ARTICLES

Baby Flesh Into Horseflesh

MEGA-ABORTIONIST MORE ENMESHED IN STATE POLITICS

By Judith Martel

Operation Rescue activists showed up at Los Alamitos Racetrack in Cypress (Orange County) at the December 16 celebration of the quarterhorse track's take-over by Dr. Edward Allred, the state's top abortionist. At the climax of the highly-publicized 12th race ($1 million purse), pro-lifers unfurled banners proclaiming, "Allred Kills Babies" and "Abortion Kills Babies" at the finish line, in sight of spectators and ESPN's cameras.

A long-time member of the Republican Party's growing pro-choice wing (he has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to pro-abort Governor Pete Wilson), Allred now has an interest in influencing the legislature in gambling laws. Allred's business partner, Hollywood Park Racetrack CEO and chief financial officer of Los Alamitos, R.D. Hubbard, seems to be handling the gambling end of things. Hubbard hosted the November 30 fundraiser for Assembly Republicans, held at Big Horn Golf Club in Palm Desert (post-game party took place in Hubbard's home overlooking the 15th hole, next door to Allred's home). Golfers won lavish prizes (one of Pete Wilson's staffers is said to have won a $2000 set of golf clubs). The event, which was organized by Assemblyman Jim Battin of Palm Desert, was expected to raise over $125,000 for the Assembly Republican Victory Fund for the 1996 campaign. Several Assembly members were absent from the fundraiser, including El Cajon's Steve Baldwin and Temecula's Bruce Thompson -- two of the six pro-life members who voted against Wilson's budget because of abortion funding (Thompson, a Mormon, has also been outspoken about his opposition to gambling).

A December 1 Sacramento Bee editorial suggested a connection between donations from gambling promoters like Hubbard and the failure for the past two years of legislation to oversee the gambling industry.

One veteran pro-life activist wondered if the Republican members were aware of the Allred-Hubbard connection, which might explain why their "Contract with California," drafted just after the November 30 event, included no reference to abortion.

Pro-lifers are worried that newly-elected speaker Curt Pringle of Orange County will block efforts to remove state abortion funding (Pringle has a strong pro-life record, but, activists point out, he may feel indebted to Wilson for pushing Republicans to unite in electing a speaker). According to a January 10 Los Angeles Times article, Assemblymen Bruce Thompson and Ray Haynes will push to remove abortion funding from the budget again this year, attempting to block the budget if necessary (the Republicans have more than the one third necessary to prevent passage of the budget, but last year calls from the governor persuaded most of them to vote for the budget).

Wilson's 96-97 budget is to include an additional $20 million for abortions (raised from $75 million to $95 million). The governor announced that he had "cut" the Office of Family Planning budget but, in fact, had created new offices to provide abortion-related services, including a Teen Pregnancy Prevention program ($59 million). Another new program will include payments for "contraceptive services" for women who are ineligible for Medi-Cal, who earn up to 200 percent of poverty-level income. There is no limit set for this program's spending, but Wilson estimates $43 million for the first year.