Schwarzenegger Cuts $500 Million

On Tuesday, July 28^th, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a budget proposal making an additional $500 million in cuts.

The additional cuts will impact child welfare programs, children’s healthcare, the elderly, state parks, and AIDS prevention and treatment. These cuts are significantly larder than what the Governor had originally negotiated with the legislation.

Democratic Party individuals in the Assembly and Senate were upset with the Governor’s decision, but he says that the cuts are necessary and proper, as Schwarzenegger called the budget “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” The governor says that the “good” is that taxes will not be raised, and the government will be more efficient due to its reform and elimination of boards and commissions. The “bad” part is the extreme cuts that are made to state programs that will hurt millions of Californians. The “ugly” involves new reductions made by the Governor.

Out of the $500 million, $80 million was taken that pays for workers who help abused and neglected children, $50 million from Healthy Families who provides healthcare to children in low-income families, $50 million from services for developmentally delayed children under 3 years old, $16 million from domestic violence programs, and $6.3 million from services that assist the elderly.

Ted Lempert, the president of the advocacy group Children Now, spoke about the cut to Healthy Families and called it “particularly galling.” “A struggling family puts their kids first…What the Governor and what the state has done is the opposite.”

Karen Bass (D- Los Angeles), Assembly Speaker and Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Senate leader, are questioning Schwarzenegger’s changes. They both states that they would want to reinstate the cuts after their recess. Bass referred to the Governor as “so eager to tear down the safety net that he appears willing to break the law to do it.” She puts the blame of the Governor for rejected taxes on oil and tobacco instead of “the sick, the young, the elderly, and battered women.”

Even though the Governor signed the proposal, he still said that the state will have more financial troubles.

The new plan will affect everyone with its reductions in K-12 education, state colleges and universities, healthcare, and assistance for the elderly and poor.

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Antidepressants and HIV

At the Fifth International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference, a study showed that antidepressant drugs can help ease symptoms of fatigue, even in HIV positive individuals who are not depressed.

Fatigue and depression are associated with one another. People who feel fatigued often have depression, and people who are clinically diagnosed with depression experience fatigue.

Bruno Spire, PhD, from the Université Aix-Marseille, in France, collected and studied data from a group of patients who had HIB and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Most of the patients were in HIV treatment, and none of them had opportunistic infections or were on HCV therapy. They were asked by researchers about fatigue and depression symptoms, their use of antidepressant drugs, and their social support groups.

Spire and his colleagues discovered that people with higher depression symptoms had a worse case of fatigue, and that depressed individuals taking antidepressants experienced less fatigue than those not taking any antidepressants. Those who were not clinically depressed but were still taking antidepressants had less fatigue than those who were not depressed and not on any antidepressant.

Spire and his researchers stated than screenings for fatigue and depression and help with them has the possibility of improving the lives of people living with HIV and HCV.

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HIV Positive Women and Menopause

At the Fifth International AIDS Society (IAS) Conference, a study was presented that found out that women who are HIV positive may experience menopause earlier than other women who are HIV negative.

With the help of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, individuals living with HIV’s life spans have drastically improved. More people than ever are living into their 50s and 60s, which is the time when most HIV negative women enter menopause. Although this is not official, researchers have discovered that HIV can speed up the aging process. With this data, there are a number of concerns that this can cause women to experience menopause younger than they usually should.

Myriam Pommerol, MD from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Bordeaux, in France, conducted research and surveyed 404 HIV positive women between ages 19 and 79. Pommerol and her colleagues determined that 17% of the women already went through menopause, and many more were experiencing it naturally at the time. She concluded that menopause occurred in up to 72% of women ages 50 and up , 21% of women between 45-49, 3.5% of women between 40-44, and less than 1% of the time in women younger than 40.

During her almost 9 year follow up if the research, 41 of the women experienced menopause. The average age of onset was 46 years old, which is earlier and younger than women who are HIV negative. Some features that are involved with early menopause are African descent, injection drug use history, and CD4 counts fewer than 200.

