Bush* Scaling Back Dollars for Third World

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 — President Bush plans to scale back requests for money to fight AIDS and poverty in the third world, putting off for several years the fulfillment of his pledges to eventually spend more than $20 billion on these programs.

Hardest hit would be the United Nations-supported Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, whose contribution from the United States would drop to $200 million in fiscal year 2005 from $550 million, according to Congressional officials who have been briefed on the president's budget proposal.

Over all, however, Mr. Bush's programs to combat AIDS and poverty to the world's poorest nations still represent a big leap from those of the Clinton administration.

The financing request to fight AIDS for the 2005 fiscal year would be nearly $2.7 billion. That includes an increase for bilateral programs to $2.5 billion from $1.9 billion. That is still less than the $3 billion expected when Mr. Bush promised in his State of the Union address last year to increase financing for combating H.I.V. and AIDS by $15 billion over the next five years.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/politics/29AIDS.html?ex=1075957200&en=dfc96c3bea4089b0&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[alapolitical]

1. Even in hard times we need to pay attention and help with this scourge

[Dogmudgeon]

2. So goes the Mars Program

I thought it was in the same category of "no-do-'ems" as Bush's AIDS program.

His "support" of the arts will be a similar gesture.

--bkl

[wellst0nev0ter]

3. Nice Touch With The Klintoon Figleaf, Screw York Times

Sure glad we have the lib-ur-al media on our side :eyes:

[asjr]

4. Amen to that

I bet the media have to work 36-hour days in order to keep covering up for Shrub. Quite frankly, I think their behavior borders on treason--treason against the population of this country.

[Dover]

5. Well, that awful STEROIDS problem is so much more urgent than AIDS!

Gosh...and I recall so fondly Bush's "$100 bill cash drop" over Afghanistan. Such a generous guy, really. So let's keep it all in perspective....

:eyes: