How Washington undermines its own efforts to fight child exploitation

 Washington State recently enacted a law to help people rebuild their lives after they escape slavery, which once again placed it at the head of the class, when compared with other states.  This record dates back to 2003, when Washington State led the nation in passing anti-trafficking laws.  It is among a few states that receive a high rating from a national anti-trafficking organization because of its strong record.

So it's pretty ironic that Washington State, especially Gov. Jay Inslee, is strongly supportive of Planned Parenthood.  Check out this video which demonstrates how this multi-million dollar organization aids child sex traffickers.

Next, view these videos showing Planned Parenthood workers offering advice to investigative reporters posing as a pimp and prostitute who say they "manage" 14- and 15-year-old girls, including some imported to the country to be used in the sex industry.

In one video, a New Jersey Planned Parenthood worker gave advice on how to get abortions, birth control, and std testing for the pimp's child sex slaves, without having to halt their earning potential.  She suggested that young girls who have just had an abortion can do "waist up" until they get past the minimum two week recovery period.

Yet another Planned Parenthood worker, in Roanoke, VA, advised the "pimp" that girls as young as 12 can get std treatment and birth control without a parent's knowledge; and also shared how to get free health coverage through the government.

The investigators get similar information from several clinics.  They are told that Planned Parenthood offers "no judgment" about the age or immigration status of the kids brought in for care.  One seemed to suggest that it is common to see girls brought in illegally for these purposes.

When it comes to Planned Parenthood and sex trafficking, actions speak louder than press releases.

Washington State's budget includes about $50 million in state and federal tax dollars for Planned Parenthood.  As a taxpayer, I'd rather see my money go to programs to help people--especially young children--who are being coerced and sold for sex, than to an organization that makes it easier for them to be used and exploited.

"I Am Jane Doe": A documentary

Slavery is alive and well, and it's here.

Moms of daughters will be especially grieved to watch the Netflix documentary "I Am Jane Doe."  It chronicles the stories of young girls who wound up in the sex trade, advertised and promoted online... and the moms who found them listed for sale.

Human trafficking is everywhere, and its not just a big-city issue.  Washington State is known as a hotbed of human trafficking.  The Washington State Attorney General's Office website goes into detail about how our location and industry lends itself to the practice of slave trading--whether into agriculture or into the sex industry.  

The documentary focuses on the way an online classified ad business, backpage.com, assists pimps in running their businesses; and also how our existing federal laws aid them.   But the slave trade exists in businesses all around us.  I wonder how many of these businesses we drive by, or even patronize, without realizing the truth?  Read about the signs of human trafficking here, and here.  Also check out Shared Hope International, for more information.

"I Am Jane Doe" is tough to watch.  It will make you angry.  It might make you lobby for a law change that closes the loophole allowing online marketers to assist the creeps who exploit children--or anyone--in the sex trade.

But mostly, I hope it will make you aware.  Watch over your daughters, but also be on the alert for people in your community who are part of the modern-day slave trade.

The more we learn about abortion...

For years I voted for pro-choice causes and people because I believed it was the compassionate thing to do.  But if you keep your eyes and your mind open, and look at the facts, it becomes harder to ignore the stark fact that a child dies whenever an abortion is performed.  You can call it a fetus, an embryo, tissue, contents of the uterus, or a mass of cells; you can say the pregnancy is being terminated, surgically removed, aborted, a mere choice is being made, a reproductive right exercised; but all the sanitizing, ennobling, distancing terms in the world don't change the facts.

Click here to view a factual presentation of the abortion procedure, provided by a former abortionist.

Emotionalism used to be the domain of the pro-life movement--or at least, that is how things were portrayed by their opponents.  People on the pro-abortion side (often preferring to use the term pro-choice, because it sounds less icky) were supposedly the rationalists, rejecting any emotional ties or recognition of the pre-born, because, well, science.  Right?  So it's interesting to me that as science has advanced, and we know more about what is going on inside the womb, the pro-life side falls squarely on the side of rationalism, and of science, while the pro-abortion side is becoming increasingly delusional in its defense of the indefensible.

