Commission rejects $20,000 for family planning

Commission rejects $20,000 for family planning

Jan. 17, 2001

By Gail Binkly
Journal Managing Editor

The Montezuma County commissioners on Monday decided to reject an offer of $20,000 from the state to provide family-planning services, saying the county was not equipped to start offering such care.

The money would have replaced the $20,000 normally given to the Montezuma County Planned Parenthood office by the state.

In December, the state health department cut off all funding to the agency statewide because of an audit this fall that found that the organization was subsidizing abortion services.

The audit by the Greeley firm Anderson & Whitney found that Planned Parenthood was violating the state Constitution, which forbids using state money for abortions. Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains had separated its abortion services from its family-planning services after a state-supreme-court ruling clarifying that policy.

The audit found that the organization’s family-planning arm was charging below-market rent to its branch providing abortions.

However, Planned Parenthood officials said the audit was politically motivated by the conservative Owens administration, and maintained the agency had not spent any taxpayer money on abortions. They said the agency charges the same rent to other entities. However, they said they did not have time or money to challenge the decision.

The Planned Parenthood office in Montezuma County does not offer abortions, but does offer contraceptive services, physical exams, cancer-screenings and hormone-replacement therapy on a sliding-scale fee.

Montezuma County Health Department Director Lori Cooper told the commissioners the $20,000 was available if they wanted it.

"We are not in a position right now to take it because we are not set up to do family planning," she said. "But we could do it with the help of the San Juan Basin Health Department, contracting through them."

"What’s the next option?" interrupted County Administrator Tom Weaver, who generally opposes having the county take on more responsibilities.

Cooper said she was not eager to take on the job, but was concerned because Planned Parenthood is now forced to charge more for its services. "They have yet to turn people away, but they will be turning people away," she said. "The only thing I’d want to have anything to do with are the people that absolutely can’t afford to pay."

The commissioners asked whether the county could take the money and then contract with Planned Parenthood to provide the services, but Cooper said the state would not allow that.

"Then why don’t we just forget it?" Weaver asked. "Maybe the state ought to realize what they have created."

"The reason I say no is that I don’t want to see teens getting pregnant. I don’t want to see them on WIC (the Women, Infants and Children program)," Cooper replied.

"If we take care of it, the state’s never going to see the problem," Weaver argued. "I’m concerned that once you grab hold of the reins, you’re never going to get loose of them."

Cooper said the county health department could possibly provide some minimal family-planning services on Friday afternoons. However, the commissioners said it would cost the county more than $20,000 to set up such a program and operate it long-term.

"If it’s just a question of $20,000, maybe it’s best to sit on it," said Commissioner Gene Story. "Tell the state to keep their $20,000 and see what happens."