The study was not completed controlled, as the researchers did not have a control group of HIV negative women, and studied past surveys rather than a scientific assessment. The study does show than HIV positive women experience menopause at an earlier stage than HIV negative women.

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Camp Courage

"I had dinner recently with someone who expressed her strong support for Proposition 8 -- the ballot measure that eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry.

We talked and talked, and I listened and she listened. By the end of dinner, she had changed her mind somewhat, if not her heart. While she still couldn't express support for same-sex marriage, she knew she could no longer deny that right to others.

This experience demonstrated to me that there's a power that comes in listening, in reaching out, in trying to find that common ground that's so necessary for the change we want.

With the fate of marriage equality back in the hands of California voters, we have a unique opportunity as a community to help people understand what marriage equality means and to change the hearts and minds necessary to repeal Prop 8.

I am confident that Californians will have a change of heart and overturn this unjust ban at the ballot box. But first, we need to tell our stories to voters and help the majority of our neighbors understand the real, painful, human impact of Prop 8 across our state.

That's why I am inviting you to participate in Camp Courage East Los Angeles-- a transformative training event on August 1-2 for marriage equality activists of all kinds, experienced or new to the movement. Just click one of the links below to register before space rusn out. DEADLINE: Friday at 10 a.m.:

ENGLISH

SPANISH

As I have said before, the fight for equality is not about morality or religion, our schools or our places of work. It's about real people and real human beings. It's about men and women trying to lead successful lives with those they love. It's about parents hoping to raise a family and ready to accept the responsibilities of a lifelong commitment.

We need to tell these stories. And that's what Camp Courage is all about. Modeled after "Camp Obama," Camp Courage uses the "Story of Self" to transform personal experiences -- each participant's unique inspiration for supporting marriage equality -- into compelling and authentic narratives that can persuade undecided voters.

Camp Courage has received amazing reviews from participants -- most rating it a 9 (on a scale of 1 to 10) -- following recent trainings in Los Angeles, Fresno, San Diego and Oakland.

This will be an unforgettable experience. If you don't want to miss Camp Courage East L.A. on August 1-2, please make sure you register now before it fills up. Just click on one of those links below before Friday at 10 a.m.:

ENGLISH

SPANISH

To win back marriage equality, we need to change hearts and minds across California. That means reaching out to people who don't agree with us and having serious conversations about the effect of denying someone the fundamental right to liberty and happiness and the right to marry -- and the second-class citizenship that denial denotes.

That's why I hope you can be at Camp Courage East L.A. on August 1-2.

Thanks for helping the Courage Campaign bring full equality to California and our country.

Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor of Los Angeles"

HIV Funding in Danger

Governor Schwarzenegger is still presenting signs and signals for his intention to cut $80 million from HIV/AIDS services. This can severely damage HIV/AIDS prevention programs and care throughout the state of California.

Please act now and contact the Governor’s office. Tell him about the importance to maintain and support HIV/AIDS resources and programs, and that he should not reject any extra funds to the State Office of AIDS.

Starting on Friday, July 24th, The State Legislature may support the budget deal that has been decided on by the Governor, Assembly, and Senate. The proposal will consist of reductions to state HIV/AIDS services that were predictable due to an economic climate that requires budget cuts in every section of state and local government.

The Governor still has time to reevaluate the option of getting rid of these more modest cuts in favor of his original proposal to remove many of these fundamental programs. Once the Governor has vetoed budget line items and signed the bill, these changes may be permanent.

Click here to Download the state budget crisis brief #2 to remind you of what these cuts involve. These cuts have potential to halt or end programs like Therapeutic Monitoring Program (TMP), HIV surveillance, Early Intervention Programs (EIPs), HIV counseling and testing, home and community-based care, and other necessary HIV prevention endeavors.