If you are a pro-abortion or pro-choice person, I challenge you to watch these videos featuring doctors who performed many abortions.   These are scientists.  They are not relying on scare tactics or made up stories to bolster the pro-life cause.  They are sharing facts, first-hand information, and they've seen abortion for what it is.

Former Abortionist Dr. Kathi Aultman Testifies Before Congress, 2017

An Interview With Former Abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino: What Changed His Mind

Dr. Noreen Johnson talks about the impact of abortions on the doctors performing them

Dr. Haywood Robinson speaks of his experience performing abortions


And on the other side of the issue, here's how the nation's largest abortion provider describes the procedure:

Planned Parenthood's description of an abortion


And look at how a site called "ASAPScience" describes it... they forgot to show the Thing being removed from the uterus.  Hmm.  Not very scientific!

What happens during an abortion (without showing the baby, of course)

Oh, and by the way ... the creators of ASAPScience are Planned Parenthood supporters.  Surprised, much?



So, which side is dealing with science, and with facts?

"Give up the Bad Boyfriend"-- abortion supporters need to wise up

Another abortionist has been "outed." Former staffers of a Texas clinic are sharing shocking tales of a doctor who allegedly killed many babies after they survived abortions.  Texas' lieutenant governor is calling for an investigation; you can read about it by clicking here. 

I wonder how many of these gruesome stories need to break before pro-choice folks wise up?  What more proof do they need that something is wrong?  It's obvious that allowing the abortion industry to regulate itself is not working.

Sadly, though, it's like dealing with a friend who's dating someone with serious faults, and they just don't want to face the truth.   "He didn't mean it."   "Maybe he'll change..."   "But he said he's sorry this time..."

It's time to ditch the "bad boyfriend" and move forward.  A person can still be pro-choice, and be pro-regulation.  Pro-choice folks need to move toward the center, toward reason, toward safety for the women at least.  The truth is so obvious!

Yet the level of denial is high.  You see this especially among the biggest abortion pushers.

For example, just hours after Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell was sentenced this week to life in prison, Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) released statements that were embarrassingly stupid, in terms what they either said, or didn't say:

• Planned Parenthood posted soberly that no woman would ever be victimized by Gosnell again. This was referring to the manslaughter charge for which he received 2-1/2 years.  But no mention was made of the three murder convictions, each carrying a life sentence, supposedly since they were just babies intended for slaughter anyway.  
• The National Abortion Rights Action League tried to blame pro-life advocates for the gruesome Kermit Gosnell abortion factory and its victims, in one of the most dizzyingly silly spins in history.  How about focusing on the fact that the clinic--and probably many others like it --were purposefully NOT inspected for 15 years because pro-abortion folks (like NARAL) didn't want to bring any attention to dirty little secrets that might harm their cause?

No medical procedure is so sacred that it should escape scrutiny.  This is especially true for a procedure that takes a life, and has the potential to permanently maim another.  Reasonable inspections and regulations seem to be the least we could do.

Evidence increases: We need to regulate abortion clinics more carefully

Pro-abortion folks have long promoted the notion that the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 paved the way for "safe" and "legal" abortions.   But fast forward 40 years, and though abortion is widely available, the unwillingness of lawmakers and pro-abortion activists to concede the need for regulation has put women in danger of the very things they once said they wanted to avoid.  In their zeal to oppose any and all abortion industry regulations, they focus only on the "legal" aspect, and not so much on the "safe" aspect.

This is a time when abortion rights fans and pro-life people can come together with common causes: First, that Planned Parenthood is not perfect, and should not be in charge of regulating its own industry; and second, that abortion clinics need regulation in order to safeguard women and any children accidentally born alive during an abortion attempt.

