I posted a Rex Wockner article on Arnold Schwarzenegger's decimation of California's AIDS funding HERE but it's nice to report that other governors aren't so brutal with the budget cuts.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is making sure that state funding for HIV services will remain almost fully funded under the terms of the Governor’s Allocation Plan for the new fiscal year: FY10. Though the budget only funded HIV/AIDS agencies and other social services at 50 percent of previous levels, the new budget also includes $3.4 billion in unallocated funds to be spent at Governor Quinn’s discretion.
And what did Pat Quinn do with that money?
He allocated $40 million to the Illinois Department of Public Health, $17 million of which is to be spent on HIV/AIDS programming, thereby restoring HIV/AIDS funding to nearly 100% of the previous levels.
Of course, it's not a perfect solution. The FY10 budget relies heavily on borrowing money to pay the state’s bills, and the governor’s plan also notes that the budget doesn’t include funds to pay down $3.9 billion in money that the state owes-much of it to small non-profits such as HIV/AIDS service providers.
But at least Pat Quinn is helping out those who, without those services, might otherwise die.
I say, Good for you, Governor Quinn.
That may have something to do with the fact that 1 in 6 gay men in IL are HIV + and a third of them dont know it. Wise move by Pat.
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