California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, sent state lawmakers a plan to reduce more than $5 billion in spending, including significant cuts to HIV/AIDS services.
The proposal slashes $55.5 million from California's AIDS Drug Assistance Program and other state Office of AIDS programs. Schwarzenegger's plan would make HIV-positive people pay more for drugs, while HIV/AIDS programs such as counseling, monitoring and education would be reduced or eliminated altogether.
The budget cut proposals come at a time when the federal government is instituting a National AIDS Strategy in recognition of the imperative to reinvigorate the fight against HIV in the United States.
In California, an estimated 20% of HIV-positive Californians are unaware of their HIV status. Of those who know their status, approximately 20% are not in care. The health of 150,000 Californians living with HIV as well as the lives of those at risk of infection would be seriously endangered by these cuts. It is no exaggeration to say that these proposed budget cuts are life-threatening for thousands of people.
From David Brinkman, MBA, Executive Director, Desert AIDS Project:
I am deeply concerned about the Governor's May budget revision proposal which would, if passed, end HIV/AIDS treatment for nearly 35,000 Californians, our neighbors who rely on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program for life-saving medication, eradicating years of progress against HIV and putting lives at risk.
I'm also alarmed by the Governor's plan to remove State support for HIV prevention including HIV testing, AIDS education in schools, rural HIV programs, and funds that provide housing to people living with AIDS. His proposed budget will also slash health insurance for low-income families, devastate family planning, and terminate in-home supportive services for the elderly and disabled.
The budget is woefully short-sighted, robbing the State of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support. As you know, if California fails to deliver on its commitments, Washington, D.C. will deny our matching funds, jeopardizing virtually every federal benefit that supports the health of people living with HIV and irrevocably altering our capacity to prevent new infections.
This budget will have an unimaginable effect on the health of hundreds and thousands of Californians. Preserving HIV funding is good health policy, responsible fiscal stewardship, and compassionate leadership at a time when the populations living with and at the highest risk of HIV infection need your help the most. Please demonstrate your compassion and fiscal responsibility by protecting HIV prevention, care, and treatment funding in the upcoming budget revision debate in Sacramento.
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