Get your AIDSVote on

Why does Bill de Blasio oppose HASA for All? What will David Yassky do to make sure more people get tested for HIV? Find out the answers to these and other questions as candidates in the 2009 election for New York City Comptroller and Public Advocate participate in a community forum focused on AIDS issues facing New York City on Tuesday, September 1 from 4pm to 6pm at Restoration Plaza in Brooklyn (1368 Fulton Street; A,C to Nostrand Avenue).

All of the City Comptroller candidates have confirmed their attendance (Melinda Katz, John Liu, Joe Mendola, David Weperin, and David Yassky). Confirmed Public Advocate candidates include Bill de Blasio, Eric Gioia, Norman Siegel and Alex Zablocki.

Comptroller and public advocate are, after the mayor, the two most important citywide positions. The comptroller is responsible for auditing the performance and finances of city agencies, making recommendations regarding proposed contracts, issuing reports on the state of the city economy, marketing and selling municipal bonds, managing city debt, and serving as managing trustee of the public employees’ pensions funds. The public advocate is first in line to succeed the mayor, and the office serves as a direct link between the electorate and city government, acting as a watchdog for New Yorkers.

Candidates speak

“Too many New Yorkers know that if you’re not wealthy or well-connected, then City Hall doesn’t hear your voice. And when City Hall fails to listen, regular New Yorkers, and especially people who are poor or homeless, pay the price. As Public Advocate, I’ll listen to people who are HIV-positive and the organizations that serve them, and then implement solutions to help make government work better.” said Gioia, in a response to a questionnaire submitted to the candidates about HIV/AIDS care, housing and services that was posted on AIDSVote 2009.

Other candidates who have thus far submitted questionnaires are de Blasio, Mark Green, Siegel, Zablocki, Katz, Mendola and Yassky.

Some notable results from the surveys:

• Most of the candidates for both offices are calling on Bloomberg to re-establish the Mayor’s Office of AIDS Policy, which he dismantled. Currently the New York City Department of Health is charged with coordinating AIDS services, though communication with the Human Resources Administration, the Department of Homeless Services and other departments that deal with AIDS care is notoriously fragmented.

An Office of AIDS Policy would also get the Ryan White Planning Council, which influences the spending of more than $100 million in federal money for New York City, out from under the thumb of the DOH.

• de Blasio is the only candidate for who does not support HASA for All legislation, which would extend housing assistance to poor people with HIV before they get sick (currently, you must have a serious AIDS-related illness). HASA for All legislation is currently languishing in City Hall in de Blasio’s committee.

All other candidates disagreed. “I strongly support the passage of Intro 691 [HASA for All] which would qualify asymptomatic individuals for housing and other support services,” said Green.” When those with AIDS have to stop taking their medicine in order to be sick enough to qualify for benefits, something is seriously wrong… Intro 691 will not cost the City money due to decreased hospital and shelter costs. Indeed, it could save the City money.”

• Public Advocate candidate Norm Siegel believes that every agency that gets public funding should have consumers on their boards of directors. This has been a thorny issue for AIDS groups.

• Comptroller Candidate David Yassky, whom the Times endorsed this week, calls for the establishment of a task force to address HIV/AIDS issues and concerns.

The forum is sponsored by AIDSVote 2009, a coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS and Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Housing Works, Lower East Side Harm Reduction, the New York City AIDS Housing Network, Village Care and other AIDS and harm reduction service providers.

AIDSVote 2009 will host a similar mayoral race forum before the general election in November. Details on that forum will be available later in the year.

Posted on August 28, 2009 at 1:22 am

OUR MISSION Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.

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