We can thank the Gosnell abortion mill trial, with its gruesome details and tragic accounts of babies and women murdered for profit and through carelessness, for bringing this need to light in a way that may be awakening even hard-line pro-choice people.  Members of Congress are looking in to whether abortion clinics are regulated sufficiently.  The U.S. House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to every health department in every state to find out how abortion clinics are regulated; the questions the letter poses are very thorough (you can read the letter by clicking here).  There is a May 22 deadline for replies; it will be interesting to read the results, which will alert us all to the needs for safeguards and gaps in regulations in our own states.

And the Gosnell trial is not an isolated case.  Just this past week a National Review Online reporter wrote an investigative piece about the shady operations of several Florida abortion clinics operated by the same team of abortion providers.  It was another gruesome tale of a poorly qualified medical staff with bad habits providing substandard care in an industry that doesn't get challenged much.  In the Florida situation, a 17-year-old girl was "thoroughly mangled;" at least one baby was allegedly delivered alive, then murdered; and first responders said baby corpses were stored in bags or boxes behind chairs in the recovery room, flies buzzing around a few of them.  State regulators admitted they did not do inspections of Florida clinics.

Here are other stories, some recent, some from last year -- and this is not an exhaustive search:

• Two Planned Parenthood clinic nurses cited "ridiculously unsafe" conditions as the reason they quit working for a Delaware clinic, according to an ABC News affiliate last month.

• Viriginia abortionists are fussing about new state regulations and the alleged threat they pose, though the rules seem very reasonable. For example, clinics are required to have an agreement with hospitals so they'll treat women suffering from botched abortion procedures; and clinics have to meet cleanliness and safety standards.  Abortionists say the regulations aren't necessary.  However, inspections resulting from these supposedly unnecessary regulations turned up some major problems this year.

• Two Chicago abortion clinics were closed after the state performed its first clinic inspections in 15 years, the Huff Post reported last year.  One clinic owner called the inspections "unfair," and said she felt victimized by the surprise inspection.

• In Maryland, a young woman lost her baby, and her life, at a clinic which had been licensed without ever receiving an inspection, according to a report last year.

The common thread in all these clinic stories, besides medical abuse and dead babies, is that state officials either ignored regulations for many years, or they didn't want to regulate clinics at all.  Of the Delaware case, the ABC affiliate reported: 

"In Delaware, abortion clinics are not subject to routine inspections. The state only steps in when they have a patient complaint. Planned Parenthood is essentially in charge of inspecting itself."

That is our situation in Washington State.  It should make us all feel uneasy.  In Washington State, abortion clinics are not inspected by the Department of Health, unless a complaint is filed.  Regulation is supposed to be done by Planned Parenthood.  Doesn't this seem a lot like asking the publisher of a "skin magazine" to chair a committee regulating pornography?  It just doesn't make sense, unless your aim is to leave things alone and not cause any trouble for the industry.

It's funny that the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) tries to say that all these mutilations, and infant deaths, and unsanitary clinics are precisely the reason NOT to regulate clinics.  Really!  We're to believe that their way is better, and we're to ignore the growing evidence showing that they've failed to police themselves.  They try to scare us into acceptance, breathlessly proclaiming that any regulation will take us back to the pre-Roe v. Wade days, the "back alley" abortion days, when they say women were denied safe and clean abortions.

Strange.  If the goal is to make sure abortions are "safe and clean," as their spokesperson said, having a neutral agency regulating and inspecting abortion clinics seems like a no-brainer.  Sadly, NARAL and others like them are more about protecting abortion than protecting women; and of course, the babies are not to be considered at all.

In 2011, more than 20,000 abortions were reported in Washington; there are probably 1.2 million in the United States in a given year, according to Planned Parenthood's own research agency, the Guttmacher Institute.   This is a serious women's health issue, far too serious to be left in the hands of those with a vested interest in covering up any problems.   So bring on the congressional committee investigation; and then bring on the inspections.  It's about time.

Are women & babies safe in Washington?

The Dr. Kermit Gosnell abortion clinic trial has me absolutely infuriated with the media, and worried about women's safety--not to mention the lives of babies--here in Washington State.  The media spotlight is finally pointing in the direction of Pennsylvania, thanks to pressure from pro-life groups and the embarrassed outrage of some liberals who also noticed the problem.

