Tax Credits for Harassing Women
Farm radio and an anti-choice tax scheme
I always talk about meeting folks where they are and that can be harder than you imagine, but Wednesday I was given a chance to reach people who would normally never hear my message or even a Democratic one at that.
I just finished an interview with Farm Radio KFEQ…an AM station in St Joseph, Missouri. It’s called farm radio for a reason. A lot of farmers listen in their trucks and tractors and combines throughout the day. It’s talk radio. It’s pretty conservative.
Harvest in Northwest Missouri. Picture via Jackie Elson, KQ2.
I brought Halloween cookies to the studio to make sure we started off on the right foot — cookies are always a good idea. We went live after the station went over commodities and Ag news and closing markets. AgriTalk.
The topic I was there to speak on wasn’t corn or bean prices, though. It was abortion.
I went in thinking it was going to be a tough crowd, because I know exactly who listens to that station throughout the day…mostly conservative folks, mostly men, in the Northern part of the state.
The reason I went on this particular station in the first place is that the station decided to run the views and thoughts of two separate guests on the abortion amendment that is on the ballot in Missouri.
The radio station interviewed a man from the St Louis area by phone on Tuesday — a day before my interview. He represented the anti-choice point of view. I was on another call at the time and couldn’t listen in, but I had several friends send over his comments…I was as horrified as they were.
I called the station to ask for a recording of his interview so I could hear it for myself. Good god. It was bad. His segment on the abortion amendment was full of lies and half-truths that would make the devil blush.
I had to keep stopping the recording because I was so disgusted with his lies. I don’t know about you, but this is the same reason I can’t listen when Fox News is on. The lies make my brain hot. I get angry. I have to turn the channel.
The man interviewed was Brian Westbrook, the Executive Director and Founder of Coalition Life.
Westbrook told Barry Birr, the KFEQ radio host, that the language in the Missouri abortion amendment would make it possible for dental hygienists to perform abortions. That the amendment would provide an avenue for “child transgender surgeries.” That allowing women reproductive freedom would increase child sex trafficking.
Westbrook claimed the amendment would give women the right to murder full-term babies and that women couldn’t be trusted not to murder their full-term babies. That giving women the right to make decisions about their own bodies would lead to their own demise.
The worst part of this entire 30-minute segment? The host didn’t push back on the lies. The host even praised Westbrook for his “prayerful” approach.
But more than sharing lies, I wondered why this man from St Louis would be calling into a small farm radio show in St Joe. Why does he care about such a small population of folks in my neck of the woods?
I cracked open a Diet Coke and put on my glasses and started down a rabbit hole about Brian Westbrook and his organization.
I was suspicious of the Westbrook organization as soon as I read the site. One of the first things I noticed was this claim: “Are you aware you could benefit from the 70% MO PRC Tax Credit? Save up to$50,000 in Missouri taxes while supporting pro-life efforts!”
What? I have never heard of this claim and I wonder what sort of “pro-life” activism this really is? Surely no one would harass women and girls seeking medical care just for a grift? Surely no one would spend his time shutting down clinics and lobbying lawmakers and doing interviews on local radio stations to siphon money off the Missouri taxpayer, right?
From the Coalition Life site:
If you are a Missouri taxpayer and donate more than $100 to Coalition Life, you get to claim 70% of that on your Missouri State Income Tax Return.
With this tax credit, a donation of $1,000 to Coalition Life could be as little as $180 out of your pocket when factoring in the tax savings!
Both individuals and businesses are eligible for the credit.
The maximum tax credit is $50k (from a $71,500 donation).
This is a great way to reduce your Missouri tax liability while helping protect women and preborn children from abortion!
My god. This man is running an anti-abortion organization while doling out tax credits. Folks can receive tax incentives to push an abortion ban. Even businesses can receive a tax credit for harassing women and girls in need of reproductive care.
In case you are wondering, there are no tax credits for telling the truth or donating to Planned Parenthood…
A screenshot of the tax credit scheme on the Coalition Life website.
I never would have heard of Brian Westbrook if he hadn’t lied his way through an interview aimed at the farmers in my community. Someone needed to tell those farmers the truth. They are my neighbors and deserve the truth.
I went on that same radio show at the same time the next day to put things back to right — I was also interviewed by a different man who was the ultimate professional. He showed no bias in the interview.
In this interview, I was able to tell the truth about the abortion amendment. I was able to speak to the men listening in their trucks and tractors. The men drinking coffee at the local gas station. The men who would likely never seek out the wording of the amendment if it weren’t presented to them. The men who would likely vote against the amendment because their pastors and friendly Republican lawmakers told them “abortion is murder.”
