Planned Parenthood Abortion Businesses Merge in Washington, Idaho, Alaska
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
January 8, 2009
Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com) — Three large Planned Parenthood abortion businesses are merging together to create a large northwestern United States conglomerate. One leading pro-life advocate who is a Planned Parenthood watchdog tells LifeNews.com that the merger is an effort to cut costs in a tough economic climate.
As of January 1, Planned Parenthood of Alaska, Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, and Planned Parenthood of Idaho will now operate as one new organziation.
The new Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest will continue to be affiliated with the national Planned Parenthood umbrella that does about 25 percent of all abortions in the United States.
With their combined budget, the new PPGN abortion business brings in nearly $34 million in annual income.
Jim Sedlak, of STOPP International, tells LifeNews.com that this is a case of the Washington-based Planned Parenthood expanding its reach and of a directive from the national office to consolidate the number of affiliates it has to cut costs.
"The Planned Parenthood Federation wants to do away with all of its smaller affiliates. That desire is what led Planned Parenthood of Amarillo to [recently] withdraw from the federation and that desire is clearly at work here," he said.
According to Sedlak, the PPGN conglomerate will operate a total of 27 clinics in the three states and will have 28 when a new office in Juneau, Alaska opens. That includes 20 facilities that do medical or surgical abortions.
The announcement of the merge indicates that none of the existing facilities within the three affiliates will close and no employees will be laid off, but Sedlak expect both to happen eventually.
"When a merger happens, duplicate positions (presidents, executive directors, medical directors, etc.) normally get eliminated and Planned Parenthood saves money – and makes more profits," he says.
Sedlak says the merger makes it so Planned Parenthood has the lowest number of affiliates at any point in five decades.
"Planned Parenthood continues to cut costs and streamline its operations. With the merger of these affiliates, the number of Planned Parenthood affiliates falls to 99 – the lowest number since 1960," he said.
Sedlak also pointed out that PPWW said the new PPGN conglomerate will multiply the pro-abortion group’s efforts in all three states — making it likely that Planned Parenthood will have a more aggressive position in the state legislatures in Alaska and Idaho.
"In other words, the new affiliate can be expected to try to obtain more and more government money and get favorable laws and regulations passed in all three states," Sedlak says.
Planned Parenthood of Western Washington is the abortion business that came under criticism for doing more abortions even though it got state funding to promote the morning after pill.
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