Yours In The Struggle

ramblings and other thoughts from Paul Kawata (pkawata@nmac.org)

Tuesday, February 6

NMAC Press Conference

NMAC held a press conference today at the National Press Club, in Washington, DC, on February 5, 2007 to announce the formation of the National Minority Policy Partnership on HIV/AIDS. Members of this coalition of social justic organizations include the NNACP, the National Urban League, the ACLU and the National Council of La Raza. Click here for more information, or here to see pictures from the event. (Pictured from left to right: Gem Daus, American and Pacific Islander Health Forum; Damon Dozier, National Minority AIDS Council; Javier Dominguez, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); Lizette Janesse Olmos, LULUAC; Brandy Thomhave, Indgenous Peoples Task Force)

CDC Funding Cut

February 5, 2007
From The Campaign For Public Health

Now that the details of the President’s fiscal year 2008 (FY08) Budget Request to Congress are available, CPH has analyzed the Administration’s request and updated the CPH budget tracking sheet with the agency’s newly proposed funding levels. We have also added the OMB estimates for the 2007 Joint Resolution to the chart. PDF of the chart.

First, the FY07 Joint Resolution cuts CDC’s core programs from last year’s levels. Further, it provides LESS FUNDING for the core programs of the CDC than either the FY07 House committee-passed or Senate-passed LHHS bills would have provided to the agency – had the Republican leadership been able to pass them in Congress last year. If dollars directed to Influenza preparedness efforts are excluded from the Joint Resolution totals (as they do not reoccur every year), the cut to the CDC’s core programs contained in the JR represents a 1.4 percent reduction in funding from FY06 funding levels. Funding for core programs in the Joint Resolution are a full 5.1 percent below the CDC’s funding levels from FY05.

The Administration’s request to Congress makes matters even worse. In the President’s budget proposal, core programs drop to $5.824 billion from a high water mark of $6.321 billion in FY05. This represents a cut to CDC’s core programs of 7.9 percent from FY05. The FY08 request to Congress is half a billion dollars below CDC’s FY05 funding levels.

Details found in the tracking chart include –
  • If Influenza funding is excluded, core funding in FY07 is $6.001 billion in the JR. By comparison, the House had proposed $6.153 billion and the Senate $6.076 billion for the same year.
  • Since 2005 (again, excluding Influenza funding), core CDC programs have dropped from $6.321 billion in FY05, to $6.088 billion in FY06, to $6.001 billion in the FY07 Joint Resolution and now to $5.824 billion in the President’s FY08 request to Congress.
None of these numbers account for the impact inflation is having on these totals.

One aspect of the FY07 Joint Resolution is more positive:
  • The State Department program, The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is likely to provide CDC with some additional funding (not shown in the Campaign’s chart of CDC’s ongoing funding streams).
The Campaign for Public Health’s letter to Congress calling for greater support for this critical agency will be posted to our site in the next few days.

Sunday, February 4

(RED) AIDS Fact #1

Join Red!

Patti LaBelle Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Why we love Patti! See her at our 20th Anniversary Dinner in November.

Bono's message for World AIDS Day

Why we love Bono!

Thursday, February 1

LEADING NATIONAL MINORITY ORGANIZATIONS COMMIT TO SPEAK WITH A UNIFIED VOICE ON HIV/AIDS

As HIV Devastates Communities of Color, New Policy Partnership Will Promote Unified Action on Capitol Hill, and in Communities Around the U.S.

WHO: Leaders of the following national organizations:
  • National Minority AIDS Council
  • ACLU LGBT & AIDS Project
  • Asian American Justice Center
  • Asian/Pac. Islander Health Forum
  • League of United Latin American Citizens
  • NAACP
  • National Congress of American Indians
  • National Council of La Raza
  • National Urban League
  • Rainbow/PUSH
  • United Church of Christ
WHAT: Announcement of the National Minority Policy Partnership on HIV/AIDS, a new advocacy coalition will unite some of the country’s largest and most powerful minority organizations to focus new attention on the epidemic in America’s communities of color. Today’s announcement coincides with the commemoration of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, February 7.

WHERE: National Press Club; 529 14th St. NW, 13th floor; Washington, DC

WHEN: Monday, February 5, 2007, 12:00 p.m.

WHY: Racial and ethnic minorities represent 72% of new U.S. AIDS cases. By uniting some of the most powerful organizations and most respected voices in the country, the National Minority HIV/AIDS Policy Partnership will significantly increase the impact of community of color voices in the national debate on HIV in our communities.

