Failing Hearts in a Failing City

Rates of HIV/AIDS in DC is 10 times higher than the national average!

Since 2003, the Government of the District of Columbia has been trying to combat, education, and support the millions of known and unknown HIV/AIDS patients with in the metropolitan area. For about 10 months now, The Washington Post has been documenting and following the story of how non-profit organizations and other local business have abused and misappropriated funds. The Post reports one in three of DC's AIDS dollars earmarked for local groups in recent years went to organizations cited for falsified documentation, few or no clients, incomplete spending records or not running any AIDS programs whatsoever. And, while all is going down the residents of DC living with HIV/AIDS is still struggling and begging for adequate care and support. The stories that you read in the Post articles are breathe-taking, eye-opening, and scary! With all the talk about the overhaul of the our healthcare system its amazing how in the seat of our nation's government we can't even mange or even begin to mange the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Here is a brief synopsis of this gripping piece of journalism:

Over ten months, the Washington Post analyzed the spending, services, and finances of every specialized AIDS organization funded by D.C.'s HIV/AIDS Administration from 2004-2008, an estimated 90 groups, building a database from tax returns, audits, lawsuits, real estate records, D.C. Council records, and corporate and police reports. The Post also obtained grant agreements, invoices and government correspondence for about 60 of these groups. The newspaper interviewed dozens of people with HIV or AIDS patients, their families and service provide

Check it out at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/metro/aids-funding/index.html