not an unrepentant post-abortive woman but she sure comes off that way. Irregardless, taxpayers in a free country who oppose killing human beings should absolutely not have to fund the killings.
Good for the KCRA reporter for asking about this. I have no doubt that PP will do some internal damage control and media training for supporters now. Good. Keep them on their corporate toes. No let-up.
The closing line on the video report promises a focused follow-up on the City Council – Planned Parenthood connection.
This could be interesting. We know that PP funds campaigns and urges their employees to volunteer. We know that the politicians like to pay back to PP with taxpayer money and contracts. But this electoral kick-back looks a little too intimate, directly authorized by the council-woman and with no particular benefit to the taxpayers.
Kudos to the KCRA news team. You deserve some awards for this. I hope the mainstream media pick up this story.
My mother works as an admin assistant at her local bar association. In order to work there (as is the case with many employers), she had to sign papers promising not to make any political contributions or participate in political or politically charged activities or causes. So how is it, that low level bar association employees have to sign away their political rights, but city council members in a major metropolitan area can spend taxpayer money on their pet political projects?
“but city council members in a major metropolitan area can spend taxpayer money on their pet political projects?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Y50hE5ri8
There was a similar deal in Houston, where once PP involvement was noted, it was pulled from a website:
http://www.stopp.org/article.php?id=11402
The article doesn’t mention that the PP scholarship fund goes to help single mothers pay for college, and has nothing to do with abortion or birth control.
But, that report wouldn’t have the same sting to it, would it?
^^actually that doesn’t change anything in my view. I’m a Jew. As such, I wouldn’t donate money to a charitable organization run by neoNazis, regardless of the cause supported by the charitable organization.
“The article doesn’t mention that the PP scholarship fund goes to help single mothers pay for college, and has nothing to do with abortion or birth control.”*
*Citation needed.
xalisae:
If you had listened to the story, Councilwoman Ashby actually said: “I donated to a scholarship. The money that I gave only could go to a scholarship fund for young single moms already selected to go to college,” Ashby said. “At one point in my life, sir, that was me. So I hope that in doing so, that some of those young women grow up, love their city enough to come back, run for City Council and be the next Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Sacramento.”
And, Rachel-You are no Jew. Otherwise you would know that your comment is without merit or plausibility. If I have misstated this fact, go talk to your Rabbi about your misinformation. He/she will explain how very wrong you are.
I am a Jew. I am eligible for Aliyah to Israel if I choose to seek it. And I practice Torah, more importantly. I do not have a Rabbi, because I am a Karaite, but that’s a difference that is hardly relevant here. My Hackam, however, escaped religious persecution in Egypt in the 60’s, along with several families, and came to the religious and economic freedom of the United States. The view I have stated is consistent with what he encourages, although it is simply the behavior I have been taught since childhood.
How am I misinformed? I never said PP is run by neo-Nazis, I was posing a hypothetical that is parallel. As a pro-lifer, I don’t give money to organizations funded by abortion businesses. I don’t give money to orgs with connections to the Muslim Brotherhood either. And I wouldn’t donate to a toy drive run by the KKK. I don’t know any Jews who would compromise their beliefs by doing such a thing, either. In fact, many Jews still boycott IBM for the work they did for the third Reich–which I think goes a bit far. Would you send money to ISIS if you were assured it would be earmarked for food and clothes for sex slaves?