Compassionate conservatism = death?

The Bush administration slashed San Francisco's federal AIDS budget by more than $4 million, a 12 percent cut and one of the biggest in the nation, which local health officials fear could land more people in the emergency room....

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson this week announced the new Ryan White CARE grants, which are doled out to the 51 metropolitan areas in the United States hit hardest by the AIDS-HIV epidemic....

In San Francisco, with about 15,000 AIDS and HIV patients -- the largest caseload in the Bay Area -- the funding cuts will affect legal aid, meal programs, transportation subsidies, substance abuse treatment and alternative health care, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, according to James Loyce Jr., the San Francisco's Department of Public Health deputy director, who oversees the AIDS office.

"The cuts are huge,'' Loyce said. "There's no way in the world I can tell you that the loss will not hurt. These are the kinds of services that keep people out of the hospitals and emergency rooms.'' ...

--San Francisco Chronicle

Cutting AIDS funding to San Francisco? That's sick, nasty, and bizarre.

Not everyone experienced cuts, however:

Only 11 of the 51 targeted metropolitan areas in the nation saw their allocation go up this year. Topping the list was New York City, with a 17.5 percent increase. Closer to home, Sacramento's new grant nears $3 million, an increase of almost 12 percent.

Hmm, let's see: New York has the GOP convention, plus a mayor who's a Republican and is not marrying gay people. And Sacramento has Arnold. But I'm sure none of this had the slightest impact on the allocation of funds....