You may have heard that Governor McDonnell put forward his own recommendations for budget reductions this past Wednesday.  That part is True.

And if you read about his proposals in the paper, you didn't see one item that is included –

Believe it or not, Governor McDonnell's recommendations include cutting the SPAP program's state general fund dollars by 50%.  That's right — CUT from $200,000 to just $100,000!  That's on top of the cuts proposed by former Gov. Kaine.

Neither one of these proposed cuts is final!

Now that Governor McDonnell's proposals have been made, the House and Senate budget committee members must still decide how they will change the budget put forward by Governor Kaine in December.

What does all that mean?

It means that we are STILL ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR RESTORATION OF THE $85,000 THAT GOVERNOR KAINE CUT to keep the SPAP funding at $285,000.

It is still NOT TOO LATE for you to contact your Delegate and your Senator to SUPPORT RESTORATION OF FUNDING TO THE STATE PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Find out how to contact your Delegate and Senator here — Who Is My Legislator?

And thank you for making this very important call today!

Sue

SPAP Reduction Impacts

Advocates from Northern Virginia visit with Del. Gear of Hampton

[Click Title To See Pictures!]  VORA's 2010 AIDS Awareness Day on February 3rd brought over 40 Virginians to Richmond.  Every one was here to advocate for the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, or SPAP.

We walked the halls of the General Assembly Building together to visit with Delegates, Senators, and their aides.  Our stories were about the great benefit that is achieved through publicly funded HIV-medication programs like SPAP — both in treatment and in prevention.

Ron Scheraga and Sen Patsy Ticer of Alexandria

This year, we were joined by PSI — the state's contractor that administers the SPAP program.  They were able to inform AAD participants on the details of how the SPAP program works, and the impact of any budget cuts.  In addition, the Virginia Department of Health helped us to quantify the impact of SPAP reductions on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) — their WILL be waiting lists!

First Time Advocate with Budget Conferee Joannou of Virginia Beach

It's not too late for you to make your voice heard, too!  Want more info?  Write to us today — INFO@VORAonline.org

Mark your calendar and join with other Virginians JUST LIKE YOU –

Until then, call, visit, and write your own Delegate and Senator to tell them that 1,200 new HIV cases/year are too many.  For help, 100 Visits.

Together we'll remind our Virginia Delegates and Senators that well over 20,000 Virginians are living with the HIV Virus.

In fact, until we make a change, you can be sure that around 1,200 more Virginians will get HIV before our State Delegate and Senator return for the 2011 General Assembly Session.  How many more?

See you in February!

Sue

Mark Your Calendar to come to Richmond on Wednesday, February 3rd.

TODAY, Find Your Own Legislator and please send a personal note to both your Delegate and Senator about the need for HIV prevention and treatment services where YOU live!

To check the status of 2009 Legislation of interest to persons living with HIV, click here and follow the links to VORA's annual Legislative Tracking pages.

As soon as the 2010 Legislation begins to be posted, you will be led to THAT page.

Del. O'Bannon received this award for many of his legislation actions intended to support improved prevention, and for bringing to Virginia's  Joint Commission on Health Care presentations about HIV. He asked the Chair that the Health Department and VORA speak to the Commission about HIV/AIDS in Virginia today, and we did. Del. O'Bannon  agrees with us that the incidence of new HIV infections in Virginia must be reduced!

In accepting the award, Delegate O'Bannon admonished us all that now it is our turn to act!!  Only when we all talk with our own Delegate and Senator will we be able to cause Virginia's policies to improve.  Delegates and Senators hear about many other problems in Virginia, but RARELY hear anything about HIV/AIDS.  Only when we speak, he told us, will the full General Assembly turn its attention to supporting effective prevention and treatment programs.

Are you ready to turn your caring into action? Visit "100 Visits to Prevent AIDS" at this site, and find resources to help you.

Last month we made our presentation to Virginia's Joint Commission on Health Care, following Kathy Hafford from the Virginia Department of Health.  She told legislators that 1 in 370 Virginians are known to be living with HIV — that's about 21,000 people.  She also said that another 5,500 are infected, but don't know.  They don't know because they have not yet been tested.  Have you?

It's easy.  And to find out where — visit "HIV Testing Sites" right here.  Look for the city or county where you want to go, and find a clinic.  You can also find hours, fees (if any - most don't charge), languages that are spoken, and much more.

If the President can be tested, shouldn't we all?

