by Becky Grimm, Hamilton
What’s going on in our beautiful state of Montana? I’m referring to CI-128, the abortion ballot measure. Why is it so important to put this on the ballot? What’s to be accomplished by this initiative if abortion is already legal here? Is it to eliminate parental notification for minors seeking abortion? To be able to perform abortions up until birth? To keep abortionists employed? Or to increase taxpayer funded abortion? Unfortunately, it’s all of these. However, the main goal is to permanently establish in our constitution the right “to carry out decisions about one’s own pregnancy, including the right to abortion. This right shall not be denied or burdened unless justified by a compelling government interest achieved by the least restrictive means.” Huh? I decided to do some digging to see how this misguided initiative is being funded, and what I found is both interesting and troubling. I gathered my data from OpenSecrets.org, MontanaRightNow.com, ballotpedia.org, montanafreepress.org, FollowTheMoney.org, and Montanacc.org. Here’s what I discovered: as of October 6, 2024, over $16,000,000 has been raised in support of CI-128. Of that $16M, Montana Securing Reproductive Rights (MSRR), the Planned Parenthood backed organization behind this initiative, has raised $11,830.17 in donations. That’s it. All the rest of the money has come from out of state; from people and organizations who have no business being involved in Montana politics. For example, from California: Advocacy Action Fund, Delany Family Trust, and Elizabeth Simmons donated a combined total of $4.2M. From Washington, DC: Sixteen-Thirty Fund, The Fairness Project, and Think Big America donated a total of $3.76M. From NY: Michael Bloomberg, the ACLU Foundation, Inc, and Robert Stavis donated a combined total of $2.35M, and from Virginia: The Global Impact Social Welfare Fund donated $2.6M. This is not as much a Montana initiative as a way for out of state liberal organizations to gain even more control over women, one state at a time. Vote NO on CI-128. We do not need to taint our valued constitution with this unnecessary and intrusive initiative bankrolled by out of state dollars. Our future Montanans, the unborn, deserve much better.
WMA says
Bill,
Please consider the following facts from Brown University Medical Center as reported by NPR:
The total for the country is stark: Many of the nearly 1 million COVID deaths took place in 2020 before the vaccines were available. But of the more than 641,000 people who died after vaccines were available, half of those deaths could have been averted – 318,981 – had every eligible adult gotten vaccinated. And those numbers are even more striking in certain states where more than half of deaths could have been avoided.
That, old pal, is science.
Gomez says
Thank you WMA. I tried to post a reply to Bill three or four times this afternoon, but for some reason the site was not taking my comments. Thank you, I appreciate it.
PS. Does anyone else ever find that happens here, you try to leave a post, and it just doesn’t post at all? It’s like the site is super glitchy or something.
Clair B says
NPR – hahahhahahahahah now that is funny – but ok let us, “old pal” do science shall we?
The AMA stated in March 23 (look it up) Toward the end of 2022 data showed that most deaths from COVID-19 were among those who are vaccinated.
Oh no – quick buy a puppy and go to your safe space.
Gomez says
What the AMA actually says about the vaccine;
“The bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster—which was first recommended last fall—protected against infection and death during the circulation of BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. In fact, people who received the updated COVID-19 bivalent booster were 14 times less likely to die compared with those who received no vaccine. They were also three times less likely to die compared with those who received only the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
You are a dishonest person, who is spreading fear and misinformation.
https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/why-covid-19-deaths-among-vaccinated-show-boosters-matter
Helen sabin says
Science? I suggest you read all of the reports about the Covid vaccines and the deaths that it has caused. I suggest you read all of the articles from all over the world about the effects of the Covid vaccine and some people have not only died from it, but that become paralyzed or worse. Don’t talk to me about science until you look it up. Look at all the pilots who have died from heart attacks because they were forced to get jabbed. About You certainly have not looked at all the science, but I think a very limited view of it.
WMA says
Helen,
Heard it all before. It was stupid then, remains stupid now. Post one single news story from a legitimate news source about a dead pilot. But congratulations, dead pilots are a clever new twist.
Gomez says
Helen. I have no doubt that some people had an unfortunate reaction the the vaccine. It happens. 3000 people a year die from taking aspirin. 6000 people a year die from unsafe drinking water. 500 people die each year from falling out of bed. The world is not always safe.
The data clearly shows that hundreds of thousands of lives were saved because they got vaccinated against COVID-19.
Bill Cavanaugh says
Harris can’t and won’t do anything about Abortion. Harris and Biden had a majority in both branches of congress and did they do anything? NOPE. What else would they run on?
WMA says
Becky,
Don’t you ever get tired of lying? Ever heard of the Hyde amendment? Since you are so committed to online research, please do your due diligence and get back to me.
Clair B says
WMA – let me help you out.
Planned Parenthood received $1.78 billion in taxpayer funds between fiscal years 2019 and 2021 — including $90 million in small-business loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new government report.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America — the nation’s largest abortion provider — received $1.54 billion in direct payments from Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
The abortion giant also got $148 million through Department of Health and Human Services grants or agreements and $90 million through Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
Don’t you ever get tired of being wrong?
WMA says
Clair, you realize, I hope, that abortion services are a minor part of Planned Parenthood’s mission.
Gomez says
Basically it says “The Government needs to stay the hell out of your private medical decisions.” Why do we need this, even though abortion is legal in MT today? Because if people like you have their way it won’t be legal for much longer.
Mind your own business.
.
Bill Cavanaugh says
I’m 100% sure you were the one telling people to mask up or get a vaccine against their “Private medical decisions”.
But go on about your medical freedom.
Gomez says
You have no right to infect anyone else with a disease simply because you are a science denier. Your civil rights stop at someone else’s nose.
Like I said though, keep it up. Women are listening, and they’re VOTING.
Bill Cavanaugh says
It’s 2024 Gomez. Please try to stay with us. The Science has proven you wrong. Freedom is Freedom, regardless of your distorted definition.
Gomez says
The scientific data clearly shows that hundreds of thousands of Americans died needlessly from COVID because they simply refused to get vaccinated..
Only 900 died in Jonestown. What does that say about the cult that you belong to?
Bill Cavanaugh says
Unfortunately…. Gomez’s comment below is a complete and utter lie.
Clair B says
Hang on a minute – if the vaccine worked -why should anyone have to wear a mask?
FYI some women value the unborn -not all women have green hair.
Gomez says
“Hang on a minute – if the vaccine worked -why should anyone have to wear a mask?”
Since some people who are wearing seat belts are still killed or seriously injured in car accidents, why bother wearing them at all? Same difference.
There is a reason that the areas of the country that had proportionally higher COVID deaths were counties that were heavily Republican..
“Democrat-leaning “blue” states were more likely to enact mask requirements and vaccine and social distancing mandates. Republican-leaning “red” states were much more resistant to health measures. The consequences of those differences emerged by the end of 2020, when rates of hospitalization and death from COVID rose in conservative counties and dropped in liberal ones. That divergence continued through 2021, when vaccines became widely available. And although the highly transmissible Omicron variant narrowed the gap in infection rates, hospitalization and death rates, which are dramatically reduced by vaccines, remain higher in Republican-leaning parts of the country.”
Bill Stroud says
Your logic is twisted and by your own rationale you’ve lost the argument. First, the movement is Pro CHOICE not…..Pro Abortion.
Yes, some women value the unborn. (even down to the unfertilized egg)
Yet, some women value making their own decisions.
Clair B, do ya know why “not all women have green hair”? Because….they have the choice to make that decision.