D.C. AIDS Group See City Cuts as Latest in Budget Funding Woes

District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams' proposal to cut $203 million from the city's budget to ward off a large deficit next year is yet another in a series of developments that threaten to harm local AIDS programs, officials with DC-area AIDS organizations said in late September.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the department's HIV/AIDS Administration, which funds most of the city's AIDS programs, is not slated for any cuts "at this time." But AIDS activists noted that Williams has called for a $14 million reduction in city Medicaid benefits and a $7 million cut in the city's Interim Disability Assistance program, both of which provide assistance to low-income people with HIV/AIDS.

Activists said the cuts come at a time when some local AIDS service organizations are facing income shortfalls caused by several developments. The Whitman-Walker Clinic, DC's largest private AIDS service provider, has been hit hardest, according to Executive Director Cornelius Baker. "We are facing a very serious challenge," Baker said, noting that Virginia and Maryland are also dealing with budget deficits that could lead to funding cuts for Whitman-Walker's offices there.

In a two-page memo to board members, WWC said it expects a deficit of $292,606 for fiscal year 2002 and $344,880 for the 15-month period ending Dec. 31, 2002. While adjustments to the projected income deficit have been made, no major cutbacks in programs or services are now planned, said WCC Communications Director Michael Cover.

The recession and the declining stock market have prompted some of the most loyal corporate donors and private foundations to reduce their annual contributions to WWC and other AIDS groups, officials said. At the same time, Baker said, Whitman-Walker's income from its annual AIDS ride dropped from about $1.6 million in 2001 to just $250,000 this year.

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