Abstinence group to get reminder on lobbying rules

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BY BOB KASARDA
bkasarda@nwitimes.com
219.548.4345 | Monday, January 12, 2009 | (11 comment(s))

The day before the Nov. 4 general election, the director and co-founder of a local sexual abstinence education group sent out an e-mail saying Republican presidential hopeful John McCain was more supportive of the group's interests than Democrat Barack Obama.

"The record is pretty clear," the e-mail reads. "Forward this on for educational purposes!"

When questioned about the appropriateness of the e-mail, a spokesman for the federal agency that funds A Positive Approach to Teen Health said his agency planned to send out "a reminder to all grantees on rules concerning lobbying activities."

Kenneth Wolfe, deputy director of public affairs for the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said his agency is charged with training the grant recipients on acceptable guidelines concerning lobbying activities.

Federal funds cannot be used for lobbying, he said.

After reviewing the PATH e-mail for nearly two months, Wolfe would not say whether the local group violated the guidelines.

The local group's director, Wilma Willard, said on Nov. 3 that the e-mail was intended for educational purposes, which is allowed by the grant.

"So this is within our scope," she wrote.

Willard did not reply to a recent request for an updated response.

The group is getting $600,000 a year from the federal agency for a five-year period that began Oct. 1, 2007, Wolfe said.

The e-mail sent out by Willard appears to have originated from ivotemyvalues.com, which describes its Web site as "a nonpartisan site dedicated to encouraging greater respect for traditional family values among the political and public officials in the United States government."

The e-mail compared McCain and Obama on four topics, including the goal of federal abstinence education to delay sexual activity until marriage rather than merely delaying it until a later age. The e-mail gave the nod to McCain.

The e-mail said McCain supported parental notification for minors seeking abortions and Obama does not. McCain also was given a nod for supposedly opposing a proposal to nullify all state restrictions on abortion, while the e-mail said the proposal is supported by Obama.

The final comparison said Obama has voted 100 percent in favor of the positions of Planned Parenthood on such issues as parental notification, comprehensive sex education and Supreme Court nominations. McCain reportedly voted just the opposite to earn a 0 percent rating.

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concerned taxpayer wrote on Jan 12, 2009 10:04 PM:

" The issue here has nothing to do with whether abstinence programs or
Planned Parenthood is the best way to deal with teen behavior....this is about a non-profit trying to influence their supporters votes by sending out messages for/against certain candidates....that's the issue and that's the problem here "

David P wrote on Jan 12, 2009 8:00 PM:

" Lay off mrs willard she is doing wonderfgul work. no one complains about the federal funding planned parenthood
recives or the fact they supported nobama 100%....... "

realteen wrote on Jan 12, 2009 7:37 PM:

" abstinence only education doesn't work. proven. kbye. "

AGirl wrote on Jan 12, 2009 4:23 PM:

" Why is it that men respond the most to matters such as this? Those who will never find themself impregnated have the most to say. As a young women I visited Planned Parenthood for my gyn exams and there was no butchering taking place. They did discuss options and abstinece was discusses 1st and the most. So someone here has been misinformed. Abstinence has always been the 1st & foremost subject in my exams but until you have a gyne exam you won't know will you Jack, Josh & Jark. My parents taught me abstinence at home, so I didn't have to hear again and they didn't others for what I didn't know do. "

Anonymous wrote on Jan 12, 2009 2:57 PM:

" I was one of many that wasn't abstinent when I was young and lived to regret that. At 32 years old I decided to be abstinent until marriage and was until age 36 AFTER I was married. It can be done if you use your brain and not let your hormones rule you. Lay off on Wilma Willard, she sent out 1 email, Planned Parenthood openly endorsed Obama everywhere they gave a speech and they get millions in federal funding. By the way, they do 1 million abortions a year - hope you all are happy with that. Why not get on their case?? "

to To Jack wrote on Jan 12, 2009 2:18 PM:

" -"Oh, and Jark--abstinence is the only thing that works regardless. The second you stop practicing it, it fails to be abstinence. Logically, practicing abstinence can never fail you. Think about it."-

Anyone with any common sense knows this. But those of us who favor comprehensive sexual education realize that young people need to be educated about the right thing to do when they decide to engage in sexual activity. We don't just ignore it and pretend like it doesn't happen. The results of a study were released recently that concluded that students who received abstinence-only education were just as likely as their peers to engage in sexual activity - they just waited longer. They were also less likely to use protection! Hmm, how about that? "

To Jack wrote on Jan 12, 2009 1:37 PM:

" Yeah, I'll go with you on that--anything to stop funding Planned Parenthood, the so-called "non-profit" that makes hundreds of millions slaughtering babies.

Oh, and Jark--abstinence is the only thing that works regardless. The second you stop practicing it, it fails to be abstinence. Logically, practicing abstinence can never fail you. Think about it. "

concerned taxpayer wrote on Jan 12, 2009 10:01 AM:

" Federal tax rules make it abundantly clear that non-profits may not engage in any kind of political lobbying or endorsements...this action goes way beyond what is appropriate for the Director of a non-profit, any non-profit, but especially for one which receives Federal funds!! Big no-no!!!!!!!! "

Jack wrote on Jan 12, 2009 7:20 AM:

" We need to totally eliminate ALL federal funding of these special interest groups which would also include groups such as Planned Parenthood. Government is designed to provide what the general populace cannot. If special interests cannot raise funds on their own, then by definition there is no interest and the groups will no longer exist. For way too long politicians have been allowed to pander to these groups. For even longer, the general populace has grown on its reliance of government funding. The flip side is the destruction of freedom,liberty and self reliance...just the way politician want it. "

Josh Indiana wrote on Jan 12, 2009 5:28 AM:

" $600,000 in taxpayer money to engage in partisan political activity on behalf of John McCain, by an abstinence-only program that simply doesn't work. "

jark wrote on Jan 12, 2009 3:49 AM:

" Let me get this straight: $600,000 a year to do what? send emails? I want to know if Wilma Willard receives a salary -- and how much does she get? Abstinence only works until the girl meets a boy -- and follows God's plan. "

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