Occupy Wall Street protesters now want the 1% to pay for funding of HIV/AIDS research. Today's demonstration opens the door for the rich to pay for everything. Which, for the 99%, is probably just fine.

Today is the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS. To mark the day, City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley made a formal recommendation that doctors give patients the drugs they need immediately after they are diagnosed, rather than waiting until their immune systems weaken.

The Bloomberg administration will spend $248 million on HIV/AIDS services next year. About 110,000 New Yorkers are infected with HIV, more than any other city in the nation. Today, "Occupy Wall Street" protesters marched to City Hall to call for a new tax on financial transactions to help fight the global epidemic. What do you say?

Is the government doing enough in the fight against HIV/AIDS? Do you support a new tax on financial transactions to help pay for it? How has the disease touched your life in the past 30 years?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

I have been living with Hiv+ for 21 years in NYC. When I received my diagnosis I had full blown Aids in 1990, I had a boyfriend in my early 20's who infected me with the HIV virus. I am a married women with two children. I never did drugs. I did not have sex with large number of men. It only took one time for me to become positive. I live in Queens NY and with out the services I received from Medicare and Adap I would be dead right now. These services are essential for the well being of people with Aids/HIV.

Hiv and alive.
(I cannot state my name due to the fact there is still a large stigma)
Queens, NY

I think that city, state, and federal governments should be more committed to the fight against HIV. This is especially true now that the troops are returning home and, hence, we can focus our resources primarily and financially in dire issues at home such as fighting the prevention, spread, and treatment of HIV. Personally, HIV has had a terrible impact in my life in witnessing the slow, as well as the very quick, demise of friends gone too early in life. No amount of money invested in the needy and the sick is wasted because it is in our societal interest to help them. In doing so, we might also be helping directly or indirectly ourselves...food for your thoughts.

Rafael
Bushwick

Hi John,

It is a very sensitive subject but also word has it that many who test positive rely on the drug and therefor do not use protection. This is a huge problem. The attention should be paid more on the precaution. As far as donations go we do our part and give what we can to help. What does Occupy Wall Street have to do with this. This has been around for 30 years. These Occupy people just want everything free and know not what they are talking about. Many of us came up the hard way in this life and thus created the Middle Class. More enfaces should be put on the precaution/educational part of this illness. We are well aware that there are many ways to contact this illness.

I see also as in everything else Bloomberg has his name attached to this cause.

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp

I heard several callers say tonight that there should be term limits imposed on Congress. There are term limits. All you have do is stay informed find out what particular Congressman/woman is up for re-election and vote them out. Why do people think that there are no term limits. If you do not like what is happening get out and vote. This is why things don't change, PEOPLE JUST DON'T VOTE WHEN THEY GET MAD!

Lisa
Upper east side

The government should assist in helping people with HIV or AIDS. HIV/AIDS turned into an epidemic during the 1980’s because of the Government. The Reagan Administration ignored HIV when it began to spread. They are a big part of why so many people have died and are infected with HIV. They are not the only ones to blame; society does not help this situation. Society has accepted teenage parents. Too many teenagers are having babies. The media has also lowered their standards and permit far too many sexual relationships among teenagers. Such as, Glee and 90210. It used to be that when a teenager portrayed on TV was thinking about having sex, doing drugs or alcohol it was a difficult decision and family values and morals was involved when making a decision. Teenagers are doing far too many things they shouldn’t be and aren’t educated early enough on these situations.

Mike from Brooklyn

Hi John,

AIDS has been headlined for well over 25 years, and there shouldn’t have been a single new case of it in the last two decades if people would just follow safe sex by using a cheap condom. It’s like smokers complaining about lung cancer, obese people who eat too much of the wrong foods, etc., these are all controllable actions, and the government (my taxes) shouldn’t be paying for any of it. When oh when are people going to start taking responsibility for their actions like they did back in the day. I’m tired of the whiners who bring about their own problems with bad decisions and are always looking for someone else to bail them out.

If everyone, starting 20 years ago, would’ve practiced safe sex, AIDS would not even exist today.

Regards,
Walter,
New Dorp

Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country people are asking for more and more handouts its time to get back to pounding the pavement and pointing the finger 1% are the people supplying the jobs and companies to work for.

Miguel
sunny side
staten island

Just like to know who is funding all the services for undocumented immigrants

Mike in queens

the government is doing enough, i know someone with aids and all he does is sleep around with a lot of men unprotected,,,,its up to the individual to help

sam
brooklyn

John, while I feel sorry for anyone afflicted with HIV, I also feel that individuals have a personal responsibility to protect themselves against infection. We know how HIV is contracted. Its not something you get walking down the block. Anyone under the age of 40 has lived most of their life knowing what causes this. I was in junior high when Magic Johnson made his announcement. It had a profound effect on awareness. Why should I have to pay for intentional reckless choices other people made?

Andy in Manhattan

John

I believe the zuccotti park protestors are entirely misguided and selfish. If they want to invoke change then move their protesting to Washington DC and boycott Congress. Boycott Obama too. All the protestors are achieving is making a nuisance of themselves and forcing the city of New York to pay overtime to the cops. That means money is being taken from agencies that really need it.

Ben
Brooklyn

Aids is a very dangerous disease and rather spending so much money on drugs,
teaching programs should be held in work places, schools and any suitable administration,
warning people to be aware of such a deadly disease and encourage them to have
one sex partner.

Ruthann
Queens