They do a fine job, said the commissioner who proposed not renewing funds.

Commission Chairman John Martin. Photo: Post Independent.

If there was any doubt that the move to de-fund local Planned Parenthood clinics is about nothing but ideology, one county commissioner removed it when he proposed refusing to continue a $5000.00 grant to the local affiliate to support needed health services for women.

Just because.

Via The Post Independent:

“This is one that I just have to take a stand on,” Commission Chairman John Martin said in calling into question a continued Planned Parenthood grant that was recommended by the county’s Human Services Commission. Sex. Abortion. Parenthood. Power. The latest news, delivered straight to your inbox. SUBSCRIBE “They’re a big national organization, and I think they have enough outside resources without using money that could benefit some of the local organizations whose budgets are smaller,” Martin said. “I understand they do a good job … this is not an insult. I just think they need to stand on their own.”

According to the report, every other grant requested was financed, to a total of over $400,000.

Martin, a Republican, already made news last year for supporting the idea of opening the meetings with a prayer, according to the Colorado Independent. The prayer proposal was pitched by fellow commissioner Mike Samson, who provided the other vote to refuse funding. Commissioner Tom Jankovsky was the sole vote to continue to provide the funds, despite Jankovsky’s opposition to the grant during a six-member review prior to the vote.

John Stroud reports that the $5000.00, which was approximately 5 percent of the health center’s local budget, will be kept on reserve by the commission for “additional human service grant requests” that might come in during 2013.