Cutters Beware
GMHC clients Michael Williams and Kenneth McKinnon protest budget cuts
Last Friday more than 150 people, including Assemblyman and Bronx Democratic Chairman José Rivera, gathered outside the city and state legislative offices at 250 Broadway to demand that legislators remember the faces of those who would be affected by AIDS budget cuts. At the rally, Rivera promised he would not support additional state cuts to AIDS services.
“You elected us to be your voice. I’ll join in your demand to be heard. No budget cutbacks!” Rivera said, to cheers from the crowd. Rivera voted in favor of the first round of budget cuts to AIDS services in August.
AIDS advocates took over the block holding up powerful home-made signs such as “AIDS Cuts Still=Death,” “HIV 40% ↑, $ ↓” and wearing T-shirts, including ones recycled from a previous mayoral AIDS-services slash reading “Bloomberg: Cuts=Death.”
Across the street from the rally, the Council was holding hearings on term limits. Rally speakers noted that the Mayor and Council shouldn’t take the votes of New Yorkers who care about fighting AIDS for granted. Rivington House President Gary Hylton said, “If Mayor Bloomberg wants a third term, he has to tell the residents of Rivington House what he’s going to do to help us.”
Real people
The rally was organized by the AIDS Budget Action Coalition and included clients and staff from CitiWide Harm Reduction, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Housing Works, Housing Here and Now, Bailey House, the AIDS Center of Queens and New York City AIDS Housing Network. Media, including Gay City News and WNYC , covered the rally.
“We are real people. We have families. And we have to tell our elected officials that these budget cuts for people with AIDS are unacceptable,” Felicia Carroll, a Housing Works peer organizer, told the crowd. “This wouldn’t be the first budget cut, it would be the second.”
HIV/AIDS services took a $6 million hit during the last city budget cuts in June, including cuts to harm reduction, testing and prevention services. In addition, the state budget eliminated $13 million in funds that impact HIV/AIDS. The Mayor’s deputies have submitted their proposed new cuts, which should be announced in November. The State is currently holding hearings about budget cuts to be announced post-election.
ABAC chairperson Manuel Rivera summed up the crowd’s sentiment. “There’s not a lot to talk about. No budget cuts. Instead of worrying about Wall Street, they’ve got to worry about our streets.”
Posted on October 23, 2008 at 1:24 am
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