We received this anonymous note today:
"yesterday in Senate Finance, $15 million was "pended" for maintaining service levels in the HIV Medication Program to avoid a projected shortfall in FY 2007. This would be the time to have appropriate people to contact their Senator to urge the inclusion of this money in the appropriations bill as recommended."
'Pended' is political jargon for 'cut that shit out in committee.' I think that's a great idea! Let's cut funding for HIV Meds in Texas. Especially since according to this KVUE news story (sub requ'd or use bugmenot.com)
The HIV infection rate has doubled among blacks in the United States over a decade while holding steady among whites - stark evidence of a widening racial gap in the epidemic, government scientists said Friday.
What do we care if the Lege cuts funding for Meds to a population that is in the most need? Oh wait, they do that all the time. Poor people, children, black people, hispanics...good thing we're white...otherwise we might call the Senate Finance Committee ourselves! Whew...it's good to be whitey!
Click here to get contact information for members of the Senate Finance Committee. Note that our friend Judit Zaffirini is Vice-Chair...and we already know that at the very least her staff will have to log your call.
Was it $15 or $50? I was listening but not there, so I really am asking that question. Old and deaf.
And my impression, too, was that it was going to come back up for discussion.
It will be funded. There was a split on it early, mainly because of some ongoing issues with how incredibly irresponsible some of the local governments have been with federal AIDS/HIV dollars and because some R's have issues with how the program is structured. However, there is general consensus that this should be funded.