LOS ANGELES COUNTY: ‘Put AIDS Funds Where Needed’

      The fight against AIDS and HIV in the African-American and Hispanic communities has been slow and poorly funded, a Los Angeles Times editorial argues. In Los Angeles County, 68% of all newly diagnosed cases of the disease occur among these two groups, yet the resources allocated -- including education, housing and treatment -- are "absurdly" low. Although the L.A. County Board of Supervisors have recently declared an HIV/AIDS emergency, "11 out of the 12 new AIDS housing programs under way are in Hollywood, West Hollywood or downtown areas with substantial gay populations. There should be a shift to poor, inner city communities in terms of housing and education programs," the Los Angeles Times asserts. The editorial concludes: "AIDS is still an extremely painful and expensive disease to live with. And it remains fatal. ... This is the time for action. It took far too long to open the Palms, one of the few AIDS housing and treatment facilities in South Los Angeles. ... [The Hotel is] a success story, one that needs to be repeated many times over" (9/30).