Planned Parenthood of West Texas received a 10% cut in state funding this year. This cut means that 1300 low-income women will not receive assistance with needed health care services.  These women will go without life saving services like: cancer screenings for cervical and breast cancer, STD testing and treatment, birth control, tests for early detection of high blood pressure, anemia, and diabetes, treatment for urinary tract infections, and many other services that Planned Parenthood has provided for them for years.  The state of Texas is diverting money that pays for cancer screening and birth control and spending it on crisis centers that only provide pregnancy tests and counseling against abortion.  Very few crisis centers provide medical care or cancer screenings. The following letter is from a Planned Parenthood client in Austin who has had to deal with the reality of this cut.

so,
this morning i dragged myself out of bed before dawn to be at planned parenthood at 730 and wait in the freezing morning shade until 9 for my annual exam.  at 930, myself and the 25 other women(of color.of course) grumbled in solidarity and confusion, wondering why we were still waiting and shivering.  finally an employee opened the doors and coralled us inside just to inform us that there would be no walk-in exams today.or tomorrow.or ever.  are you kidding me? i thought. nope.no joke.  turns out the good ol boys at the texas state legislature cut pp's funding by 40% last friday.  i stood in the office stunned while 3 mothers began to cry.  another women, at least 65 years old, turned to me and asked, "que dijo?" what did she say? as i tried to explain what i still didnt understand, i began to feel my anger swell.  overnight one of the safest, most reliable, most critical social services vanished.  all patients over 24 years old have to seek new clinics, all birth control now costs $25/month, all annuals $125, all pregnancy tests $30.  i stood waiting for the chance of one more pack of birth control pills, asking questions answered with shrugs and apologies, watching faces full of exasperation.  when my name was called i tried again to get more information, but the fact was clear and simple; accessible family planning and women's reproductive rights are not a priority.  i left with a pack of pills after giving all my $35, sat in my car and cried.

here's the kicker.  texas lawmakers are promoting crisis pregnancy centers instead.  that's right, slash funding for sexual health and preventive services and create crisis centers.  this whole freakin country is a crisis center.  i want to see those lawmakers walk into clinics all over this state and have the guts to tell a room full of women, "sorry, go home and buy condoms" or "sorry, god willed those children and you're on your own to figure out the rest".  i want them to watch women lose the thread of hope they were gripping.

so now what? write letters and make phone calls?  i dont think so.  the truth is i dont know what to do.  i do know nothing will be done if people dont know.  so in my emotional, reactionary state, that's what i am trying to do.

i'm fighting hard to keep my faith.

thanks for reading,
-tanya

This is not about abortion. This is about prevention.  This is about quality of life.  This is about politics trumping community needs. This is reality.  Let your lawmakers know that these are not Texas family values.  Let them know that you value family planning and the services Planned Parenthood provides.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am your constituent and I am paying attention. I believe in personal responsibility, medical privacy, and services that save money. That is why I am not happy with the cuts in funding for family planning clinics.

By voting for these cuts, you have eliminated healthcare and poverty preventions for thousands of Texas women. In my area alone 1300 women will not get cancer screenings, contraception, and STD testing because of these cuts. That means more unintended pregnancies that cost Texas taxpayers $9,000 per pregnancy. That means more children born into poverty. That is not my definition of fiscal responsibility.

Family planning clinics are the only healthcare many women get all year. They depend on their birth control method for not only pregnancy prevention, but to enable them to get and keep a job so they can take care of their families. These cuts do not reflect Texas family values.

So for the next two years, I will see my tax burden rise, more people in poverty, and more unintended pregnancies. Your vote made this possible. Now, people in my town will have to pay for it.

I am paying attention and I vote.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
January 19, 2006