Protesters Rally Over Paterson's HIV/AIDS Rent Protection Veto

Paterson voting at the Primaries. (Governor David A. Paterson's Flickr)

Health advocates, Democrats, and those who would benefit from a bill that would have included patients with HIV/AIDS in rent cap protections gathered outside of Governor Paterson's NYC office this morning to protest his veto. Many patients say they can't afford to pay high rents with their disability. Protester James Dean, who pays 62% of his monthly disability income towards rent, said at the rally, "Even though I’m in a rental assistance program, I’m constantly forced to rob Peter to pay Paul. One month I pay the gas and telephone bill and the next month I pay the light bill, all the while hoping that nothing gets shut off."

The bill would have included 10,000 city residents affected with HIV/AIDS in a program that caps the amount paid for rent at 30% of the person's income. And though Paterson called the action his “most difficult veto," members of the NYC AIDS Housing Network are calling Paterson short sighted. Director Sean Barry said in a statement, “Governor Paterson knows this bill would have immediately begun saving our state money by keeping people in their homes and out of HASA’s expensive shelter system...Tragically, he instead caved to misguided pressure from Mayor Bloomberg, whose administration utterly lacks credibility on these issues."

Christine Quinn called the veto a "terrible mistake," and asked Paterson to reconsider. She told the Wall Street Journal (paywall), "We cannot ask people with AIDS in the city of New York who we are legally responsible to house in these cases to live on $11 a day." Paterson has pledged to sign the bill if legislature made $20 million in other budget cuts, but Mayor Bloomberg stood behind his veto, calling it "difficult and wise."

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By Jaya Saxena in News on September 20, 2010 12:26 PM

Comments [rss]

John L

Mayor Bloomberg stood behind his veto, calling it "difficult and wise."

Our philanthropist mayor caring for the less fortunate once again.

I don't know where I stand on this issue but it never ceases to amaze me how Bloomberg is ALWAYS against the poor and less fortunate.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Quinn was against it before

Citing a recent spat with leading HIV/AIDS organizations over her refusal to support legislation that would open city-sponsored housing to low-income and homeless HIV-positive New Yorkers, regardless of their AIDS diagnosis, Kirtzman asked whether Quinn would have made the same decision before she was Speaker. She replied, “You end up in this position having to look at things through additional prisms. It’s not just my district anymore that I think about when having to make decisions.” However, she pointedly added, “I don’t like disagreeing with people with whom I have almost always agreed.”

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2007/11/_politicians_on.php

ItchyGoiter

"members of the NYC AIDS Housing Network are calling Paterson short sighted."

nicemarmot

Wait, what? Is there some kind of allowance for people with disabilities already? If not, what makes people with AIDS special? I don't see the city trying to help unemployed cancer victims stay in their homes.

inoyourider

Why is the city legally responsible to house these people, as Quinnn says?

corbindallas

Cant think of any reason my tax money has to go subsidize anyone to live in Manhattan. For any reason at all. Only for the simple fact that there are cheaper places to live near mass transit.