But it all causes me to wonder:   Can we assume anyone is watching over what is happening in Washington State's abortion clinics?

Here's some background, in case you missed the story, thanks to the media's silence on the issue:

Pennsylvania abortionist Kermit Gosnell is on trial for murdering a woman during an abortion, and for murdering babies born alive during abortions.  Add to that, his clinic was a bloody, filthy, contaminated place where poor women were sometimes coerced into having their babies torn from their bodies.  Unqualified staff assisted in procedures. And Dr. Gosnell also kept baby body parts in jars as mementos.

The state of Pennsylvania skipped any inspections of Gosnell's clinic until a woman died there in 2009.  Officials obviously dropped the ball.

But the national media took the state's dropped ball and quietly kicked it under the couch.  A small splash of coverage accompanied Gosnell's 2011 arrest; but most major news agencies have given NO coverage to the trial, underway since early this year.  See Kirsten Powers' USA Today column calling attention to the "media blackout" on the case.

Given these facts, we need to ask some questions:

• Why doesn't the media want to cover this story?  
• Why wasn't Dr. Gosnell's clinic inspected by the state department of health for 17 years, and why were complaints from patients ignored during those years?
• Could similar atrocities be happening here, in Washington State, right now? 

Here are the answers:

The media doesn't want to hurt the abortion industry. 
The media loves a gruesome and horrific story, as long as it doesn't tread on sacred ground.

Consider the coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings and the Newtown elementary school shooting.  Nobody loves terrorists, and their evil acts are played up for all to see.  But the pro-choice media fears that any negative publicity will put "the cause" of abortion-on-demand at risk.  Some even sort of come close to admitting that's their reasoning. One reporter wrote:

"... surely those of us who are pro-choice must worry that this [the Gosnell trial story] will restrict access to abortion:  that a crackdown on abortion clinics will follow, with onerous white-glove inspections; that a revolted public will demand more restrictions on late-term abortions; or that women will be too afraid of Gosnell-style crimes to seek a medically necessary abortion."

The government wanted to protect the abortion industry. 
Pennsylvania officials failed to inspect Dr. Gosnell's clinic for 17 years, in spite of several complaints about women's health complications and the clinic's unsanitary conditions.  You see, in 1999, Pennsylvania's pro-abortion governor and his administration ended routine inspections of abortion clinics, according to the Gosnell trial grand jury report.  On page 150, an official testified:

“there was a concern that if they did routine inspections, that they may find a lot of these facilities didn’t meet [the standards for getting patients out by stretcher or wheelchair in an emergency], and then there would be less abortion facilities, less access to women to have an abortion.” 

This could happen in Washington State. 
A couple of years ago I asked the Department of Health about Washington State abortion clinic regulations.  They are not regulated.  The practitioners who do abortions are subject to regulation, but not the clinics.  You can read about that here.

Washington State's governors--and many of our Democratic and some Republican legislators--have been unashamedly protective of Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion agenda for years.

Right now our State Senate is considering a "sweetheart deal" for the abortion industry, requiring insurance companies and employers to cover the gruesome practice even if they have a strong moral objection to it.  So you have to wonder:

• How safe are women who seek abortions in Washington State?
• How carefully and frequently does Washington State inspect abortion clinics?
• What happens if a baby is born alive during an abortion in Washington State?
• Is there a "Dr. Gosnell" butchering women and babies in Washington State right now, with officials looking the other way because they're afraid of harming the industry?

Is anyone else bothered by this?  Before you dismiss this as conspiracy theory nonsense, do your homework.  Watch this documentary on Gosnell's clinic and two women's testimonies, and skim the grand jury report.  Read whatever media coverage you can find.  Then start asking our State government to answer some questions. 

National teacher union heads make more than $360,000 a year, 3 times more than highest paid WA school administrator

Apparently it pays to be a union leader, even if it doesn't necessarily pay to be a union member.


