Latinos Reacts to NY Gov's Budget Proposal

NEW YORK  – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has unveiled his plan for the 2011-12 budget for New York State, in which he outlined a number of reductions in order to decrease the budget deficit. As we begin to address the financial crisis with the new administration, the Latino Commission on AIDS understands that we are in a difficult fiscal crisis in New York State. Our main concern, however, is that while we address this budget crisis, the pain of the cuts must be shared across the board. More than ever, we need Governor Cuomo to both protect and advocate for those most in need. We must make sure that the most vulnerable in our communities do not bear all the burden of the budget cuts.

During these difficult times, The Latino Commission on AIDS reaffirms its commitment to work with partners and community members with HIV and AIDS to protect and defend life saving treatment and care that are necessary to the lives of so many New Yorkers. As we go about this work, we must invite the Governor to do the same. During his first State of the State speech, Governor Cuomo emphatically stated that he wanted to “not just rebuild this New York, let’s make this New York bigger and stronger and better and sweeter than it has ever been before.” We will not be able to become the greatest state in the union if New Yorkers lack the basic infrastructure to both prevent disease and improve their health. Guillermo Chacón, President of the Latino Commission of AIDS agrees: “A sick New York can not be a great New York.”

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ABOUT THE LATINO COMMISSION ON AIDS
The Latino Commission on AIDS (Commission) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1990 dedicated to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino/Hispanic communities. The Commission is the leading national Latino AIDS organization coordinating National Latino AIDS Awareness Day and other prevention and advocacy programs across the United States and its territories. For more information visit: www.latinoaids.org or www.nlaad.org. UNIDOS PODEMOS / UNITED WE CAN