Planned Parenthood will continue leasing taxpayer land in East Austin for one dollar a year. The City Council approved the lease despite an offer to pay full market rate from a health care provider that does not abort babies.
Texas Values’ Nicole Hudgins told council Thursday Nov.1st, they did not even consider letting healthcare provider LifeCare, which does not offer abortions as does Planned Parenthood, bid for the same property at market value. She said that’s not fair to taxpayers.
She demanded City Council give, “Federally qualified healthcare centers have a shot at investing in this property.” She said Council should stop burdening residents with, “awful taxes,” but then give favor to those that are, “controversial at best.”
Council approved the Planned Parenthood deal on consent with outgoing conservative member Ellen Troxclair opposed.
But the debate over that, led some city council members to take an abrasive approach to Texas Values’ request to allow another company to bid on the land. Jimmy Flannigan called Texas Values essentially a hate group. “This is not about groups that have different opinions on land use or Taxation. These are people who see some of us on this dais as less than human. That’s what that group represents.
Flannigan threatened to walk off the dais instead of allowing the pro-life group to continue to make its case.
(Photo:Brandon Seidel)
