Thursday, March 3, 2011

Walker Defunds Planned Parenthood, Wasting Another $140 Million, causing a possible 11,000 unintended Pregnancies.

What you've probably noticed already is how short sighted Gov. Scott Walker's agenda is, especially when you consider the added expense of ending recycling funds, and now defending Planned Parenthood. Both cuts are purely ideological and costly, but they play to the base, and have been on the Republican wish list for ages. And as those costs increase over time, Republicans will again have another excuse to make cuts to those cuts. Check out the draconian way Walker treats low income women.
PPAW: With his anti-birth control beliefs in full display, Governor Walker’s budget completely eliminates Title V, the only state funded family planning health care program, which provides critical health care services to uninsured women and men including cervical cancer screens, prostate cancer screenings, breast and well women exams, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and access to birth control. 
The Governor also continues his assault on basic rights and allows discrimination against women by repealing the Wisconsin’s Contraceptive Equity law. Governor Walker’s budget allows insurance companies to discriminate against women by denying coverage for prescription birth control even when other prescriptions, like Viagra, are covered.
“In 2008 alone, WI Department of Health Services said family planning programs saved $140 million and prevented 11,000 unintended pregnancies. Governor Walker is more concerned with furthering his anti-birth control agenda than the health of Wisconsinites and our economy” said Tanya Atkinson, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. "Governor Walker walks all over the rights of women in this budget, which not only is morally reprehensible, but fiscally irresponsible.” 
Eliminating the state’s only family planning program puts over 50 health centers located throughout Wisconsin at risk of closing and denies women in both rural and urban areas basic health care.  

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