Please act now!

Contact Information:

Phone: (916) 455-2841

Fax: (916) 558-3160

Email: http://gov.ca.gov/interact

Other News

On July 22nd, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) publicized that there will be housing assistance grants available for low-income families who are also HIV positive. There will be $310 million that will be of service to 58,000 U.S families. Some organizations that will be distributed grants are the Gregory House Programs of Honolulu ($1.3 million), the Frannie Peabody Center in Portland, Maine ($1.3 million), the city of Portland, Maine ($1.4 million), New Hampshire (over $716,000), and the Burlington Housing Authority in Vermont (over $392,000).

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According to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, many people who test positive for HIV are diagnosed later in the course of their infection when treatment may be less effective. In a report by Reuters Health, data was taken of individuals who were diagnosed between 1996 and 2005. 45% of people developed AIDS within three years of their diagnosis, 6.7% were diagnosed within two years, and 38.3% were diagnosed within only one year of their HIV test. "R. Luke Shouse of CDC's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said, "This means that they may have unknowingly transmitted HIV. It also means that there is a time when they had HIV when they were not under appropriate medical care, so there are missed opportunities for prevention and care."" Another CDC report concluded that 12.9% of all high school students have been tested for HIV.

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A new study by the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University has found that "a receptor molecule involved in the recognition of HIV-1 responds to the virus differently in women than in men," might "explain why HIV infection progresses faster to AIDS in women than in men with similar viral loads." The study also discussed that in the early periods of the infection, the women's immune system responds stronger to HIV than men's immune system. HIV also progresses into AIDS more rapidly in women. The differences in the immune systems shows differences in T-cell activation, which causes the disease to progress. By looking into immune activity separately from replication can help find new approaches for treating HIV.

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On July 19^th, the Department of Justice discussed a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They spoke out and said that it is unethical to bar people for job positions, trainings, or licenses because of their HIV/AIDS status. Some of these occupations are barbers, masseuses, and home health workers. The AP/Los Angeles Times states that, “The government says that type of regulation is outdated and was not intended to bar people with HIV. The original goal of such a rule was to prevent the spread of tuberculosis and other diseases, not prevent people with [HIV] from working in certain fields.”

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Tell the Governor to Sign a Budget Without Additional Cuts to HIV Programs

It’s not too late to tell Governor Schwarzenegger about your views on California’s growing budget crisis. Tell him about the importance of signing a budget that protects HIV programs so they don’t get cut altogether.

Governor Schwarzenegger intended to make an $80 million cut to programs that assist low-income California residents with HIV/AIDS, and also make cuts to other programs that decrease the number of new HIV infections.

Legislators discarded the Governor's plan and instead decided on $35 million in cutbacks from AIDS programs through targeted reductions and available funds.

Send a message to Governor Schwarzenegger and tell him to sign a budget so HIV/AIDS programs do not lose any more money for resources. Call or send the Governor an email as soon as possible. Explain to him the importance of signing a budget that keeps Californians with disabilities, including HIV, healthy and secure.

Health Care Reform

Out of the 1.1 million HIV positive Americans, over 1/3 of them are living without any type of insurance. Half of Americans who are HIV positive are not receiving adequate health care coverage.

Health care reform must be put into action to help individuals living with HIV so they do not continue to live without insurance. Some plans to benefits those living with HIV are:

1. A public plan option
2. A minimal benefits package available in public and private insurance agencies
3. Increase Medicaid coverage and requirements for childless adults, or living 200% below the poverty line, and are HIV positive
4. Prevention requirements and coverage for services and programs, which include an increase in HIV screenings.


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Funding for HIV

According to aidsaction.org, every 9.5 minutes, a new American is infected with HIV. The CDC states that there are 56,300 HIV infections each year. The CDC has also estimated that for each HIV infection, it would cost over $1,000,000. The infection rate has been increasing every year. In the past couple years, HIV/AIDS funding has been minimal amount of money for care, prevention, treatment, and research.

