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

[BR_Parkway]

1. Has he cut his own salary? With all his millions and continued royalties

not to mention his wife's not exactly broke....

[Alexander]

3. He never accepted a salary.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. that is why all goes to charity

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. He actually gives 100% of his salary to charity

but given that fact, he should get paid one buck

[Taverner]

2. He could be a man and cut the California National Guard

They'd all come home, we'd have far less money and no where in the 2nd Amendment does it say you HAVE to keep a militia.

[Vinca]

6. Can anyone explain, in a nutshell, why CA is in the dumper in the first place?

Aren't taxes collected to run things? It seems like the budget crisis has been going on forever.

[WI_DEM]

7. Part of it was passage of prop 13 30 years ago and state voters not wanting to increase any

taxes or fees so now they have to have draconian cuts. I'm glad I don't live in CA anymore.

[pinto]

8. Agree. I think Prop 13 was the precursor to all of this. It cut basic funding base for locals.

Jarvis and Issa. Effectively dismantling a fine state system, one program/service at a time.

ed for accuracy

[taught_me_patience]

9. Federal government has been sucking the teat of Cali

for many years to the tune of $50B/year. That is the true cause of the fiscal crisis.