Happy Groundhog Day.
Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, which according to Groundhog Day lore means there will be an early spring.
According to the StormFax Weather Almanac, Phil’s predictions have been accurate 39% of the time,
Posted: February 2nd, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Groundhog Day | Comments Off on Punxsutawney Phil Doesn’t See His ShadowMedia Matters calls video a HOAX. Says Planned Parenthood already alerted federal authorities of a suspected sex trafficing ring.
The “otherside” of the story, per Media Matters:
Today, anti-abortion rights propagandist Lila Rose released her latest in a series of heavily edited videos seeking to demonstrate that Planned Parenthood engages in criminal activities. Rose’s organization, Live Action, claims their video exposes what they call “Planned Parenthood’s cover-up of child sex trafficking.”
Except that isn’t what the video shows at all.
Rather, the Live Action video shows edited comments made by a single Planned Parenthood employee. Live Action has so far refused to publicly release the full video of the incident, instead posting what the organization itself admits is an “abridged 11-minute video.” (Live Action claims they are “sending full footage” to law enforcement officials.)
Is Live Action accurately portraying the Planned Parenthood employee’s statements and actions? It’s impossible to say for sure without the full video, but there is good reason for media to be skeptical. Lila Rose, after all, began infiltrating abortion clinics in collaboration with James O’Keefe — a convicted criminal who repeatedly lied about his heavily edited ACORN videos. Rose herself has a history of smearing the subjects of her videos.
But even if Live Action’s video doesn’t take the employee out of context, the incident obviously doesn’t show Planned Parenthood covering up child sex trafficking. That’s because Planned Parenthood has already reported the “potential sex trafficking” to law enforcement officials.
On January 24, Planned Parenthood released the following statement, titled “Planned Parenthood Informs Federal Authorities of Potential Sex Trafficking” [emphasis in original]:
Last week, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) alerted federal authorities to a potential multistate sex trafficking ring. Over a five day period, visitors to Planned Parenthood health centers in six states said they were seeking information from Planned Parenthood about health services Planned Parenthood could provide to underage girls who were part of a sex trafficking ring. Subsequent to alerting U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Planned Parenthood learned the identify of one of those involved and believes these visits are likely a hoax by opponents of legal abortion seeking to discredit Planned Parenthood, which delivers preventive health care and abortion services to three million women each year.
Men, sometimes accompanied by a woman, have visited at least 11 Planned Parenthood health centers in six states within a one-week time frame. During their visits, they claimed to be involved in sex trafficking of teens, some of whom are in the United States illegally. These men appeared at health centers without appointments and said that they were seeking health services for themselves, but they quickly turned the conversation to the sex ring they said they were managing.
“When Planned Parenthood learns of an operation that exploits young women, we vigilantly work with law enforcement authorities to uncover and stop this abhorrent activity,” said Stuart Schear, PPFA vice president for communications. “Planned Parenthood’s top priority is the health and safety of our patients and the health and well-being of women and teens across the country, and we have been in contact with federal and local authorities to identify the persons involved in these visits.”
One of the men involved in these visits has now been identified, and he appears to be associated with or influenced by Live Action, an anti-Planned Parenthood organization that uses surreptitious videotaping and manipulative editing for media and political campaigns. The pattern of these visits and the highly unusual nature of the information being shared with staff lends credibility to the possibility that these multistate visits are part of this organization’s ongoing effort to “bring down” Planned Parenthood, a nearly 100-year-old organization with more than 800 health centers from coast to coast. Live Action is associated with James O’Keefe, the conservative activist who was arrested for attempting to wiretap the offices of Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.
In recent years Planned Parenthood has been the target of activists attempting to portray the organization negatively by secretly videotaping inside health centers and publicizing heavily edited versions of those tapes to the media. Recent incidents are the first time that such visitors have told Planned Parenthood staff that they are involved in sex trafficking of minor girls.
“If a multistate sex trafficking operation is in place, those responsible must be pursued to stop the exploitation of girls and young women,” said Schear. “If these visits are part of a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign, they must be condemned. Falsely claiming sex trafficking to health professionals to advance a political agenda is an astoundingly cynical form of political activity.”
All Planned Parenthood staff have been alerted to the suspicious visits, and Planned Parenthood is working with FBI investigators and local authorities.
Last week, the AP reported that “Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder summarizing the visits and requesting an FBI investigation. If the man’s assertions were true, she wrote, they would indicate possible violations of federal laws dealing with interstate sex trafficking of minors. … Schear said there had been some preliminary contacts with the FBI, which was asking for information from the clinics that were visited.”
Planned Parenthood reported the potential sex trafficking to the Attorney General and the FBI. So clearly, Planned Parenthood wasn’t trying to cover anything up.
Shocking video shows office manager coaching a man posing as a pimp on how to “beat the system” of protection for underage sex trafficking victims.
The undercover video was produced by LiveAction.Org, a youth led pro-life movement based in San Jose, California.
From LiveAction’s blog:
NEW JERSEY – February 1, 2011– A Planned Parenthood manager in New Jersey coaches a man and a woman posing as sex traffickers how to secure secret abortions, STD testing, and contraception for their female underage sex slaves, and make their whole operation “look as legit as possible” in an undercover video released this morning.