The Partnership will lobby at the local, state and federal levels to reduce the impact HIV/AIDS in minority communities; ensure full funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care; eliminate stigma and discrimination against black men who have sex with men; reduce the impact of incarceration as a driver of new infections; reduce the role of injecting drug use in sustaining the epidemic; and stabilize communities at risk. The Partnership will be an important, powerful, and united voice against AIDS in communities of color.

Latino Leaders Meet WITH CDC, ASK FOR STRONGER RESPONSE to HIV CRISIS

ATLANTA, GA– (December 15, 2006) On Wednesday December 13th, Latino leaders representing community based organizations from multiple states met with Dr. James Fenton, Director for the National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The discussion was centered around the CDC’s response to the increased infections of HIV in the Latino community across the nation. The HIV infection statistics in the Latino community are alarming. Latinos represent one in every five newly diagnosed HIV infections in the U.S.

“The meeting of Latino leaders with the CDC was an essential first step in addressing the needs of the Latino community,” stated Oscar De La O, President & CEO from BIENESTAR. “We look forward to a continued dialogue and a partnership to improve CDC’s response to this health crisis” Stated Dennis De Leon, President of Latino Commission on AIDS; Catalina Sol, Director of HIV Services from Clinica Del Pueblo in Washington, DC stated that "Our delegation was unified in speaking with one voice to Dr. Fenton in hope to a greater response to the AIDS epidemic," Stated members of a National Latino Delegation that meet with Dr. Fenton.

In this historical meeting, among the requests to CDC, Latino leaders sought for the following:
Request for Increased Communication: Dr. Fenton agreed to meet on at least a yearly basis with Latino Leaders. CDC also agreed to identify a liaison that would be the point person for issues related to HIV and Latinos.
Latino Consultation: CDC agreed to come up with a strategy within its strategic plan in which to focus on HIV issues specific to the Latino community. The proposed strategy would include capacity building, epidemiology, leadership involvement, research, and others. This plan would also take into account the diversity of the Latino community and issues such as bilingualism and other social, economic, and cultural issues.
Behavioral research journal: Leaders requested a CDC sponsored a journal to highlight behavioral research for Latinos. The journal would raise the visibility of research challenges concerning Latinos and HIV/AIDS.
Two day Latino social science consultation: Leaders requested that CDC consider funding a two day Latino social science consultation after the National HIV Prevention Conference taking place December 2-5, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia.

CDC agreed to most of the requests and also pledged to focus on Latino participation in the 2007 National HIV Prevention Conference by way of a Latino track and roundtable discussions. The two day Latino social science consultation was not yet confirmed and is being given further consideration.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is one of the thirteen major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans through the provision of essential human services.

Community Based Organizations Present Included: Clínica del Pueblo, Washington, DC; BIENESTAR, Southern California; The Latino Commission on AIDS, NY; Salud Latina/Latino Health, Chicago, IL; CPG, Puerto Rico, Mujeres Unidas Contra el SIDA, TX

NMAC Board Meeting In Salt Lake City


The next NMAC board meeting will be in Salt Lake City. We will meet February 16th & 17th. If you have any issues you want us to consider, please email me at pkawata@nmac.org

We will host a luncheon with our constituent organizations in Salt Lake during our board meeting. If you can attend the luncheon, please email Kim Ferrell (kferrell@nmac.org).

Computer Grant Program: Deadline Extended

The deadline for our computer grant program has been extended to February 23rd. I hope you will apply.

NMAC UNVEILS NEW LOGO, PROGRAM OF EVENTS TO COMMEMORATE


Anniversary Year Activities Will Pay Tribute to Heroes in the AIDS Response, Focus
National Attention on HIV in Communities of Color

HPLS


Be sure to save the date for this year's HIV Prevention Leadership Summit (HPLS), set for May 20-23, in New Orleans, LA, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Click on the links below for additional information for this year's event. If you need information sooner, contact HPLS organizers at: (202) 483-6622 or conferences@nmac.org.

Look for future volunteer opportunities. We hope folks will arrive early to help this community.

Patti LaBelle



Patti has agreed to sing at our 20th Anniversary dinner. It should be a lovely evening. More details to follow. Our dinner will be November 29th in Washington DC.

I'm Back

I am back. Sorry its been so long since my last post. I will try to catch up.