Builders in Austin, TX Boycott to Stop New Abortion Business
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 24, 2003
Austin, TX (LifeNews.com) — In a boycott that may be the first of its kind, a group of builders and contractors in Austin, Texas have banded together to stop construction on a new abortion business.
Workers were slated to begin construction on Tuesday of a new $6.2 million Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
"We’re going to do everything we can to stop it, slow it down and make it more expensive," said Chris Danze, owner of Maldonado and Danze, Inc. an Austin concrete contractor.
Danze is chairman of the Austin Area Pro-Life Concrete Contractors and Suppliers Association. He said every concrete supplier within 60 miles of Austin has indicated it will not supply materials or labor to the project.
Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion business, though it doesn’t have a facility that does them in Austin. The new building was scheduled to open in the fall of 2004.
The boycott is a surprise in a liberal city that bucks the pro-life trend of the rest of the state. However, a Planned Parenthood representative claims the project still has the support of most city residents.
"Our plans are underway and we have a great deal of support from our community," said Danielle Tierney. "Tactics like this sometimes come with the territory," of providing abortions, she told the Associated Press.
Another Planned Parenthood spokesman says the boycott won’t interfere with the timetable for construction.
"It will not delay the start of this project," Glenda Parks said.
Danze indicated his group contacted more than 750 Austin and San Antonio-area contractors asking if they would participate. So far 80 have joined the boycott officially. Danze says others aren’t joining officially but they won’t be supplying materials or labor for the construction project.
"You don’t walk on to a job that the purpose of the project is going to be something that is going to dehumanize women and children, and in fact, destroy lives," Danze said.
"There will be resistance. Our hope is that we can stop the project, if not slow it down, and make it more expensive," Danze added.
Elizabeth Graham, associate director of Texas Right to Life, said her group applauds the actions of the contractors.
"We encourage all Texans to boycott businesses who support and encourage the anti-woman agenda of Planned Parenthood," Graham told LifeNews.com.
However, Graham says Planned Parenthood is still pursuing a lawsuit to obtain state tax dollars and skirt a new pro-life law prohibiting abortion businesses from obtaining state family planning funds.
"Planned Parenthood is currently attempting to use the court system to obtain millions of dollars from Texans redirected by the Texas legislature despite the fact that it received $5million in private funds," Graham explained.
Graham said a large donor bequeathed $17 million for their Houston operation.
Related web sites:
Texas Right to Life – https://www.texasrighttolife.com