Abortion is a nuanced issue. There is no black or white. Yesterday, I was able to speak to an audience that might have been unwilling to hear my message on any other outlet. I tried to speak with grace and subtlety. I tried not to beat them over the head with the evidence, but instead to tell stories to show the evidence. I reminded them that they know their wives and daughters and sisters and nieces. They know these women don’t get pregnant just to have an abortion.
They know better than that.
I reminded them that these same women are in danger in Missouri with an abortion ban. Pregnancy is too dangerous a proposition without the option of abortion…women are dying in ERs and in their homes each day waiting for the care that should have never have been withheld.
Sidenote: I have a group text full of teachers from across the country that I visit with every day. I told them I might be going into the lion’s den for the interview and asked them to think of me. One of my friends said this about the topic of abortion, “It’s hard to be nuanced when folks demand outrage.”
I could not have said it better myself.
Luckily, I was able to meet this audience where they are. In their trucks. On their tractors. On their combines.
I hope it made a difference.
~Jess
P.S. I want to invite you to an election night Zoom. Join me and hosts David Pepper and Michele Hornish – along with some really special guests – to watch the returns along with members of the Blue Ohio, Blue Missouri, Blue Tennessee, and Forgotten Democrats communities.
Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ufuyvqTkoG9QG9aBHIsUwF3QQ781jWmvd#/registration
Jess, I have previously posted this, but wanted to make sure you see it. It was in response to the Archbishop’s letter. If you’ve already seen it, sorry for reposting.
I hope it provides you with more information…
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This is absolutely enraging.
Once again, a false dichotomy is presented. One which reveals how very little this prelate knows about either babies or ethics. He knows only a party line.
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Prochoice does not at all mean pro abortion.
The only ISSUE here is this: Where is the locus of control and who should make the decision?
I am Catholic.
I am also a Pediatrician who dealt with fetuses with anencephaly and many other horrible birth defects for forty years. I had to deal with extremely premature deliveries. I had to counsel couples shortly before the mom was going to deliver a baby that might be 20 weeks or 24-26 weeks. Often we wouldn't know until the baby was born. Yes, accuracy has improved. There is still much uncertainty at times.
I would help the parent(s) to understand that a 20 or 21 week baby was simply not viable. It was NOT an option to resuscitate that child - that there were very well designed guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology which laid out options. Most guidelines suggest comfort care and no true intervention under the fetal age of 25 weeks. Or 23 weeks? Or 24 weeks? Even the guidelines by people who do this for a living are difficult!
I also gave the parents a very clear understanding as to WHY these guidelines existed. That a 22 week baby only weighs one pound. That the TOTAL blood volume of a 1 pound baby is 4-5 ounces.
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Let’s make things real, shall we?
— If you need to draw 3 ml (1/10 ounce) from a baby to help diagnose and treat them, and if you need to do this four times in a week to manage the baby’s medical problems, you are removing EIGHT PERCENT of the baby's total blood. For this and other reasons it’s very common for babies this tiny to require multiple transfusions simply to replace blood taken for testing.
— At that age the baby’s skin is as thin and fragile as rice paper. Simply holding the baby’s arm and pulling the wrong way can make the skin tear.
— All babies that age must be ventilated. That means that you are pushing air into a baby’s chest to breathe for it. Yes, techniques have improved markedly. BUT it is still common for them to have part of the lung surface blow out, requiring that a plastic tube be inserted between the ribs to keep the baby from dying. Sometimes they have one tube on each side.
— They can and do have bleeding into the brain.
— They can and do have life threatening infections.
— They can and do have permanent eye damage with visual impairment.
— They can and do have life-long lung damage.
30-60% of them die IN SPITE OF heroic measures by extraordinary professionals.
The estimate is that of those who survive (after about half die), half or more have severe ongoing medical problems.
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I would explain these realities to parents asking for guidance…because usually they had no information and were in crisis.
This was not to be cruel. It was to help them to have a medical imagination and to be realistic so that after having factual medical information they would know exactly what they were choosing.
I would go away to give the parents time to process. Then we would make a joint decision. It was always heartbreaking. It was almost always an urgent decision.
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I have worked in many settings. I have never once in forty years seen any medical personnel treat this process superficially, casually, or with anything but compassion. I have seen many caregivers including myself cry over the cruel choices that had to be made.
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For all these reasons, the only place that decisions about babies belong is with their parents with the guidance of their caregivers and spiritual counselors. Full stop.
The decisions absolutely do NOT belong with ignorant, ideological judges, lawyers, legislators, and/or far-away imperious bishops/priests/ministers who have zero understanding of on-the-ground medical decision making.
Accept the reality that families should make decisions about the medical care for themselves and their loved ones. Leave them alone. They are suffering as they choose, regardless of how they choose.
Jess Piper, you rank among the absolutely most awesome women.