Board of Supervisors: Ideology Before The People

One can imagine my surprise when I get an e-mail on Friday informing me that uber right wing nutcase Supervisor John Moorlach has decided to put ideology in front of public health and safety and go after Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties regarding funding from the Tobacco Settlement that goes to Health Education programs. Before I go further, I will give full disclosure. From April, 2005 until March, 2008, I was employed by PPOSBC as their Political Coordinator. I rarely blogged on this when I was a part of Orange Juice, but now I am free to blog on this issue.

I can attest that the Health Education Department is filled with some of the best and most dedicated people I have seen. They work day and night to help educate young people on how to keep themselves safe from STI’s, and Unplanned Pregnancies, which includes ABSTINENCE along with information on how to properly use contraceptives.

Of course, based on the comment by Moorlach’s personal shill, they have a problem with teenagers even being told about Birth Control. I guess Moorlach takes the head in the sand approach that if you don’t tell teens about condoms, they will not do it. I think right wing goddess Sarah Palin’s own daughter would beg to differ, and in fact did differ with Moorlach’s erroneous worldview on Fox News(Good for you Bristol!).

I have witnessed the effects of ignorance when it comes to sex education in the community. I grew up in an area and went to a high school that was disproportionately effected by the problem of teen pregnancy and STI’s. Many of them were Catholic, but obviously were disregarding the doctrine of “don’t do it.” Instead, the ignorance caused many teens to engage in risky behavior. I have also seen the difference when those who are informed to make the right decisions when it comes to sex, actually do.

Polling has shown that an overwhelming 78% of parents support comprehensive and medically accurate sex education, yet Moorlach has decided to listen to ONE “constituent” who has way too much time on their hands simply because this is one fellow nutcase who shares the same pathetic worldview. No matter what the other four Supervisors feel on the issue of Choice, this is not the issue at hand and I do hope they see through Moorlach’s grandstanding and vote to continue the contract.

I have talked to some Republican insiders who admit they know the difference between the abortion issue and sex education, but don’t want to “rock the boat” with the Central Committee. I must ask, who do you represent, the people who elected you who have stated they are for the services Planned Parenthood’s health educators provide or a bunch of crusty conservatives whose highlight of their life is to attend a meeting on the third Monday of the month and discuss for three hours how Liberals, Mexican immigrants, and Gays are destroying the US and Christianity.

As a Santa Ana resident and voter, I would like to issue a direct appeal to my Supervisor, Janet Nguyen, I ask that you really think about what is being proposed here. If there was a time to think of your constituents first rather than the ideology, now is that time. In the largest city in your district, nearly 10% of every 1,000 births is to a women younger than 19. One in ten births are to a teenager. Every study has shown that comprehensive and medically accurate sex education lowers teen pregnancy. Janet Nguyen, please think about this. This is a moment where you can be remembered as a maverick for putting constituency before party hacks, like Lynn Daucher had often done, or listening to whatever party orthodoxy tells you to.