BREAKING! City Blocks Foot-Care Clinic Opening

 

An Illinois city may continue to block the opening of a Foot Care clinic while officials investigate whether the foot-care-rights group lied to obtain its building permits, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

The clinic has been the target of a 40-day prayer vigil by religious nutbars who object to the idea of a buncha poor people bringing their diseased feet to their community. ‘This is a gord-fearing community,’ said one fruitcake, ‘Jeebus took very good care of his feet. Why can’t these people?’

OK, we’re just funning. Here’s what is going on according to the L.A. Times:

An Illinois city may continue to block the opening of a Planned Parenthood clinic while officials investigate whether the abortion-rights group lied to obtain its building permits, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

Planned Parenthood used the name Gemini Office Development in applying for permits to build the $7.5-million clinic in Aurora. As recently as March, the organization used the Gemini name on a permit application and added: “Tenant is not determined . . . unknown at this time.”

At least four other permits dating to March 2006 refer to the tenant or property owner as Gemini, according to city spokeswoman Carie Anne Ergo.

Aurora officials have asked the county prosecutor to review those permits for possible criminal violations, such as fraud.

(A semi-amusing aside: Aurora is the Roman version of the Greek dawn goddess Eos, one of the lustier goddesses with a penchant for young mortal men. She bore 11 children by five different men.)

So, why on earth would Planned Parenthood be a little parsimonious with the details of its intentions?

As columnist Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune says:

Well of course Planned Parenthood representatives didn’t tell the truth to Aurora city officials while they were building a new clinic in the western suburb. . . . they had to use a certain amount of stealth because abortion is one of the services Planned Parenthood offers. And foes of abortion rights, longtime losers in the battle for public opinion, traditionally raise all kinds of ruckus when Planned Parenthood comes into a community.

The foes not only picket construction sites, but they also send picketers out to harass subcontractors at their homes and businesses, try to spread alarm and disgust in the immediate neighborhoods and attempt to browbeat civic officials into implementing just the sort of craven, politically motivated delays we’re seeing in Aurora.

Then when Planned Parenthood is revealed to have tried to prevent such pressure tactics by using a little creative subterfuge, the opponents of abortion-rights carry on indignantly, as though the deceptions were an effort to skirt the law.

In fact, the deceptions are an effort by Planned Parenthood to be sure the law is followed — to be sure their plans and proposals are considered as though they came from an organization engaged in lawful activity. Which, in fact, they do.

Let’s repeat that: ‘as though they came from an organization engaged in a lawful activity.’

There’s a blog entry at FireDogLake that includes more details about PP’s work as healthcare provider in general to poor, uninsured people and a link to Planned Parenthood Aurora. PP was liveblogging the hearing yesterday. According to the liveblogger, the city attorney likened PP to O.J. Simpson. :eye-rolley-smiley-ad-infinitum:

The PP attorney said: ‘We wouldn’t be here if this was about a foot-care clinic.’

h/t to skdadl for the FDL link.