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FRIDAY. DECEMBER 14. 1990 / MONTROSE VOICE 3
'Town Meeting' plan may be scrapped; recent meeting called off
By SHERI COHEN DARBONNE
Montrose Voice Editor
In the wake of apparently dwindling interest in a "Town Meeting
II" community planning conference, members of a steering com
mittee set up to discuss the meet
ing are now saying it may not b.
possible.
Ray Hill, who said he had been
handed the responsibility of organizing planning meetings for
TM II, called a meeting for 6:00
p.m. Monday, Dec, 3, at the
Montroae Branch Library. Hill
said he notified each of the steer-
e members by mail.
N. Y. group
calls for
early release
of AIDS
prisoners
NEW YORK (AP)—Releasing
seriously ill prisoners with AIDS
is not only compassionate, but it
makes economic sense as well, a
prisoners-nghts group said
"When a prisoner with AIDS is
under custody, the state must
which can be substantial," said a
report by the Correctional
Association of New Vork,
released Monday. Dec. 10.
"However, once a prisoner is
released to parole supervision,
he or she is eligible for federal
Medicaid, relieving the state of
50 percent of the total medical
expense."
The report found that most
prison systems have neither the
staff nor facilities to care for
dying AIDS prisoners. It added
the prisoners can be better cared
for in a hospital, hospice, family
residence or private nursing
Granting compassionate early
release would also help families
of prisonersi with AIDS, who the
report said Were "struggling to
keep their families together and
at the same time trying to
provide emotional support to the
prisoner."
The group estimates it costs
$40,000 per year to treat a
prisoner infected with the HIV
security costs to treat AIDS
prisoners at outside hospital
facilities.
Jack Valinski, one of fourpeople
who showed up for the planned
meeting, said it was called off after
he and the other attendants waited 45 minutes for more to arrive.
Hill, who arrived late after the
meeting had already disbanded,
said the others who attended were
Brad Veloz, Carolyn Mobley, and
Clara Bradley.
After the canceled meeting, Hill
said he wasn't sure if anyone remained on the steering committee
who was devoted enough to the
TM concept to make planning the
meeting feasible. The idea, he
said, no longer has a real leaden
Valinski agreed, noting that
many people who initially pushed
for the meeting were now heavy
involved in other activities.
"I don't know of anyone who's
really involved with this (Town
Meeting) right now, but that
doesn't mean there isn't," Valinski
Deborah Bell, who facilitated
two planning meetings and who
initially only committed to helping start the planning, appointed
Hill to take her place in arranging
the meetings due to other commit-
'"Most (committee members I got
involved for a specific reason.
They were very viable reasons, but
no one (now) seems to be sufficiently committed to the Town
Meeting idea itself," Hill said.
In a letter to thecommittee members. Hill asked for input on the
original objectives of the conference and the appropriateness of
pursuing the plan.
"Some of the objectives mentioned for a second TM have been"
to expand our bases of support;
formalize coalition building with
other minority groups and women; identify a consensus on major
issues; recruit new leadership;
broaden support for existing efforts; identify other areas where
efforts should be made; build a better sense of community; create
more visibility for the community ganizations which r.
and encourage more people out of community.
their closets," Hill wrote.
He noted, however, that "'we are
living in a substantially different
world than we envisioned in 1978.
The ERA was an enthusiastically
anticipated reality after the (International Women's Year) conference in 1977; AIDS was a term not
yet coined; a woman's right to
choice., was well covered by Roe v.
Wade and not seriously challenged; there were no proposed ordinances to protect the rights of
lesbian and gay city employees,
nor any referendums to overturn
them; our community was growing and the future looked bright
and hopeful, and the role played
by women in our local movement
was beginning to expand and de
The original Town Meeting,
held June 25, 1978 in the
AstroArena, drew about 4000 gay
and lesbian participants and is
credited with originating many or
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