Check out this Fox News article about national teacher union heads raking in the money while average teachers scratch out a living.  The article says the national average teacher salary is $44,000 a year, while union leaders earn shockingly high average salaries:

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten's pay jumped to $407,323 between 2010 and 2011, while her counterpart at the National Education Association, Dennis Van Roekel, got a raise to $362,644. Factor in stipends and other paid expenses and Weingarten took in $493,859 and Van Roekel $460,060 for 2011. 

To summarize: the lowest paid of two national teachers' union presidents makes about three times more than the highest paid WA public school administrator.  This, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In Washington State, the average teacher salary is $63,636 ($53,056 base salary, $10,580 additional salary), and $18,075 in benefits.

I'm still searching for information on what Washington Education Association union leadership gets paid.

You can check the figures for individual school districts at the Freedom Foundation website; or at the Bureau of Labor Statistics site.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/14/teacher-union-bigs-rake-in-dough-despite-budget-cuts-across-education-sector/?intcmp=trending#ixzz20cq3dosX

My war on the war on women

Be a slut!  That's the new strategy of some Democratic activists, who aim to make the offensive term cute and trendy.  I can hardly wait for the t-shirt.

From ABC News' website:  'Sluts' Unite Against Republicans, Rush Limbaugh

Watch out Republicans, here come the sluts.

Women’s rights activists are banding together to “Rock the Slut Vote” in an online effort to register women to vote and cast their ballots against Republicans in 2012.

Isn't that just the cutest thing?  Go on, girls.  Register as a slut!  Just think of the respect you will command as a result!

Remember, this is going on while the media continually circulates and recirculates the mythological Republican "war on women" propaganda (a lot of which originates from the same place).

• moveon.org's talking points on the supposed war on women  (not dated)
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/05/gop-women-issues_n_1571199.html (June 5)
• A petition made to look like it sprang from the minds of offended women -- but it's actually funded by Emily's List and moveon.org

They've even made their own Facebook Page, and there are many more similar sites out there.  Conveniently, they all sport eerily similar text, so as not to confuse their female audience, I guess.   Hmmm.

Looks like somebody's got a war on women going... and it's not Conservatives.

State Republican Convention Goes for Romney – Divide With Paul Forces is in Full Evidence

Another overview (fairly detailed) of the Washington GOP Convention, posted by the Washington State Wire.  Interesting that Republicans had full-plus participation, but the Democrats had trouble filling their seats.


State Republican Convention Goes for Romney – Divide With Paul Forces is in Full Evidence

'Kind of like a family': Republicans finish state convention in Tacoma - Tacoma News Tribune - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports

Follow-up to yesterday's blog.  The Convention is behind us, so now we move forward to replace the occupant of the White House.


'Kind of like a family': Republicans finish state convention in Tacoma - Tacoma News Tribune - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports

Washington Republicans find common ground

(Trying out Blogger on my iPhone! Typing on tiny keyboard may cure me of wordiness.) (Or just give me tired fingers.)

Ron Paul and Mitt Romney supporters at the WA Republican State Convention were United in dissatisfaction with Obama's failed presidency this weekend.

There were spirited shouting and vocal demonstrations on day one, showing the passion for each side's candidate. I wondered if we'd suffer in November as a result of infighting. But it seems the same thing that brought a record 50,000 people to the precinct caucuses is working to unite us in spite of differences. In fact, on an individual level people were courteous and good-humored.

In the long process (it's 3 pm and we're still voting on delegates and electors) I think all sides are being represented. Deliberate delaying tactics (SO annoying) are not as evident as in other settings. Folks have a chance to be heard.

Much to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing dozens of people speak briefly on their candidacy for only a few at-large slots to the National Convention. It's taken hours even though each was limited to 30 seconds at the mic.

We have some powerfully good speakers in our midst, many of them fairly new to the political process.

Women and minorities were well-represented among delegates on the floor, and those seeking slots at the National.

Looks really good for our future... and we haven't even started on the platform yet! I'm interested to see if it's a big enough umbrella for the passionate opinions represented here today. More when I find out.