• "It's about attitude.  There is still a strong stigma around HIV.  People in committed relationships make assumptions that their partners are faithful.
• "There is inadequate funding for prevention.  The stigma around HIV causes that.  Policymakers don't know, they don't want to see how HIV affects us all. 
• "We won't start talking about HIV with young people early enough.  Worse than that, we don't teach our young people how to value themselves.
• "We haven't bought into the prevention concept in our society.  Therefore, there is not the will to commit money for prevention to save money in treatment.
• "There remains a lack of knowledge in the rural areas of our state.  And ignorance about HIV is allowed to fester.
• "There is no Political Will to tackle HIV head-on.
• "HIV positive individuals do not advocate enough.  They could make an impact by sharing with others, but they do not take ownership themselves.  It's about disclosure.
• "HIV is still on the back burner in this country.  It's not mainstream.  HIV does not get any media coverage except on World AIDS Day and on HIV Testing Days.
• "People are people.  There will always be some HIV.  So we don't invest money into prevention.  We continue to deny the risk and maintain the risk - it's in our culture.
• "People believe they are invincible - "It won't happen to me!"
• "Abstinence-only prevention programs don't work.
• "There's a lot of HIV out there, in certain geographic areas of the state and within certain populations - there's a lot.
• "Because there is no perfect cure or method of prevention - we are all human.
• "People are not getting tested.  If they don't know their status, they won't have to think about changing their behavior.
• "There is indifference by politicians.  And of course, inadequate prevention funding.
• "There is a lack of education and information about HIV within our educational system.  The myth that kids "don't have sex" continues to influence what we teach our children.
• "Lack of understanding — and a lack of wanting to understand.
• "Because it's difficult to change behavior.
• "Our families, schools, and our government obstruct education about HIV.
• "The criminalization of laws and rules that silence persons living with HIV.  That hampers working with both HIV negative and positive people.
• "To the youth who have grown up with HIV always being there, it's "no big deal".  They carry around a misconception that we are not changing.
• "It's because we're testing more.  More people are finding out that they are positive. 
• "Politically, HIV is not an issue for the majority of the population - and that comes from prejudice and stigma.
• "We still target only the same high-risk groups.  We don't target the whole population, as we do with other chronic diseases."

Wow!!  There's a lot of insight here! 

We were running out of time, so we practiced how to get the attention of a legislator if all you had was time to "walk with me" and talk - What would you say in those first 5 seconds of a conversation if you only had that much time to get someone's attention?  Here are some of things the members of the CPG said ….

"Did you know that the U.S requires other countries that receive PEPFAR* funding to have an AIDS strategy, and we don't have one in this country?  Can I talk with you?"

"Did you now that there is a Strategy to End AIDS in Virginia?  When can I talk with you about that …"

"Do you have grandkids?  Do you know that they are at risk of acquiring HIV?  Can I meet with you to discuss that?"

"You have the power to make the rate of new HIV infections drop.  When can I meet with you to give you more details …"

"Do you know how many of your constituents have been lost to you because they've died of AIDS?  Can I talk with you …"

"Del. Xyzabc (and Sen. Abcxyz), you and I have met together before and I am one of your voting constituents. Can I talk with you about an issue that's important to me?"

Again, WOW!  Members of the CPG that were present committed to making two visits - one to their own Delegate, and one to their own Senator - either alone or with other constituents from their area. It really doesn't matter.  What matters is that THEY VISIT THEIR Del. & Sen.

How about you?  Do you also want to make HIV Prevention MAINSTREAM?  Do you also want the rate of new infections in Virginia to DROP? 

That can only happen when YOU ALSO commit! Tell us your name, address, and email address, and we will help you to make that commitment a reality. And THANK YOU.

Last time I wrote, I gave you some information about Town Hall meetings that Governor Kaine had scheduled around the state.  A few more have been added — and I want to make sure that if you live nearby, you are aware of these now — They are listed at the end of this email.

These meetings are EXCELLENT opportunities for YOU to speak directly to GOVERNOR KAINE and members of his staff — live and in person!! — about issues important to you — Such as funding for HIV prevention and treatment services in our state!

And whatever other topics you'd like to talk about –

Please — Spread the word to your friends, family, co-workers, church members, brothers / sisters, neighbors — anyone !!

Take just one evening and talk directly with the Governor about what is important to you.

And if you go, please let us know — We'd love to hear what responses you get from the Governor!

Thanks!

Sue

Begin forwarded message:

Monday, March 17
Where: Roanoke
Patrick Henry High School- Auditorium
2102 Grandin Road Southwest
When: 6:30 p.m-8 p.m.
 
Wednesday, March 19
Where: Norfolk
Virginia Wesleyan College- Dining Center
1584 Wesleyan Drive
When: 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
 
Thursday, March 20
Where: Front Royal
Skyline High School- Cafeteria
151 Skyline Vista Drive
When: 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Susan R. Rowland, MPA 

Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS

PO Box 4780

Woodbridge, VA 22194-4780

703-626-7392

703-494-1489 (fax: Woodbridge)

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