At-Large City Council Candidates on HIV/AIDS

On Saturday October 25th, Fight HIV in DC was a co-sponsor of an HIV/AIDS Forum with At-Large City Council Candidates. Participants included Carol Schwartz, Michael Brown, Mark Long, David Schwartzman, Patrick Mara, and Kwame Brown.

All the candidates agreed that with 1 in 20 people in the District living with HIV or AIDS, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a top priority. We asked the city council candidates to briefly tell us what they would do to address HIV/AIDS in the District. Their unedited responses are collected in the youtube video below. Take time to learn about all the candidates, and please be sure to vote on November 4th.

Squidoo: David Catania & the HIV/AIDS Administration in DC

Check out the latest Squidoo.com page which looks at David Catania and the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in DC. City Council Member Catania shoulders a lot responsibility in the fight against HIV/AIDS in DC. Catania is the chairperson of the Committee on Health, which oversees the Department of Health (DOH), and consequently the HIV/AIDS Administration which resides within the DOH.

Check out out David's Squidoo page at: http://www.squidoo.com/davidcatania.

Tell Adam Clampitt to talk about HIV/AIDS in DC

Adam Clampitt has launched a campaign website today. Where he states "I'm exploring a run for DC Council at-Large to break up the gridlock of politics as usual and move our city forward."

Clampitt regularly blogs at www.districtmatters.com. Unfortunately, HIV/AIDS in DC is not an issue emphasized on either District Matters or his new campaign website.

Please take a moment right now and send an e-mail message to Adam Clampitt and encourage him to talk about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in DC during his campaign.

We have to make to make it perfectly clear to Adam and anyone else considering a run for city council that having a higher HIV rate than any state and a higher HIV death rate than any state is unacceptable.

Let Adam know that HIV/AIDS is the top public health priority for our city, and it must be a top priority of his campaign.

Send your e-mail to: adamclampitt@fighthivindc.org. Your message will go directly to Adam, and a copy will also come to me. I'll pick the best e-mail messages and post them on the website next week.

Please, take just one minute right now and Tell Adam to Talk about HIV/AIDS.

New City Council Member Yvette Alexander Includes HIV/AIDS as Top Priority

Yvette Alexander has been elected to fill the remainder of Vincent Gray's term on the city council representing Ward 7. Vincent Gray is now Chairman of the Council. Yvette told told 9 News Now that health care and education are her top priorities:

"The most urgent problem facing Ward 7 is twofold," says Alexander. "Education and health care. Our schools need overall improvements in pre-K through 12th grade. In particular, I will champion the increases of vocational, career and technical training in our schools, as well as support building and curriculum expansion at UDC. With heath care, I will champion increased primary care options, medical emergency room care, and HIV-AIDS education, screening and testing. Improvements in both of these areas are a catalyst to an enhanced quality of life for all Ward 7 residents."

Clearly Yvette will be an important advocate on the city council when it comes to HIV/AIDS. I haven't met her yet, but I look forward to doing so.

Muriel Bowser was also elected to the city council to fill the remainder of Adrian Fenty's term as the councilperson from Ward 4.