On Wednesday, February 18th I attended a town hall meeting in Fort Lauderale to ask Governor Crist if he would commit to review the wasted tax dollars the State of Florida contributes to ineffective Title V Abstinence-Only sex-education programs.

Florida is one of the few remaining states that accept Title V Abstinence-Only funding and the only state in the nation to exceed it's federally mandated minimum contribution. Given the economic hardship the State of Florida is facing compounded with new HIV and STD infections and teen pregnancy rates, it's time for our government to exercise better leadership for populations most impacting with these issues.

To listen to the dialogue I had with Governor Crist, listen to the audio link below.
2-18-09 Gov Crist to Review Title V Funding.wma

"The weight of the evidence cannot be ignored, and it is time to answer tough questions about why we continue to waste millions of dollars a year on a policy that has failed to keep teens healthy and safe," said Adrienne Kimmell, Healthy Teens Campaign member and executive director of the Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. "We encourage Gov. Crist to take the next step and join the 25 governors who no longer accept federal abstinence-only funding."