August 19, 2008
ACTION ALERT: TELL ALBANY TO HALT DESTRUCTIVE HIV/AIDS CUTS!
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Paterson should hear from you! |
Today in Albany, the legislature will be voting on a budget modification package that includes destructive cuts to HIV/AIDS programs and services and a slew of additional cuts to other vital health and human services programs here in New York State. For a full breakdown, click here.
Governor David Paterson has proposed these cuts, and the leadership—Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos—will be working with their membership to decide which cuts to approve and which to take off the table.
The Governor's $600 million dollar budget reduction proposal includes several options:
Reducing local assistance general fund spending by six percent This is on top of the recent two percent cuts to New York State and New York City AIDS programs. This is out-and out destruction to the AIDS Institute's programs.
Reducing New and Enhanced 2008-09 Executive and Legislative Programs by 50 Percent This includes cuts to AIDS community service providers and legal, family planning and mental health services.
Reducing member item spending by 50 percent More cuts to the AIDS community
Reducing Medicaid Spending by $500 million The state claims that these cuts will not impact patient services but a reduction in payments to institutions will always impact patient care.
Tell Albany to beat back this budget attack on poor New Yorkers living with AIDS and HIV!:
Call today:
1. Governor David Paterson's Albany office at 518-474-8390 and his NYC office at 212-681-4580.
2. Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver's Albany office at 518-455-3791 and his NYC office at 212-312-1420.
3. Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos' Albany office at 518-451-3171 and his Long Island office at 516-766-8383.
And tell them...
"The State Department of Health has acknowledged that there are now more men, women and youth living with AIDS and HIV here in New York State than they realized.
This means that there are now MORE people in our state who will need to be counseled and tested for HIV, and even more HIV-positive New Yorkers will need housing, health care, legal services, transportation, case management, substance use and mental health services.
Continuing to destory the HIV/AIDS budget is gross conduct unbecoming of trusted elected officials!
We strongly urge you to stop balancing your budget on the frail backs of New York's poor and sick!
It's time to Stand Against AIDS here in New York State!"