A group that has previously fought for condoms in pornographic movies is now considering a ballot initiative that would require the City of Los Angeles to establish its own healthcare department and emancipate itself from the County’s system. It’s a move that administration officials worry could be cumbersome and ineffective.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has been a partner with the County of Los Angeles for years as they worked to control the spread of infectious diseases, including AIDS. However, recent years have seen that relationship strained as the County accused the group of overbilling by $1.7 million and the group counter-accuse the County of violating whistle-blower protections.
Now, citing a bloated and inefficient bureaucracy at the County level, the group is hoping to force the City of Los Angeles to revive a Department of Public Health that has been disbanded since the 1960s. Most cities don’t have their own public health departments.
According to City officials, however, they lack both the funding and the need to duplicate County services, and trying to could have a negative impact on services received by local residents.
Read the full story at the Los Angeles Times.