|
|
|
|
Following Grand
Jury Report About Abortionist Kermit Gosnell, Pennsylvania Governor Orders Firings and Regulatory Overhaul Part Two of Four By Dave Andrusko As part of a series of sweeping changes, pro-Life Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced today the removal of a number of state employees flowing from a Grand Jury report that culminated in eight murder charges lodged against abortionist Kermit Gosnell—one adult woman and seven aborted babies born alive whose spinal cords he is charged with severing with scissors. Referring to what prosecutors have called the "complete regulatory collapse" on the part of numerous governmental agencies, Corbett said, "This doesn't even rise to the level of government run amok.It was government not running at all." "To call this unacceptable doesn't say enough. It's despicable." (You can read the statement in its entirety at xxx.) The Grand Jury's
261-page report (excerpts of which we are running daily)
was released to the public January 20, Corbett's first
full day in office. The Associated Press reported that in some cases Corbett accepted resignations while "others have been dismissed outright. Some are suspended while his aides investigate." Almost as scandalous as the stomach-turning crimes Gosnell and nine of his employees are charged with is the virtual absence of oversight of Gosnell's Women's Medical Society abortion clinic, by both the city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania. Gov. Corbett's removals were at the Department of Health and the Department of State, the two agencies responsible for the failures. Corbett ordered a number of changes. At the Department of State, for example, "Attorneys will receive formal training on investigative procedures and instruction on rules and regulations, including prosecuting complaints." There are a raft of changes at the Department of Health [DOH] including: Annual inspections of abortion clinics with additional unannounced inspections; when deficiencies are found, a correction plan will be required within ten days; Abortion clinics will be subject to the same complaint process as hospitals and other medical facilities in Pennsylvania.; and all serious events at abortion facilities will be reviewed within 48 hours by a physician and an on-site investigation will be conducted within five business days. The Grand Jury report harshly criticized the DOH in unsparing language. (See excerpts, part x.) From 1979 to 1993 there were only three inspections, the report noted. According to the Grand Jury, " sometime after 1993, DOH instituted a policy of inspecting abortion clinics only when there was a complaint." But, "In fact, as this Grand Jury's investigation makes clear, the department did not even do that." Why? "[Evaluator Janice] Staloski blamed the decision to abandon supposedly annual inspections of abortion clinics on DOH lawyers, who, she said, changed their legal opinions and advice to suit the policy preferences of different governors. Under Governor Robert Casey, she said, the department inspected abortion facilities annually. Yet, when Governor Tom Ridge came in, the attorneys interpreted the same regulations that had permitted annual inspections for years to no longer authorize those inspections. Then, only complaint-driven inspections supposedly were authorized. Staloski said that DOH's policy during Governor Ridge's administration was motivated by a desire not to be 'putting a barrier up to women' seeking abortions." Gosnell is to be arraigned March 2. The "Overview" section of the Grand Jury report brilliantly summarizes the case against the 69-year-old Gosnell, whom prosecutors charge with making millions largely off of poor women of color, and the regulatory system which enabled him. "This is about a doctor who killed babies and endangered women. What we mean is that he regularly and illegally delivered live, viable, babies in the third trimester of pregnancy – and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal cords with scissors. The medical practice by which he carried out this business was a filthy fraud in which he overdosed his patients with dangerous drugs, spread venereal disease among them with infected instruments, perforated their wombs and bowels – and, on at least two occasions, caused their deaths. Over the years, many people came to know that something was going on here. But no one put a stop to it." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please send your comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join the growing number of those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha. |