CA Governor proposes 100% cut in State funding for AIDS programs -

[pinto]

Info from Dr. Michelle Roland, Chief of CA Dept of Public Health/Office of AIDS (OA). The Governor's proposal may be a budget bargaining tool, yet deep cuts are expected at OA. This would be the worst case scenario. OA and local AIDS programs are taking this seriously. (notes from a conference call) ~ pinto

The California Legislature has received a second proposal on Thursday afternoon. It differs from a previous proposal published May 21, 2009 by the Governor’s Office.

Thursday’s Proposal Includes:

100% elimination of State General Fund support to all Office of AIDS Programs.

The State's General Fund annually provides funding for:

80% of HIV Education and Prevention programs
76% of HIV Counseling and Testing programs
84.5% of Epidemiology and Surveillance programs
51.2% of Early Intervention programs (EIP)
100% of PCR and Immuno/Phenotype Assays
23% of AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
31% of Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA)
54% of Home/Community Based Care

(The balance of funding comes from the federal Ryan White Care Act. That funding could eventually be in jeopardy under a "Maintenance of Effort" requirement for states to receive Ryan White funds.)

If you're a CA resident and have a few minutes, please call your CA State Assembly member on this.
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/defaulttext.asp . Budget hearings are currently underway. ~ pinto

[ronnykmarshall]

1. But, but, but Davis raised the car tags ..... we need to recall him!

This fucker has been a total disaster for the state.

[pinto]

7. LOL. That was about the level of thinking on the recall. Whaddamistake.

(aside) I went to a small city rally after Prop 8 ruling. There seems to be a lot more support hereabouts now than when the proposition was actually up for a vote. It seemed that before a lot of us expected SF and LA to carry the day.

I think there's a need to replicate Dean's 50 state strategy in CA's 58 counties, for a *number* of issues relevant to LGBT Californians. And to build a cohesive message to the legislature and the electorate.

[ronnykmarshall]

13. You GO Pinto!!!

[joeybee12]

8. But Ah-nuld's a celebrity! He HAS to know what he's doing!

This soooooooooooooooooo pisses me off that so many people thought this dumb, roid-ed out Austrian would be good.

[NMMNG]

2. Mother &%$#@!

:grr:

[nichomachus]

11. He's only been in office for five years and six months -- give him a break

:sarcasm:

[xchrom]

3. recommend -- the governator couldn't do the job. nt

[Neecy]

4. I remember how hard we worked to get that funding, too

Fucker.

[pinto]

15. Yeah. n/t

[Duncan Grant]

5. I despise this level of brinkmanship. It's contemptible behavior!

Fuck you, Arnold.

edit: subject line

[pinto]

9. That's what it is, thuggery. Doesn't support any rational solution to our financial mess, imho.

He's done this before it wasn't as widely publicized.

[nichomachus]

6. Maybe we could eliminate

one of the swimming pools in the new Pakistan embassy and continue AIDS funding.

I'm not sure Gray Davis could have done better -- part of this is the whacked budgeting process in CA that can be held hostage by a handful of fascists. The other part is a 30-effort to destroy all public programs in the US.

CA is the canary in the coal mine. This will be happening all over the country. Our whole social safety net will be shredded within a year, followed by public education, public health, you name it. Our infrastructure will be auctioned off to the corporations.

We will be a third-world country by 2012 -- mark my words.

[NMMNG]

10. Hell

Just release the millions of people in prison for petty offenses like marijuana possession and imagine how much money could be freed up annually. Ditto for those serving life sentences under the "Three Strikes" policy if none of their crimes were violent. There are far too many people clogging up our prison system who really don't need to be there.

[nichomachus]

12. So you mean redistribute the wealth

from the corporations that run the prison system and give it to people with AIDS? What are you, a commie?

[NMMNG]

14. Let the people who run the prisons get real jobs

I know it's hard for the RRRW to grasp this, but exploiting people is not the only career choice out there.

[nichomachus]

16. OTOH

If you release everyone who is in jail on petty and drug charges, unemployment would shoot up to about 30 percent.

[NMMNG]

17. Good point

Let's imprison all of the fundies. Just imagine how many new jobs that will create. :evilgrin:

[Starry Messenger]

18. I hate him with the intensity of 1000 suns.

[JackBeck]

19. This is fucking criminal.

23% cut in ADAP? Disgusting.

31% in HOPWA? I literally feel sick to my stomach.

We lost all our Ryan White funding a few years ago and have been skating on very thin ice, but been able to get by on savings. Our Planning Council was co-opted by docs and hospitals and they've funneled the funds into those administrative blackholes.

Fuck, pinto. I'm sure the insurance and pharma companies will just come running in to save the day. :eyes:

[pinto]

20. Hey Jack. What a weird scenario. I assume some budget compromises will be made.

Someone's gonna lose, though. Programs will be cut. CA Office of AIDS has always said ADAP would be their wall, as far as cuts go. I hope it doesn't get to that, yet I support the approach, with mixed feelings.

[LeftyMom]

21. That will leave my mother's best friend homeless. She lives in housing for indigent AIDS patients.

The place certainly can't afford ANY funding cut, there's already a dangerous lack of maintainance.

Needless to say, in this economy and political climate, alternate affordable housing options aren't exactly plentiful- there was a years long waiting list to get on the waiting list for Section 8 here in good times.