Clinic manager Amy Woodruff, LPN, of Planned Parenthood Central New Jersey’s Perth Amboy center, warns the pimp and his prostitute to have their trafficked underage girls lie about their age to avoid mandatory reporting laws, promising, “even if they lie, just say, ‘Oh he’s the same age as me, 15,’…it’s just that mainly 14 and under we have to, doesn’t matter if their partner’s the same age, younger, whatever, 14 and under we have to report.” She says, “For the most part, we want as little information as possible.”
Woodruff also recommends how the pimp can get his prostitutes cheaper contraception by claiming they are “students”: “If they’re minors, put down that they’re studentsMemphis. Yeah, just kind of play along that they’re students–we want to make it look as legit as possible.”
If one of the young trafficked girls needs an abortion, Woodruff refers the pimp and prostitute to the Metropolitan Medical Association, where “their protocols aren’t as strict as ours and they don’t get audited the same way that we do.” The prostitute in the video asks how long after the abortion until the girls can have sex again, and when Woodruff says “minimum of 2 weeks,” she asks what sex acts the girls could still do to make money. Woodruff advises, “Waist up, or just be that extra action walking by” to advertise sex to potential clients.
Sex trafficking is punishable under federal law and carries a potential life sentence. The new video is released by Live Action, a pro-life new media organization led by 22-year-old Lila Rose. The video airs just days after Planned Parenthood’s leadership suspected the sting operation and sought an FBI probe of Live Action in order to deter the release of the exposé. Live Action is sending full footage to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, NJ Attorney General Paula Dow, officials at the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and other law enforcement officials, requesting federal and state investigations into Planned Parenthood’s sexual abuse and sex trafficking cover up.Memphis
The abridged 11-minute video is available at: LiveAction.org
“This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Planned Parenthood intentionally breaks state and federal laws and covers up the abuse of the young girls it claims to serve,” said Lila Rose, President of Live Action. “Time and time again, Planned Parenthood has sent young girls back into the arms of their abusers. They don’t deserve a dime of the hundreds of millions they receive in federal funding from taxpayers. Congress must cease funding and the Department of Justice should investigate this corrupt organization immediately.”
Live Action has previously released more than a dozen hidden camera videos from ten states and shows the alarming trend of illegal Planned Parenthood activity including cover-up of sexual abuse of minors, the skirting of parental consent laws, citing unscientific and fabricated medical information to convince women to have abortions, and Planned Parenthood’s willingness to accept donations earmarked to abort African-American babies.
Marie Tasy, Executive Director of New Jersey Right to Life, issue the following statement in response to the video:
“Over the last year, several NJ lawmakers endorsed by Planned Parenthood have continued to defy the Governor and push legislation to use taxpayer money to fund these clinics, “ said Marie Tasy, Executive Director for New Jersey Right to Life. “ Using buzz words and phrases like ‘gender equity’ and ‘poor women’s access to health care,’ these lawmakers have invoked ‘mothers, daughters, wives, sisters and friends who may one day find themselves without health care’ to try to obtain support for their misguided attempts to fund Planned Parenthood. After viewing this video, we ask, who in their right mind would trust their mother, wife, sister, friend and especially their minor daughter to Planned Parenthood?”
“New Jersey taxpayers and every state and federal elected official and law enforcement agency throughout this country should be outraged that an organization claiming to conduct ‘extensive community outreach’ has been caught on tape doing everything in its power to conceal the sexual abuse and exploitation of girls as young as 14. When Planned Parenthood says they provide ‘family planning’ services and brags that ‘we welcome everyone – regardless of race, age, income, sexual orientation, or disability,’ what they really mean is that they’re willing to make money on anyone, even child sex slaves,” said Tasy.
“We urge Congress to Defund Planned Parenthood and call on the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. District Attorney and the NJ Attorney General to immediately launch a complete investigation into Planned Parenthood clinics and Metropolitan Medical Association in Englewood, NJ’s operations for aiding and abetting in the sexual abuse and trafficking of minors. We thank Governor Christie for vetoing legislation in July which would have restored $7.6 million in funds to Planned Parenthood and urge him to veto A3273/S2393 so that the state of NJ and its taxpayers will not be complicit in the exploitation of poor women and minors under the pretense of ‘women’s health.’ We also call on Assembly Speaker Oliver and Senate President Sweeney to fulfill their obligation to protect minor girls in NJ by scheduling hearings on ACR71/SCR99, the Parental Notification Constitutional Amendment without delay,” said Tasy.
Amy Woodruff, the Planned Parenthood manager in the video was not available for comment when MMM called. The women who answered the phone at the Perth Amboy office said someone would call back. MMM will update this story when and if they do.
Posted: February 1st, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Planned Parenthood | Tags: LiveAction.org, NJ Right to Life, Planned Parenthood, Sex trafficking | 1 Comment »Legislation marks key step in Christie Administration’s comprehensive plan to renew regional economy
Trenton, NJ – Today, Governor Chris Christie signed into law sweeping legislation to enact his reform plans to revitalize the ailing gaming and tourism industries in Atlantic City, and set the region on a new course for economic growth, job creation and prosperity. Recognizing the significance and importance of Atlantic City’s regional economy to the state as a whole, Governor Christie put forward a comprehensive, bold reform plan in July aimed at turning around the deep and unprecedented challenges facing Atlantic City’s gaming and tourism industries.
