Pulse

The New Orleans Advocate reported today construction on the troubled New Orleans Planned Parenthood abortion facility has resumed amidst problems within and without.

The 8,000 square foot mill project stalled almost immediately after its ballyhooed groundbreaking in May 2013.

In the 22 months since, only the foundation has been dug.

Meanwhile, in January the Louisiana Health Department rejected Planned Parenthood’s certificate of need, so at this point even if the building is completed, it can’t commit abortions.

But this is shaky assurance to local pro-lifers, who are still fighting to keep the building from ever being completed.

Originally estimated to cost $4.2 million, the clinic is now “millions” more underwater, according to an unnamed inside source to NOA.

A major hold-up has been concrete.  Four concrete companies had turned down the job until Absolute Concrete Services took Planned Parenthood’s financial bait. Louisiana Coalition for Life has posted a list of collaborators.

On February 27, Pastor Bill Shanks of New Covenant Fellowship Church in Kenner was one of two pastors who visited the home of Absolute Concrete owners Melvin and Linda Backes. 

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The couple told the pastors they owned the company but son Ronald runs it.

I spoke with Pastor Shanks by phone, and he said Melvin told him, “This is just business. If you give me $20,000, I’ll tear up the contract.”

Melvin is a retired firefighter.

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“My son is a firefighter, too, and knows Melvin as a brave man,” Pastor Shanks told me. “I told him to be brave for the babies. And I warned him that I’ve been involved in this fight for years and have seen one after another business crumble after becoming involved in abortion.”

Pastor Shanks said Linda’s heart was “as hard as concrete.” She told him she supported abortion and Planned Parenthood, adding, “If we let these babies live, they’ll just grow up and kill us.”

Absolute Concrete has not returned my calls requesting comment.

This past Saturday, about 50 pro-lifers protested and prayed at the site, getting workers to leave….

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The workers were back today, but pro-lifers will not rest.

Reprinted with permission from Jill Stanek