Family Planning

The point which you so aptly make in your editorial “Second Chance for Family Planning?” (Aug. 31) is one which apparently the people of California do not yet understand. Specifically, when Gov. George Deukmejian cut a $25 million allocation to family planning clinics with the ostensible purpose of budgetary belt tightening, he never informed the public that for each dollar he cut from the Office of Family Planning, 11 other dollars would eventually be spent to make up for each dollar of services not provided.

The Legislature must now act to restore the $25 million cut by the governor. The Legislature must act not only for the economic reason of saving future money, but also for the humane reason of assisting hundreds of thousands of primarily poor women who are in need of the gynecological services provided by those funds.

Fears on the part of the governor or various anti-choice legislators that those funds might be used for abortion counseling must not be allowed to dominate this very crucial allocation.

JANICE KAMENIR-REZNIK

President

California Women Lawyers