In the meantime, Quotable moments from the Washington State Republican Convention in Tacoma:

Convention Chair Kirby Wilbur complimented the Ron Paul and Mitt Romney delegates for their civility, adding, "there's more that unites us than divides us." BIG Standing ovation from the whole room!

"We've got to unite to take back out country," Wilbur said. "...Everyone brings something to the table."

"I've made up my mind not to be impatient." --Overheard comment by a delegate, while we heard from dozens of candidates for at-large National Convention delegate slots.

"The data is in: the president of the United States is a failure...It's science, so you can't argue with it." The crowd applauded and shouted its approval of this great line from David Shemwell, a scientist running for alternate to the National Convention.

More later!

Is Newt the best we have? Really?

Granted, my track record after the last election is less than exciting.  In fact, I almost hesitate to post this, lest it guarantee Newt Gingrich's installment as our only alternative to Obama in November 2012.

But I am so tired of people claiming Newt is our best hope for the coming election.  This is a man whose mere name will rile up independents and even former Dems (like myself) and cause them to run screaming away from the polling booth.  They can't stand to imagine looking at That Face and listening to That Voice coming from That Person who will be making Those Policies and Those Excuses for the next four years.

Please.  I've been prepared to vote for "anyone except Obama," but this is asking too much.

I'll let Ann Coulter explain it to you, as only she can.

http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2011-12-21.html

Whatcom County Executive race: Ericksen is the Real Choice

I'd like to think I'm not a one-issue voter, yet some things just raise red flags for me.

Maybe some of my more liberal-leaning friends won't think this is a bad thing, but my conservative, pro-life friends should take note of this development in the Whatcom County Executive's race.  

Read more in this copy of  a letter to the editor I've just submitted:

Up until last week, I thought conservative voters had two good choices in the Whatcom County Executive race.  But after one of them warmly accepted the endorsement of a liberal/progressive candidate last week, it's clear there is only one choice:  I'll vote for Doug Ericksen.

Candidate Jack Louws received lots of votes from conservative-leaning Lynden in the primary.  But now he's happily accepted the endorsement of David Stalheim.

Stalheim's website says he was endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Progressive Majority, Sierra Club, and other like-minded groups.  I wonder if that changes things for folks up here?

Electing Doug as County Executive is a win-win for conservatives, overall.   He has the experience, capability, and values that will most benefit Whatcom County.  And as a bonus, his State Senate seat will be filled by someone nominated by the local Republican Party and appointed by the Whatcom County Council.  

This means the 42nd District will continue to benefit from having three conservatives serving in Olympia, while having a conservative in the County Executive's office for the first time in years.

I'm thankful the choice is clear, now.  Doug Ericksen has my vote.

More about Rick Perry

Thanks to the folks who posted these links on my Facebook wall today, because they started the information gathering process for me:

• From the CATO Institute: Rick Perry’s Spending Record
  

• From Bill O'Reilly: Daily Briefing: Rick Perry holds the record on executions. Details: http://bit.ly/qM76tB

• From LifeNews.com:  Perry signs the pro-life pledge opposing Roe, tax-funded abortions, and supporting good judges. http://www.lifenews.com/2011/08/24/rick-perry-signs-pro-life-pledge-on-abortion-judges/

As you find interesting information about the major candidates, I'd like to hear about it.  What criteria do you go by in choosing your favorite?

Local Republican straw poll picks Perry for President

From the Whatcom Republicans Facebook page August 24, 2011:

A main attraction at the Northwest Washington Fair this year was our Presidential Straw Poll. The official results of our straw poll are as follows: Rick Perry-220, Michelle Bachman-80, Sarah Palin-66, Mitt Romney-50, Ron Paul-49, Herman Cain-28, Newt Gingrich-18, Chris Christie-16, Paul Ryan-12, Rick Santorum-9, Marco Rubio-8, Barack Obama-6.

 Check out their website (whatcomgop.com) for other interesting information, including the latest Whatcom County ballot counts.

