Just out., August 02, 2002, Page 19, Image 19

ugual 2, 2002 »
rTìTTTìTTm news
T
he Bush administration is shuf­
fling the deck of players dealing
with HIV. A ID S czar Scott Evertz
is leaving that position to become
a senior adviser on global aspects
of the epidemic to Health Secretary Tommy
Thompson.
Joseph O ’Neill is taking his place as head of
what officially is called the Office of National
AIDS Policy. The W hite House announcement
came July 19.
O ’Neill was chief administrator of the Ryan
White Comprehensive AID S Resources Emer­
gency Act, which this year is distributing $1.9
billion in federal funds. Like Evertz, he is a gay
man and is in a 13-year relationship.
A career civil servant, O ’Neill is uniquely
well qualified for the job. He received his med­
ical training at University of California at San
Francisco and degrees in business administration
and public health from University of California
at Berkeley. He served as medical director of the
Chase Brexton Clinic, which was established to
serve the gay and lesbian community and has
evolved to become a large provider of AID S
services in Baltimore.
Evertz reportedly is delighted to be leaving
the political hot seat where he has served since
April 2001. He has been attacked from the left
for not doing enough and from the right for
doing too much.
“President Bush continues to lead where
others merely offered speeches and rhetoric,”
said Rich Tafel, Log Cabin Republicans exec­
utive director. “W ith Scott Evertz and Joe
O ’Neill, we have two of the best-qualified
people in the nation on the president’s team
fighting the A ID S epidemic both at home and
abroad.”
move is that he sim­
ply did not seem to
be a good fit for the
job. One initial
Will AID S czar shakeup lead to a renewed commitment
knock on his ap­
pointment was that
in fighting the disease? by Bob Roehr
he came to Wash­
ington with limited
O ’N e ill’s appointm ent
knowledge of gov­
“is great news,” said Marsha
ernment-funded
M artin, executive director
HIV programs and
of the A ID S A ction C oun­
the policies and per­
cil, a national association of
sonalities that dom­
Scott Evertz (left) meets with President Bush
service organizations. She
inated the action.
served as a special assistant
Smith claimed, “The
He seemed to make insufficient progress in mas­
on H IV to H ealth Secretary
tering control of those details.
pro-abstinence
Donna Shalala.
crowd within the
Evertz’s personal style did not seem amenable
“If we are going to look
administration is car­
to the pace of multitasking and schmoozing that
for symbolic gestures, this is
rying the day.” H RC
had brought plaudits for his predecessor, Sandy
one. We are very happy,”
believes that Evertz’s Thurman. He gained a reputation for not
Martin said.
pro-gay and pro-
returning phone calls, a prime responsibility for
With Evertz moving over | _______________________________________ prevention stances
an office whose purpose is coordination. He was
to the international side, Conservatives such as Patricia Ware might r['a^e ^im a ta[Se t^
scheduled to brief the advisory council at its
“You have two gay men in have been responsible for the reassignment t ie
June meeting but never made an appearance,
ai^ that he
leadership roles on domestic
was moved aside by
which miffed a natural body of allies.
and international HIV policy,” Martin added.
conservatives such as Patricia Ware.
Some say the administration actually is
“T hat’s a good thing.”
The main problem with that interpretation
upgrading the position of A ID S czar with
Maureen O ’Leary, Gay and Lesbian Medical
is that the Bush White House has turned a deaf O ’Neill. He is the first physician to hold the
Association executive director, found O ’Neill’s ear to the rantings of groups such as the Family
post, he knows the federal bureaucracy inside
resume “encouraging.” But she remains “con­
Research Council. And reports indicate Ware
out, and he is a proven, dynamic communicator.
cerned about public funds going to ‘abstinence-
herself is being reassigned from her duties as
The two-way loyalty of Thompson and Evertz,
only’ programs to reduce transmission of HIV
executive director of the Presidential Advisory
both with roots in Wisconsin politics, likely pre­
and STDs. Not only has this approach proven
Council on HIV/AIDS, though that change has
cluded making those claims. Insiders will be
to be far less effective than programs that also
not been finalized.
watching closely to see whether the Office of
include safe-sex education, these programs
Martin was “surprised” to learn Ware will be
National AIDS Policy staff and budget grow
demand ‘abstinence until marriage’— a
under O ’Neill. JH
leaving. “I have no criticism of Pat and her work.
Catch-22 for same-sex couples who are denied
Even if our perspectives were different, she lis­
that right.”
tened and she invited us into conversations.”
B ob R oehr is a free-lance reporter based in
Human Rights Campaign spokesman David
Perhaps the biggest factor behind Evertz’s Washington, D .C .
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