Los Angeles
County supervisors reject AIDS funding cut

The Los Angeles County board of supervisors last week rejected cutting spending on HIV prevention and treatment programs in the county despite facing a loss of nearly $1.9 million in federal Ryan White AIDS grants to the region. Los Angeles County received $34.9 million for the year, down $1.9 million--or 5.2%--from last year's grant. County officials had initially proposed cutting grants to local AIDS organizations by a corresponding 5.2% to offset the loss of federal funds. But at last week's hearing on the proposed 2006-2007 county budget, supervisors approved a motion instructing the county Office of AIDS Programs and Policy to identify alternative funding sources to sustain current HIV prevention and treatment services in the county. A second motion temporarily suspended the 5.2% in funding cuts to local AIDS organizations while OAPP works to identify new sources of revenue.

"At a time when an estimated 1,800 new infections will occur in Los Angeles County each year--most of these in communities of color--it is simply unacceptable for OAPP to have proposed cutting services instead of first looking to streamline its own bureaucracy and administrative costs," says AIDS Healthcare Foundation president Michael Weinstein in a press statement. "We thank the board for asking OAPP to identify alternative funding sources to make up for the $1.9 million shortfall rather than placing the burden on service agencies and, ultimately, on residents of Los Angeles County in need of these crucial HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services." (The Advocate)