Pledge-a-Picket, win-win for Planned Parenthood--"POST SCRIPT

Poster: Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania

P.S. The U.S. Senate passed a health care bill without the Stupak amendment and without the public option today. This Christmas Eve marks an historic occasion. After decades even lifetimes, such as Ted Kennedy's of trying to pass such reforms, the second giant hurdle is done.

Differences between the Senate bill and House bill with a public option and the Stupak amendment must be resolved when Congress resumes its sessions.

The original article appears below.

“They [protesters] harass and try to intimidate people walking into our clinic or even into our administrative offices regardless of the services being sought,” explains Dayle Steinberg, president of Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania. Protest signs frequently harangue more than abortion. Contraception is another target. Visitors come nonetheless for a range of women’s health services, education services, and to participate in advocacy programs.

“One reason we got the idea to do the campaign [Pledge-a-Picket] is because people are just so outraged by protesters trying to block assess to critical health care services.” Passersby often drop in to make donations when they see the protesters outside our doors.

Pledge-a-Picket started out as a campaign to build awareness but turned into a nifty fundraiser. The campaign went viral about six years ago just as blogging gained popularity around the world. Locally $40,000 was generated in its premiere year with donations coming from as far away as the Czech Republic, Steinberg declares.

Although Steinberg cannot take credit for the idea, she thinks it is extremely clever to have protesters helping to raise money for Planned Parenthood. It is a “catch-22”: a moneymaker when protesters show up and if they stop protesting, the campaign still wins by clearing the path for Planned Parenthood patients and visitors.

Pledge-a-Picket runs annually from Oct. 1 – Nov. 30. With about 11 days to go, this year’s campaign has raised more than $14,000. Some 400 individuals pledged a specific amount for each protester that arrives at the select Planned Parenthood locations. Choice is the name of the game here. Pledge amounts range from a minimum of 10 cents to any level desired. Donors can limit the pledge period and/or cap the total amount. Count on Planned Parenthood tallying both the number of protesters and cumulative pledges at each selected site. The total pledge amount is posted for everyone, even protesters, to see throughout the campaign.

Protesters arrive at the 12^th and Locust facility, for example, often four mornings a week, says Steinberg. The Southeastern division has 15 facilities in four counties regionally, only a few offer abortion services but protesters show up at non-abortion clinics as well. Standing by are volunteer escorts who create safe passage for visitors into the buildings. Steinberg hopes the public will continue to express their desire for women’s rights by volunteering and pledging.

Making Women's Health Care a Priority High Res from Planned Parenthood Online on Vimeo.

Planned Parenthood could use the public's help with more than pickets. Restrictive language by Rep. Stupak and other colleagues inserted in the recently passed U.S. House health care reform bill (HR 3962) could achieve what picketers have not. Today’s private health insurance generally covers abortion services. Present laws, however, prohibit paying for abortion services with federal funds except in cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the woman. This stipulation largely affects the low-income population with government funded health care plans. Under health care reform, it will extend to proposed federal subsidies for individuals and families earning up to 400% above the poverty level, to insurers as they are encouraged into new qualified benefit plans, and to employers adopting the insurance exchange program.

Steinberg believes, “Under the Stupak-Pitts amendment millions of woman will lose the benefits they currently have.” The advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood is in high gear fighting such abortion prohibitions.

It must be said that according to the Congressional summary of sec. 222, the House bill does allow add-on coverages with separate premium levels. It also allows the use of private funds to pay for abortion coverage, but individuals, employers, and insurance companies must segregate funds associated with abortion from federal dollars. These requirements add greater complexity to the already complex insurance business and may place abortion services beyond the financial reach of a wider stretch of Americans.

“The Stupak-Pitts amendment is bad for women and it’s not what American people want. "I need to make clear that we at Planned Parenthood want health care reform passed today but," Steinberg insists, "we also want to stop the Stupak-Pitts amendment.”

The controversy will percolate no doubt as the U.S. Senate debates changes to the House's Affordable Health Care for America Act.

For more info: contact PledgeaPicket@ppsp.org or visit www.ppsp.org and click on “Get Involved Locally.”