After Nearly 30 Years, Pennsylvania Will End State Funding for Anti-Abortion Counseling Centers

[SaysWho?]

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-09-01/after-nearly-30-years-pennsylvania-will-end-state-funding-for-anti-abortion-counseling-centers

 

Quote

Pennsylvania plans to end on Dec. 31 its longstanding contract with the nonprofit Real Alternatives, the first organization in the nation to secure significant state and federal subsidies to support anti-abortion counseling centers. Under the program, Real Alternatives distributed the state and federal funds to dozens of Pennsylvania centers, including Catholic Charities, anti-abortion counseling centers and maternity homes, which provide support and housing for pregnant women.

 

Quote

Pennsylvania was the first state to enact an official abortion alternative program in the mid-’90s. Helmed by then-Gov. Bob Casey, an anti-abortion Democrat, the state began funding alternatives in tandem with a preexisting program that subsidized Planned Parenthood’s services for women’s health. The funding for both programs had continued under both Republican and Democratic governors in the years since.

 

[TUFKAK]

Good. Fuck the Chuds

[Spork3245]

4 minutes ago, TUFKAK said:

Fuck the Chuds

 

Ew. No thanks.

[TUFKAK]

2 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Ew. No thanks.

Try it doe. There is nothing better than destroying their families like they want to do to others.

[Spork3245]

35 minutes ago, TUFKAK said:

Try it doe. There is nothing better than destroying their families like they want to do to others.

[crispy4000]

So they're diverting that money into other pregnancy resource centers and women crisis shelters, right? ...  Right?

I've seen some truly awful pregnancy resource centers.  I've also volunteered at some truly amazing ones.  But in either case, those resources are relied upon by women and families of all stripes, who would consider, wouldn't consider, and have had an abortion.  I remember once loading two boxes of pots and pans and a new bed for someone who was forced to move out from her ex, no questions asked.

 

The Democratic response shouldn't be to take away local resources for mothers.  Prioritize the things that improve the situation for struggling families.  Universal Pre-K.  Paid Maternity leave.  And yes, local resource centers.  Vet them if needed.  Create more run by the state.  Post-Roe, there's no hiding behind abortion politics to address the need.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

8 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

So they're diverting that money into other pregnancy resource centers and women crisis shelters, right? ...  Right?

I've seen some truly pregnancy awful resource centers.  I've also volunteered at some truly amazing ones.  But in either case, those resources are relied upon by women and families all stripes, who would consider, wouldn't consider, and have had an abortion.  I remember once loading two boxes of pots and pans and a new bed for someone who was forced to move out from her ex, no questions asked.

 

The Democratic response just shouldn't be to take away local resources for mothers.  Prioritize the things that improve the situation for struggling families.  Universal Pre-K.  Paid Maternity leave.  And yes, local resource centers.  Vet them if needed.  Create more run by the state.  Post-Roe, there's no hiding behind abortion politics to address the need.

 

As per the article:

 

Quote

About $8 million in state subsidies hangs in the balance this year as Pennsylvania completes its budget, with the Shapiro administration looking to send the money to other women’s health providers.

 

[Chadatog]

8 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

So they're diverting that money into other pregnancy resource centers and women crisis shelters, right? ...  Right?

I've seen some truly pregnancy awful resource centers.  I've also volunteered at some truly amazing ones.  But in either case, those resources are relied upon by women and families all stripes, who would consider, wouldn't consider, and have had an abortion.  I remember once loading two boxes of pots and pans and a new bed for someone who was forced to move out from her ex, no questions asked.

 

The Democratic response just shouldn't be to take away local resources for mothers.  Prioritize the things that improve the situation for struggling families.  Universal Pre-K.  Paid Maternity leave.  And yes, local resource centers.  Vet them if needed.  Create more run by the state.  Post-Roe, there's no hiding behind abortion politics to address the need.

I think this is mostly geared towards the church affiliated baby buying centers and not actual places that provide contraceptives, sex education, OBGYN services, and std testing.

[crispy4000]

39 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

As per the article:

 

Health providers =/= resource centers.  Or shelter.

 

38 minutes ago, Chadatog said:

I think this is mostly geared towards the church affiliated baby buying centers and not actual places that provide contraceptives, sex education, OBGYN services, and std testing.

 

In my experience, it's the religious pregnancy resource centers without any particular affiliation that are the craziest, because there's no standard to go by.  I met a counselor at one who said don't kiss, because that just leads to lust, which just leads to sex, which just leads to babies.  (yes, that'll surely convince someone to keep a kid and not shame them...)

 

They also had truckloads of stuff they were handing out because people donated to them like crazy.  If they could just kick that lady out.  I suppose I also blame the younger workers a bit.  They'd just roll their eyes at it instead of speaking up.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Personally, I'd be in favor of allowing religious resource centers to retain the funds for resource services if they were subjected to the same financial accountability standards as Planned Parenthood.

 

Planned Parenthood has to maintain a strict accounting that the funds it receives from federal/state sources are not used to provide abortion services and are solely used for women's health purposes.  This type of segregation of funding sources/financial transparency should be also be applied to the religious resource centers to prove that the funds are used to fund resource-based services and not the anti-abortion counseling activities.

 

[crispy4000]

8 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Personally, I'd be in favor of allowing religious resource centers to retain the funds for resource services if they were subjected to the same financial accountability standards as Planned Parenthood.

 

Planned Parenthood has to maintain a strict accounting that the funds it receives from federal/state sources are not used to provide abortion services and are solely used for women's health purposes.  This type of financial transparency should be also be applied to the religious resource centers to prove that the funds are used to fund resource-based services and not the anti-abortion counseling activities.

 

That sounds fair.  Though it should be said that some of the latter is volunteer work.

 

It's still an imperfect solution on either end.  Providing any of them funds for one thing frees up resources for other initiatives.  Including lobbying for their ideologies and preferential treatment.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

12 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

 Though it should be said that some of the latter is volunteer work.

 

Even volunteer activities tend to have some degree of tangible, measurable material costs associated with them.  It's a bit more difficult to parse out, but it's not impossible to identify them!