HIV grants were among the $463 million Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently cut from the state budget to help fund his health care plan. His action eliminated all HIV/AIDS earmarks and cut $500,000 for HIV testing expansion.

The governor's move cut $70,000 from Better Existence with HIV (BEHIV); $50,000 from Vital Bridges; $100,000 from the Howard Brown Health Center for HIV Prevention; $70,000 from Chicago House for housing and job training; and more than $154,000 from Bonaventure House.

Eric Nelson, BEHIV's Executive Director, said the governor's cuts concentrated on projects favored by Democrats but, to curry favor, left alone projects favored by Republicans. He pointed out that the money approved for a Romeoville bike trail - $500,000 - would have covered all the HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts eliminated as "pork."

John Peller, Director of Government Relations at AIDS Foundation of Chicago, acknowledged that Blagojevich faced "a real Catch 22" but should not have sacrificed resources for AIDS and school-based health care in order to fund his health care plan. "These priorities have been pitted against each other," he said.

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