By: Joe Murray, The Bulletin 03/31/2008 For the first time in its history Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the nation's largest provider of abortion services, surpassed the $1 billion mark. The organization's 2006-2007 Annual Report showed an income of $1.017 billion, an increase from the $972 million reported in the 2005-2006 annual report.
Douglas R. Scott, Jr., president of Life Decisions International (LDI), had predicted predicted Planned Parenthood would not hit the $1 billion mark until 2009. Now that the organization has done so at a rapid pace, Mr. Scott deems the development "shocking and more than a little frightening."
While receiving revenue from a number of sources, the largest source of income came from Planned Parenthood's health centers, generating $356.9 million, roughly 35 percent of its revenue.
Private contributions came in at $258.7 million and served as 26 percent of the abortion provider's revenue. Planned Parenthood's private donors included "corporate contributions, foundation grants, and support from more than 900,000 active individual contributors...."
Many pro-life eyebrows were raised, however, by the fact Planned Parenthood received $336.7 million in government grants and contracts, constituting 33 percent of its revenue. Such tax dollars goes to an organization that provided 289,750 abortions as compared to only 2,410 adoption referrals, and distributed over 1.4 million emergency contraception kits.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, reported in his "Washington Update" that Planned Parenthood is "sinking $10 million into its PAC, hoping to load the Congress with abortion allies who would help protect - if not increase - its multi-million federal funding stream."
Such developments have caused concern in the pro-life community.
"While it is possible for two people to look at the same statistics and come to different conclusions, I just don't see how anyone could reasonably conclude that the Pro-Life Movement is winning against Planned Parenthood," Mr. Scott said.
The pro-life advocate understood the desire for the pro-life community to celebrate, but reasoned such celebration is premature and could undermine the movement by giving pro-life advocates a false sense of success.
"Nobody would like to be able to say we are putting Planned Parenthood out of business more than me," Mr. Scott added, "but we need to acknowledge that we are failing - miserably. But this does not mean a successful strategy does not exist."
Mr. Scott urged pro-life leaders to come together and formulate a strategy capable of confronting Planned Parenthood.
As for Planned Parenthood, its national plan of action for 2008-2011 reads, "Planned Parenthood Federation of America will leverage strength through our affiliated structure to be the nation's most trusted provider of sexual and reproductive health care...."
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
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