budget crisis

Responsible Budget Coalition
CALL-IN DAY
Monday, Jan 10th

We know you’ve called and emailed, but we need to keep the pressure up. Around America, nearly 1,800 people in 10 states can’t get the HIV medications they need to stay healthy and alive because of the woefully underfunded AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), and people with HIV in Illinois now face the same fate.

The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to wrap up this year's regular session this Friday, May 7.  Facing a $13 billion budget deficit, we need our state elected officials to step up and lead the way to a fair budget solution.  Tell your legislators to solve the state budget crisis now by voting for a responsible budget.  Send the message two ways:

1. Call 1-800-719-3020 to be connected to your state representative’s office (Find out who your legislator is by scrolling to the bottom of the page.) Leave this message: “We need you to step up and lead.  Raise new revenues to prevent budget cuts that will slash vital HIV/AIDS services and other life-saving programs. Support HB 174!” Even if you’ve called already, call again.

2. Fax your legislators. Tell them that access to HIV medications, prevention services, and care for people with HIV must be adequately funded in this year's budget. You can also download and share the message as a petition in English and Spanish.

Facing a grim state financial situation, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn Wednesday proposed a fiscal year 2011 state budget that underfunds HIV prevention and care services by nearly $22 million.  The budget plan relies on a mix of cuts to programs, borrowing, and federal funding.  Gov.

Via Chicago Free Press March 3, 2010

Job loss, program cuts, fears of more HIV infection. Call them the new economic realities for the agencies that serve the GLBT community.

Donations are down even at food pantries--like Vital Bridges (left) which serves Chicagoans living with HIV

Whether they’re helping Chicago GLBTs put food on the table, working to secure and defend their civil rights, offering HIV prevention services or serving the medical needs of the community; almost every GLBT non-profit in Chicago has been negatively impacted by the economy. Many experts fear this is only the beginning. “Every facet of life in the state for vulnerable people is going to be impacted,” predicts John Peller, Director of Governmental Affairs at AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

Governor Quinn released a preliminary budget outline on February 24 that highlights the consequences of the state budget disaster: $2 billion more in cuts to programs, a massive budget deficit, and $11 billion in unpaid bills. Taken together, the budget problems predict massive harm for vulnerable people, and particularly people with and at risk of HIV. 

But for the first time, you have the chance to publicly tell Governor Quinn what to include in his state budget proposal before it’s released next Wednesday, March 10. Visit budget.illinois.gov right now and ask for the following two things:

1. Tell Governor Quinn that people with and at risk of HIV need a responsible and balanced budget solution:

The Responsible Budget Coalition’s “We Can’t Wait” Campaign is now underway! Show lawmakers and everyone else how we are all hurt by the state's broken budget.

This campaign gives you an easy way to tell your story AND to mobilize your community to take action in support of tax reform that will (1) raise revenue and (2) make taxes fairer.

Check out the campaign video here!

Nine days into the new fiscal year, Illinois still doesn’t have a state budget in place.  What does this mean for people living with HIV/AIDS and other special needs? Without state funds, agencies can’t afford to keep the staff that provides essential services to Illinoisans with complex health conditions.