Bay Windows - October 22, 2008
Ethan Jacobs, ejacobs@baywindows.com

Jason Smith, chair of the commission, explained to his fellow commissioners, who held their meeting at Andover High School, that he hoped to convince the Department of Public Health (DPH), which oversees most of the state's LGBT youth funding, not to slash the commission's administrative budget. The legislature formed the commission two years ago to assess the state of LGBT youth health and safety across the state, and earlier this year the commission hired Lisa Perry-Wood to serve as executive director to help facilitate the commission's work. Smith said he was worried that cuts to the commission's administrative budget could cripple its ability to carry out its mission. He also explained that even if DPH cut the commission's entire administrative budget there would still be a cut to services for LGBT youth.

"Even if we were able to cut the whole $120,000 [commission administrative budget]... you're still facing program cuts," said Smith.

He showed commissioners a PowerPoint slide featuring an illustration from an airline safety card showing an adult putting an emergency air mask on herself and then on her child. Smith said the commission's executive committee sees that as an apt metaphor for the commission's role in advocating for LGBT youth, and he said it was critical that the commission maintain its funding, even if it means that some programming takes a cut in the short term.

"You do this because without you putting yours on first you're in no condition to provide any assistance to [the child]. ... We have options that we're working on to restore the funding, think about mitigating program cuts, but without the commission's administration being in place it's not going to happen," said Smith.

Commissioners discussed options to find other sources of funding for LGBT youth programs, particularly within the LGBT community itself. Among the options bandied about were having the commission do direct fundraising or working to try to convince other organizations and members of the LGBT community to raise money to fund programs. Smith said the only way to secure youth programs for the long term was to make them less dependent on state funding.

"Frankly I think the GLBT community at large has the responsibility to stand up and fund its future," said Smith.

This year is not the first time LGBT and HIV/AIDS programs have suffered during state budget cuts. Back in 2001 and 2002 Acting Gov. Jane Swift cut millions of dollars from the state budget. HIV/AIDS programs lost tens of millions of dollars, and LGBT youth programming dropped from $1.6 million to $250,000. Under her successor, Gov. Mitt Romney, those programs suffered additional cuts, although they have begun to regain ground in recent years.

Grace Sterling Stowell, executive director of the Boston Alliance for GLBT Youth (BAGLY), said it is too soon to guess the impact of the current round of cuts. She said if DPH cuts from LGBT youth programs and distributes funding evenly across community organizations like BAGLY that receive LGBT youth funding, organizations could lose as much as $10 or $20 thousand dollars each, although she cautioned that that was a very loose estimate.

"For smaller programs that would be huge. That would be a staff person. ... It would be hard even for BAGLY, and it would be that much harder for many other programs," said Stowell. "This will not be a cut that won't be felt by anyone. Even the most supported organizations will have to figure out how to operate without part of their funding."

She said while the cut may be smaller in magnitude than cuts under Swift and Romney, the impact will still be dire because LGBT youth programs have not recovered from those earlier cuts. BAGLY coordinates the statewide network of Alliances of GLBT Youth (AGLYs), and she said under Swift and Romney the cuts were so severe that some AGLYs closed their doors. HIV/AIDS bureau reduces staff

On HIV/AIDS, DPH is working to minimize cuts to direct services. Kevin Cranston, director of DPH's HIV/AIDS Bureau, said the bureau is absorbing about $500,000 of the $1.5 million cut by making reductions in staffing, deferring plans to hire new staff for unfilled positions. The bureau will cut another $400,000 in non-service-related contracts, cutting funding for programs focused on research and evaluation, training, logistical support, and other areas that do not directly impact client services.

Cranston said DPH would make approximately $600,000 in cuts to services. Funding for home healthcare services for people with HIV/AIDS will take the biggest hit, with cuts to programs in western, southeastern and central Massachusetts. Cranston said there is less need for those programs than there was in the past, and the bureau will be working with clients to find access to other home healthcare programs to offset the loss in funding. The bureau will also make a substantial cut to funding for STD clinics. Cranston said he believes that with more Bay Staters receiving health coverage from the state's healthcare reform law, more people will be able to get screened through their primary care providers. He also said many HIV testing and counseling sites will also be able to do STD screenings.

Cranston said the rest of the cuts have been spread across prevention and education programs, counseling and testing, and client services, but he said none of those cuts should have a drastic effect.

"They should have minimal impact on client services," said Cranston. Rebecca Haag, executive director of AIDS Action Committee (AAC), said it is unclear how badly individual agencies will be impacted by the cuts, but she expects that most agencies will have to find ways to cut costs, as they did under Swift and Romney. She said most programs would try to minimize cuts to services as much as possible by cutting in other areas.

"Across the system we're very efficient and effective, and providers are going to start looking at mergers and strategic partnerships and other organizational ways to reduce costs," said Haag.

She said the impact of the cuts may go beyond the HIV/AIDS budget. She said cuts to other areas like substance abuse could also impact AAC clients.

"People with HIV are very dependent on housing programs and mental health programs and substance abuse programs, and I know the substance abuse programs took a hit," said Haag. "Our clients are also served by other line items and other departments and other services. ... We haven't been able to assess the full impact right now."

Mary Ann Hart, lobbyist for Project AIDS Budget Legislative Effort (ABLE), praised the Patrick administration for maintaining funding for a new effort to tackle racial and other disparities around HIV/AIDS and for trying to reduce cuts in other areas. She said HIV/AIDS advocates are being cautious for the time being and are worried about future cuts down the road.

"We're going to be hoping and working this year to try to prevent further cuts. ... It's widely believed there may be another round of cuts in January," said Hart.

Marc Solomon, executive director of MassEquality, which lobbied Patrick's administration not to cut funding for HIV/AIDS and LGBT programs, said that under the current budget climate some cuts were likely. He said despite the cuts to LGBT youth programs they are still funded at a 25 percent increase over the prior year.

"In the end I'm not surprised. I think these still represent strong support from the governor and the legislature for equality, and we're all in this extremely difficult economy and extremely difficult budget situation together," said Solomon.

Bill Conley, lobbyist for the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus (MGLPC) said that while the cuts will be painful, the Patrick administration is a much more supportive partner than previous administrations, particularly the Romney administration.

"Romney's regime was antagonistic toward LGBT program funding, and when he tried to veto our budget increases he was very specific about not allowing the agencies to try to make up for it in other ways," said Conley. He added that Patrick's cuts are "not draconian, and they leave us some room to maneuver. Having said that, each of the groups, Project ABLE and the youth commission, are still trying to figure out what all this means and how to cope with it and what the next steps are."

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BY081003

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