The butchers at Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania have come up with another cynical fundraising tactic:
Here's how it works: You decide on the amount you would like to pledge for each protester (minimum 10 cents). When protesters show up on our sidewalks, Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania will count and record their number each day from October 1 through November 30, 2005. We will place a sign outside the health center that tracks pledges and makes protesters fully aware that their actions are benefiting PPSP. At the end of the two-month campaign, we will send you an update on protest activities and a pledge reminder.
Bloggers at Daily Kos and Freakonomics pretend this is really clever, but it’s nothing new. In the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, the Arab media claimed a ridiculous number of Israeli planes downed. The United States responded that for every plane claimed shot down, we would give the Israelis a “replacement.” End of press problem.
The people trying to save lives outside these “health centers,” however, will not respond to such disincentives. They aren’t worried about any bank account in this life.
