HOLD THE PHONE: Chicago HIV/AIDS Budget Still Being Reviewed

UPDATE: THE REPORTS HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIATED BY THE IDPH, ACCORDING TO REP. GREG HARRIS. PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR AND DR. ARNOLD AT ONCE!

Yesterday I posted that intense lobbying by advocates like Rep. Greg Harris, Sara Feigenholtz, Heather Steans and Mayor Daley, Governor Quinn (whose initial budget had included a 30%+ ax of AIDS funding) had used his discretionary funds to save the Illinois HIV/AIDS budget for the most part, and maintain funding at about 97% of what it had been.

Well, today, word has it that--while the across-the-board cuts are being minimized--for some reason the Chicago Health Department AIDS/HIV prevention budget is still under review. There is concern in the public health community and with Chicago area lawmakers like Rep. Greg Harris and his allies that funding may not be allocated "where science sees fit," referring to the new reports that new infection rates are exploding in Chicago, especially in communities of color.

Harris wonders: if 2/3 of the AIDS/HIV cases are in Chicago, "just what are they doing with the money?"

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4 Comments

Thanks for keeping us up to date on this issue, Phil!

Dana Rudolph | August 13, 2009 7:59 PM
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I'm not the one to thank. A little birdie contacted me with this. I thought everything was peachy!

Please contact the Governor, folks!!!

Phil Reese | August 13, 2009 8:16 PM
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Got a call this morning from Rep. Harris. What was speculation yesterday is fact today. The IDPH IS deciding on whether or not to make disproportionate cuts to Chicago Public Health in order to maintain 100% at downstate facilities, and will make their decision by next week. Though I'm a downstater, and we desperately need more funding here, certainly, and while we receive FAR less funding than ANYTHING Chicago out here, and a small 3% cut could be devastating for a program that only receives a few thousand dollars, Rep. Harris makes a great point. Rate of infection is increasing exponentially in Chicago. We can not afford, in this time of crisis, to burden their health system with disproportionate cuts. Everyone needs to saddle the burden of these 3% cuts together, unified, in order to stave off this growing problem. CALL GOVERNOR QUINN AND DR ARNOLD TODAY, PLEASE!

Phil Reese | August 14, 2009 9:54 AM
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Phil - thanks for posting this - thought you'd be interested in this post, which has more information on why the state's in this bind: http://aidsconnect.net/?q=content/blog/illinois-state-hivaids-funding-not-out-woods-yet-get-ready-over-2-million-budget-cuts