Why some Dems now support GOP women

Here's an interesting twist in the talk about the presidential election:   

From Clinton to Palin to Bachmann:  Why Some Dems Now Support GOP Women (from CNN, posted July 19, 2011).

Definitely food for thought. 

After all, such a cross-over was do-able for some of the African-American community (think Colin Powell, and possibly Condaleezza Rice, in the 2008 election of Barack Obama).

Many thanks to the savvy girls at Smart Girl Politics (a new fave site you should check out), whose link took me to this story.

The real story: Obama's fiscal record

From the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget:

A Brief History of President Obama’s Fiscal Record

Setting the Record Straight
July 15, 2011

Despite newfound concern with the debt overhang stifling economic growth, President Obama’s record falls far short of his rhetoric.  Let’s review the decisions made by President Obama and Congressional Democrats over the past couple of years, and the disappointing results of their policy choices . . . .  Read more by clicking here.

An abortion tax: Does it make sense?

A tax on abortions?  Why not?  In a time when we are strapped for revenue, why not levy a tax on a procedure that is infinitely more harmful than soda pop, candy bars, gasoline, or cigarettes?  It's something to think about.

Read more at the TaxProf Blog.

Alan Guttmacher institute (Planned Parenthood's research arm) reports this about Washington State's abortion numbers:

In 2008, 24,320 women obtained abortions in Washington, producing a rate of 18.3 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age. Some of these women were from other states, and some Washington residents had abortions in other states, so this rate may not reflect the abortion rate of state residents. The rate increased 5% since 2005, when it was 17.5 abortions per 1,000 women 15-44. Abortions in Washington represent 2% of all abortions in the United States.

How much does an abortion cost?  I checked with the Feminist Women's Health Care Center (Tacoma and Renton areas), where I learned that a first trimester abortion costs $500-$1,000, and a second trimester abortion costs $600 to $10,000.  Would the tax revenue be worth it?  Should the tax be based on the potential loss of revenue, since a potential tax-payer is lost in the procedure?

It's something to think about.

How Safe Is This Elective Surgery?

You'd think it would make sense to keep a public record of abortion deaths and complications; but according to this article, such reporting is done on a voluntary basis only:

How Safe Is This Elective Surgery?

By Clarke Forsythe; Donna Harrison

June 14, 2011 4:07 P.M.

In Kansas earlier this year, legislators trying to look into the deaths of five women got quite a shock: They were told in a March 9 hearing that five women had died after the same elective procedure but, astonishingly, the Kansas Public Health Department could neither confirm nor deny the figures.

In fact, across the United States, public-health departments only haphazardly collect information about deaths and complications from this elective procedure, which touches the lives of at least one out of every ten people in the United States. The procedure is abortion.
Abortion advocates commonly claim that “abortion is safer than childbirth.” But is that true? Little published information exists in the United States on deaths and complications resulting from abortion.
In the U.S., there are two sources of data on abortion deaths and complications, both equally unreliable: the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Alan Guttmacher Institute. Both rely on voluntary (not mandatory) reporting. Neither has any reliable mechanism for double-checking the accuracy of the submitted information.

Read the rest of the article: How Safe Is This Elective Surgery? - By Clarke Forsythe & Donna Harrison - The Corner - National Review Online


I linked to this article for two reasons:

(1) Deaths and complications related to abortions should be reported, so that women can make fully-informed decisions about their health care; right now the information is being denied them, covered up in favor of "protecting" the abortion industry; and

(2) In response to the comments I received from "Anonymous," who believes Planned Parenthood is a victim of a vast right-wing conspiracy, when all it really wants to do is help poor people. You're just not going to convince me, my friend. You're also not going to get posted, if you won't stand behind your "facts" and use your real name. It's nice to know you're reading the blog, though.

The race is on: Check out who is running for office

Here's who wants your vote in Whatcom County this year:

Whatcom County candidates

If more than one person is seeking an office, they'll have a primary election August 16 to determine the top two; the general election is November 8.