The bills signed by Governor Christie today, S-11 and S-12, represent critical steps in following through on his commitment to the tens of thousands of New Jersey families whose livelihoods depend on the regional economy, and will set the stage for Atlantic City to once again be a world-class destination resort and an engine of job creation and economic growth. S-11 authorizes the creation of a tourism district within Atlantic City, with the charge of improving public safety, public health, marketing and infrastructure projects and improvements; S-12 provides for the reform and modernization of New Jersey’s casino regulatory structure.
“The challenges faced today by the Atlantic City tourism and gaming industries have been a long time in the making, and significant steps are needed to stop the decline and set a new course of economic growth, job creation and return Atlantic City to the ranks of the best destinations in the world. But, it can and must be done for the economic health of New Jersey as a whole,” said Governor Christie. “Since we announced our plan for reform just over six months ago, we have already taken steps to secure that future – to stabilize the City’s finances and create jobs through new business investment. Today, we are going much further to signal to businesses, to the public and to the people who call Atlantic City home that a new, brighter and more prosperous future is coming again.”
The signing took place at the site of the Revel casino resort, a 53-story, 6.3 million square foot, 3,800 room hotel and casino that, upon completion, will be the biggest such property in Atlantic City. Governor Christie also announced the approval of $260 million in tax-increment financing by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority that will support much needed infrastructure improvements in the South Inlet neighborhood adjacent to the Revel development and pave the way for completion of the $2.5 billion project and thousands of new jobs. The project estimates the creation of 5,500 permanent jobs, 2,600 construction jobs, 1,100 manufacturing jobs, 400 vendor/supplies jobs and 250 professional/consulting jobs. Along with job creation associated with ancillary utility and infrastructure improvement projects, total job creation for the Revel project is estimated at more than 10,000 jobs.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority also today approved a new policy requiring as a condition of any tax increment financing package of $50 million or more, including the Revel financing approved today, that the state receive success reimbursement payments from the project commensurate with the extent of state financial participation.
S-11 implements several critical elements of Governor Christie’s revitalization plan for Atlantic City. The bill authorizes the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to establish a tourism district within Atlantic City. Within the territorial limits of the tourism district, CRDA will be authorized to establish land use regulations, implement a tourism district master plan, promote public health and safety initiatives, advance commercial development, undertake redevelopment projects and institute infrastructure improvements. The bill also provides for the merger of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority into CRDA. CRDA will also enter into a public-private partnership with a not-for-profit consisting of a majority of New Jersey casino licensees, through which they will commit funds totaling $30 million annually for the development and implementation of a marketing program aimed at promoting Atlantic City. In October, the Casino Association of New Jersey announced the formation of such a non-profit and the commitment of the casino industry to contribute at least $30 million annually to promote Atlantic City and support the tourism district.
S-11 directs the Attorney General and Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Mayor of Atlantic City and municipal law enforcement officials, to develop a public safety plan for Atlantic City to be implemented by a District Commander appointed by the Superintendent. The plan will include the development of law enforcement best practices, the procurement and deployment of new technology and equipment, and the development and implementation of a coordinated law enforcement strategy to address public safety concerns both inside and outside of the tourism district.
S-12 reforms the state’s regulatory structure for casinos by modernizing, streamlining, and eliminating duplication in the regulatory statutes, many of which were authored more than 30 years ago. Under the bill, the Casino Control Commission (CCC) is assigned the lead role in initial casino licensing matters as well as in adjudicating regulatory disputes. The Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) is charged with focusing on the day-to-day regulation of all casino operations. These changes move away from the duplicative and overlapping investigative, oversight, and regulatory functions previously held by the two-bodies and creates a more well-defined system of regulatory authority by the entities.
In addition, S-12 accounts for the significant technological advancements that have taken place since the inception of the regulatory statue by eliminating the current requirement that the Casino Control Commission be continuously present, through inspectors and agents, at all times during the operation of a casino. The bill provides for registration as opposed to licensure of certain casino-related employees and removes certain periodic license renewal requirements. The bill would, however, add a requirement for designated information to be provided periodically by licensees to the CCC and DGE in order to verify ongoing compliance with all legal requirements.
Finally, the bill makes various other changes to state law to remove impediments to efficient and productive casino operations and provide additional flexibility in their operation.
On July 21st, Governor Christie welcomed and endorsed the recommendations of the New Jersey Gaming, Sports and Entertainment Advisory Commission chaired by Jon F. Hanson. The actions taken today fulfill many of the goals outlined in that report, and move forward Governor Christie’s commitment to ensuring the growth and success of Atlantic City’s economy, and the state’s gaming and tourism industries.
Posted: February 1st, 2011 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Atlantic City, Chris Christie, Hanson Report, Press Release | Tags: Atlantic City, Chris Christie, Hanson Report | 1 Comment »
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