With a limited amount of funding, different organizations and programs will keep suffering. Some of these organizations are the Ryan White Program, Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS, and even teaching comprehensive sex education to schools. Research at the Centers for Disease Control has been put on hold due to lack of funding as well.

The CDC is requesting 877 million dollars in the 2009 Fiscal Year, and over the next 5 years, an additional 4.8 billion dollars to take in hand the HIV crisis.

The U.S has been extremely active in the fight against AIDS, and it’s important to help influence policy makers and our government officials to join in.

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Elimination of Ban on Federal Funding for Syringe Exchange

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans contract HIV as well as hepatitis C from the use of sharing syringes. For every used needle an injection drug user brings into a certain location, they are able to receive a clean needle in return. The Centers for Disease Control have created a syringe exchange program. This will help prevent HIV by providing clean syringes at a low price.

Since 1989, Congress has removed funding for syringe exchange programs, even though there is proof that these programs lower the contraction of HIV between drug users who inject.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor excluded the banning for federal funding of syringe exchange programs in the 2010 Fiscal Year appropriations bill. On Friday, July 17th, the entire Appropriations Committee will be voting on the bill. Some new laws may be introduced that could possibly reinstate the ban.

Please contact your Representatives on the Appropriations Committee and speak to them about your views on the bill, the importance to block any reinstatement, and request their support for syringe exchange programs.

Source

Funding for NOLP and Treatment Education

The Priorities & Planning Commission of the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV met on Tuesday, June 23^rd, to re-evaluate its prior recommendation to get rid of fedeal Ryan White CARE Act funding for food pantry programs and treatment education services for low income people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County.

With the help of the clients and staff from APLA, the committee has voted to reverse its recommendation and instead maintain a federal funding allocation for nutritional support programs, including NOLP. The committee has also proposed that the commission begin a complete analysis of Los Angeles County's available food resources to verify the quality and quantity of food alternatives, in case funding be reduced or eliminated in the future.

Unfortunately, the committee also voted not to change its decision to defund treatment education programs, stating that such services are already provided by case managers, doctors, and pharmacists. APLA's treatment educators act as a fundamental link between clients and care, and many times serve as the first point of entry for people not currently accessing services.

Tuesdays vote is not binding. Instead, it reflects a new recommendation to the full commission, which will discuss the issue again at its July 9^th meeting. We will continue to advocate for each of our programs, and we invite you to join us at the upcoming meeting.

Four ways you can respond to Governor Schwarzenegger's LA Times Article about California's Budget Crisis

1. Read the article and cast your vote in the poll. Go here

2. Write a letter to the LA Times to express your opinions about Governor Schwarzenegger's article. Please send letters to: letters@latimes.com

3. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family to get involved by voting in the poll and writing letters. You can contact the Governor by becoming a "supporter" of his on Facebook. Please go to: www.facebook.com/joinarnold

4. Thursday, July 9th, is the Call In Day of Action. Participate by calling and faxing to all of the Governor's offices:

Sacramento: Phone: (916) 445-2841 Fax: (916) 558-3160
Los Angeles: Phone: (213) 897-0322 Fax: (213) 897-0319
Inland Empire: Phone: (951) 680-6860 Fax: (951) 680-6863
San Diego: Phone: (619) 525-4641 Fax: (619) 525-4640
Central Valley: Phone: (559) 445-5295 Fax: (559) 445-5328
San Francisco: Phone: (415) 703-2218 Fax: (415) 703-2803

Other Contact Information:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: Phone: (916) 445-2841
Pro Team Darrell Steinberg: Phone: (916) 651-4006
Speaker Karen Bass: Phone: (916) 319-2047
Minority Senate Leader Dennis Hollingsworth: Phone: (916) 651-4036
Minority Assembly Leader Sam Blakeslee: Phone: (916) 319-2033