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SOUTHERN
^ ^ 1 I ^ I Good Intentions
VOCE
Vol. 2, No. 3
Taking Pride in Our Culture
March 30,1989
General Assembly Comes Through
at Last Minute to Aid PWAs
The last minute approval of a new one cent
sales tax by the Georgia General Assembly
gave legislators and lobbyists the opportunity to
push through a new Medicaid program that will
pay most medical expenses for indigent people
with AIDS (PWAs).
The Medically Needy, Blind and Disabled
Medicaid program approved by the General
Assembly was targeted by the Georgia AIDS
Legislative Coalition as its number one priority
at the beginning of the session in January. The
new Medicaid program will pay for medication,
physician's expenses, and hospitalization costs
of PWAs who qualify for the program,
according to Gil Robison, Coalition lobbyist
He said that the qualification protocol for this
program is less stringent than that for other
medical assistance programs previously
available in Georgia.
'If a person has an income of more than
$354 a month, they have an income that
disqualifies them for Medicaid. A lot of PWAs
are on Social Security Disability Income and
they will get perhaps ,.. $800/month, which
isn't enough at all to pay for medical
treatment," Robison said. The Medically Needy
program "allows a person to subtract his/her
medical expenses from their income to arrive at
the figure that's used to qualify the person for
Medicaid," he explained.
"The real impact (Medically Needy) is going
to have is on indigent PWAs who live outside
of Fulton and DeKalb, since there is a real
problem with the other 157 counties picking up
medical expenses (when the patient cannot
afford to pay)," Robison said. 'With Medically
Needy, we hope that... the state will be able to
deliver health care close to where people live."
Although the Medically Needy Program
will aid PWAs to a great extent, the program
was not designed specifically with them in
mind, Robison said. "At this point, (PWAs) are
relatively few in number, and are a small
percentage of the total number of people who
will be covered.” He speculated that this fact
may have blunted any AIDS-phobia that would
have normally been directed at a program that
helps PWAs.
The Georgia Department of Medical
Assistance estimates that the new program will
assist some 5,200 people per year in Georgia.
Among those lobbying for passage of the
Medically Needy program in addition to the
AIDS Coalition were the senior citizens lobby,
advocates for the mentally retarded, head injury
victims and the Georgia Hospital Association.
The program was only funded for the last
quarter of this next fiscal year, and will begin
operations April 1,1990. Robison said that
continued funding for the last half of 1990 and
beyond will be dependent upon "constituent
input," which he strongly credited for getting
the program approved by the General
Assembly. The Medically Needy Program will
cost approximately $12 million per year, $4
million of which will be funded by the State of
Georgia.
-Chris Duncan
Reported Cases of AIDS by District,
state of Georgia
y- July 1,1981 - March 20,1989
:.*■ - s S Total Cases - 2207
hmtL n
Source:
Georgia Department
of Human Resources
ffice of Epidemiology
"Hate Crimes" Will Be A Priority, Says Jackson
Atlanta mayoral candidate Maynard Jackson made his first major public
appearance before a gay and lesbian group March 20, during which he
announced that if elected he will make the documentation of "hate crimes"
a high priority of his administration.
"Hate crimes ought to
be documented, and we
don’t need to wait for the
federal law to pass," he
said, referring to the Hate
Crimes Statistics Act of
1989, which is currently
working its way through
the U.S. Congress. 'We
need to do it right now,"
Jackson continued,
"Atlanta ought to be the
leader (on reporting hate
crimes)." He spoke during
the monthly meeting of
LEGAL (Legislate
Equality for Gays And
Lesbians).
Public Safety Comm
issioner George Napper
has frustrated gay/lesbian
activists by declining to
change the current
reporting standards for
WfaS'S' Ma y° ral candidate Maynard Jackson
Act Jackson referred to told LEGAL that" Atlanta ought to be
has worked its way the leader" in reporting hate crimes.
through the U.S. Congress.
Jackson also pledged that "Abuse of gay/lesbian Atlantans or any gays
or lesbians by any official or unofficial persons with city government will
not be tolerated... as long as I am the mayor of the city." He added that
any police brutality against gays and lesbians will be "severely punished."
Jackson reminded the group that he was "roasted" by conservative
elements when he signed the first-ever gay/lesbian pride proclamation
during his previous two terms in office, but said that he remained "pushy
on behalf of human rights... (and) justice." Jackson served two terms as
mayor from 1974 to 1982.
In addition to answering questions of particular concern to gays and
lesbians, Jackson took the opportunity to distinguish himself from his
opponent, Fulton County Commission Chair Michael Lomax, who has
strongly courted the gay/lesbian vote during the early campaign.
Jackson established the Neighborhood Planning Units that give
residents an official voice in city zoning matters, and is generally given
credit for saving the historic Fox Theatre from destruction. He is currently
opposed to the extension of the Georgia 400 highway inside the perimeter,
which Lomax supports.
When asked how he would have handled the Atlanta Gay Center's
(AGC) thwarted attempt to move into the Bedford Pine neighborhood in
1988, Jackson said he did not believe a neighborhood should have to
accept a social service organization that was "inappropriate to the
neighborhood." He added, however, that he would like to work with
members of the gay/lesbian community to establish a pro-active method to
disarm homophobic and AIDS-phobic sentiments in zoning matters.
Jackson and LEGAL have reached an "agreement in principle" to a
debate between all of the major mayoral candidates late this year that will
be co-sponsored by LEGAL and the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference, according to Jackson’s campaign manager Kevin Ross. A
similar agreement has been reached with the Lomax campaign.
-Chris Duncan
Jackson Announces at
Birthday Party He Will
Support Gays/Lesbians
Maynard Jackson, a candidate for mayor of
Atlanta, announced his support for lesbian ail
gay rights before a crowd of over 3,000 people
attending a birthday party in his honor on
March 23. Campaign insiders indicate that
Jackson will continue to support gay issues as
part of his wider campaign platform.
Jackson promised that if elected, he would
be mayor for "all Atlantans, rich and poor,
young and old, white and black, gay/lesbian
and straight... .
'T will never, never, never, never let you
down," he said. Jackson stressed his
determination to work for a "safer, fairer, and
more prosperous Atlanta for all citizens"
during the party.
Jackson's remarks at the party arc believed
to be the first time he has mentioned
gay/lesbian issues during a speech to a mixed
crowd during this campaign. He has
previously spoken on gay/lesbian issues to the
monthly meeting of LEGAL (Legislate
Equality for Gays And Lesbians) and a private
Midtown reception.
"Gays and lesbians are a vital and integral
part of Atlanta,” he said, "and merit the same
protection and representation as anyone else."