BILL THOMPSON TO ATTACK MAYOR’S AIDS POLICY AT RAUCOUS RALLY AT BLOOMBERG H.Q.
What: Rally protesting Mayor Bloomberg’s refusal to state his positions on critical AIDS issues and protesting the Mayor’s failed AIDS policies
Who: Comptroller candidate Bill Thompson; speakers and representatives from Housing Works, the Women’s HIV Collaborative and other groups; 75 to 100 people living with HIV
When: Tuesday, October 20, 12:30 PM
Where: 111 West 40th Street (betw. B’way and 6th Ave) outside Bloomberg’s campaign headquarters
Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson will speak at a rally outside of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s campaign headquarters TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 20. Organized by Housing Works and the Women’s HIV Collaborative, the rally will protest Bloomberg’s refusal to state his positions on an array of pressing AIDS issues before the upcoming November election. The rally will also take Bloomberg to task for failing to reform New York City’s outdated AIDS housing policies and attempts to cut HIV-prevention funding.
Bloomberg not only turned down an invitation to participate in an AIDS-focused mayoral forum sponsored by AIDSVote.org, a coalition of New York City AIDS groups, but also refused to fill out AIDSVote.org’s candidate questionnaire. Thompson agreed to participate in the debate and filled out the candidate questionnaire, available at AIDSVote.org.
Every candidate for New York City Public Advocate and Comptroller either participated in an AIDSvote.org forum or filled out and an AIDSVote questionnaire.
“Mayor Bloomberg does not want to fill out the AIDSVote questionnaire because he is trying to dupe New Yorkers into thinking that he has provided leadership in the fight against AIDS. His website, which barely mentions AIDS, reflects the reality of Bloomberg’s neglect of the crisis. The Mayor has systematically tried to cut funding for AIDS housing and HIV prevention,” said Housing Works President and CEO Charles King.
According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, there are nearly 20% more New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS than when Bloomberg first took office. In 2001, there were 85, 329 New Yorkers living with the disease. As of June 30, 2008, the number was 104, 234.
AIDS groups are particularly angry with the Mayor for failing to reform the City’s backward policy of letting people fall seriously ill before they qualify for AIDS housing. Legislation called HASA for All that would provide housing to all homeless New Yorkers living with HIV is before the City Council.
The AIDSVote questionnaire seeks answers from Bloomberg on a number of other issues including helping illegal immigrants access AIDS treatment and care, HIV prevention in prison’s and the city’s reliance on substandard SRO hotels to house homeless New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS.
The overall direction of the city’s approach to AIDS is also at stake in this year’s Mayoral election. Bloomberg put the coordination of many of the City’s AIDS services under the Department of Health, a move that has interfered with the ability of commissioners involved in AIDS policy to work together. Housing Works and other AIDS groups are pushing for the reestablishment of the Mayor’s Office of AIDS Policy, which would re-establish effective coordination, as well as allow the City’s Ryan White Planning Council, which influences the spending of more than $100 million in federal money, to operate more independently of DOH influence.
Posted on October 17, 2009 at 1:21 am
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