CTNS SCRIPTS

CAPITOL TELEVISION NEWS SERVICE

SACRAMENTO, CA

(916) 446-7890

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH, 2008

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1. NO BUDGET DAY 67 VO/SOT

2. MEDI-CAL PATIENTS PROTEST VO/SOT

3. ANTI-CRUELTY INITIATIIVE VO/SOT

2. MEDI-CAL PATIENTS PROTEST VO/SOT

LIVE:

MEDI-CAL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS RALLIED AT THE CAPITOL THIS MORNING TO PROTEST THE STATE BUDGET IMPASSE. THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDES SAY THEY'LL SOON HAVE TO QUIT PAYING EMPLOYEES AND HALT PATIENT CARE, PUTTING PATIENTS' HEALTH IN JEOPARDY.

SUPER: TODAY/STATE CAPITOL

VO: (:25)

DEMONSTRATORS SAY BECAUSE LAWMAKERS HAVEN'T COMPLETED THE BUDGET, NOW A RECORD 67 DAYS OVERDUE, THEY EITHER THE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE MESSAGE OR DON'T CARE ENOUGH TO COMPLETE A BUDGET DEAL. THEY SAY LAWMAKERS HAVE CREATED A CRISIS THAT WILL INFLICT PERMANENT HARM TO PATIENTS WITHIN DAYS, WHETHER BY INTERRUPTING PATIENT CARE OR SHUTTING DOWN RURAL CLINICS. FIFTEEN SPEAKERS, INCLUDING CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION FOR ADULT DAY SERVICES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LYDIA MISSAELIDES SPOKE AT THE RALLY. SHE SAYS HER CLINICS ARE NOW SCHEDULING DATES FOR CLOSURE. CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH FACILITIES VICE PRESIDENT PEGGY GOLDSTEIN SAYS LAWMAKERS WOULD ACT DIFFERENTLY IF THEY COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO POLITICALLY BENEFIT FROM SOLVING THE BUDGET IMPASSE.

SUPER: PEGGY GOLDSTEIN / CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH FACILITIES

SOT: (:36)

SAYS: "`YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S A NATURAL DISASTER, YOU CAN'T KEEP THE LEGISLATORS AWAY. YOU CAN'T KEEP THEM AWAY. THEY HAVE IDEAS AND THEY HAVE HELP AND THEY HAVE BILLS. WE NOW HAVE A MANMADE DISASTER AND WHERE ARE THEY? THEY'RE NOT HERE. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING UNTIL THANKSGIVING. THIS IS A MAJOR HEALTH CARE CRISIS AND WE NEED A BUDGET RIGHT NOW. THEY HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES. THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE CITIZENS. THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT LIKE GROWNUPS, TO COME TOGETHER AND PASS A BUDGET RIGHT NOW.''

SUPER: LYDIA MISSAELIDES / CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION FOR ADULT DAY SERVICES

SOT: (:18)

SAYS: "THE FLOW OF FUNDS STOPPED IN AUGUST SO OUR PROVIDERS NOW ARE GETTING BY ON BORROWED FUNDS. SOME HAVE RUN OUT OF FUNDS. THEY'RE ON THE VERGE OF MAKING A DECISION ABOUT HOW LONG THEY CAN SUSTAIN OPERATIONS BEFORE THEY HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS.''

VO TAG:

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE DEPUTY DIRECTOR H.D. PALMER SAYS THE BUDGET DEADLOCK WILL SOON AFFECT THE STATE GOVERNMENT'S INTERNAL OPERATIONS. HE ALSO SAYS THE DEPARTMENT WOULD USUALLY BE PREPARING NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET PROPOSALS BY NOW, BUT WITHOUT A BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR, THEY HAVE NO BASELINE NUMBERS WITH WHICH TO CALCULATE NEXT YEAR'S JANUARY BUDGET PROPOSAL.

EXTRA BITES:

SUPER: H.D. PALMER/GOVERNOR'S DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

ON HOW THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE WOULD BE WORKING ON NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL BY THIS TIME:

SOT: (:17)

SAYS: ``IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE BASELINE SPENDING FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR LOCKED DOWN YET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET. WE START PLANNING OUR BUDGETS FOR WHAT THE GOVERNOR SUBMITS NEXT JANUARY, WE START IN THE FALL, SO IT'S STARTING TO PRESS UP A BIT AGAINST US.''

SUPER: PEGGY GOLDSTEIN/CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH FACILITIES

ON EFFORTS TO CONTINUE SERVICES WITHOUT A BUDGET:

SOT: (:23)

SAYS: "WHAT HAVE WE RECEIVED FROM THE GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO TAKE CARE OF CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF CALIFORNIA - JUST CALIFORNIA - WHAT HAVE WE RECEIVED? WE HAVE RECEIVED EMPTY PROMISES. WE HAVE EMPTY PROMISES AND WE HAVE AN EMPTY BUILDING. WE HAVE EMPTY CHAMBERS. WE ARE HERE TODAY, WHERE ARE THEY?''

SOT: (:20)

SAYS: ``WE DO IT BY LINES OF CREDIT, WE DO IT BY BORROWING FROM EVERY PERSON WE CAN THINK OF, FROM OUR FAMILIES, FROM OUR FRIENDS. WE USE CREDIT CARDS, WE USE LINES OF CREDIT, WE BORROW FROM OUR PERSONAL RETIREMENT PLANS. WE DON'T PAY THE BILLS. WE PAY THE BILLS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY AND THE REST ARE LEFT.''

SUPER: H.D. PALMER/GOVERNOR'S DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

ON OTHER IMPACTS OF THE BUDGET DEADLOCK:

SOT: (0:21)

SAYS: ``VENDORS TO THE STATE, THE PEOPLE WHO DO SERVICES OR SELL GOODS OR FOOD STUFFS TO THE STATE, CAN'T GET PAID WITHOUT A BUDGET. SO THEY'RE EITHER HAVING TO DIP INTO THEIR RESERVES, OR GO INTO THEIR SAVINGS, OR GET ANOTHER LINE OF CREDIT JUST TO KEEP GOING. PROVIDERS FOR MEDI-CAL CLINICS, PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS, NURSING HOMES, RURAL HOSPITALS.

THEY CAN'T GET PAID WITHOUT A BUDGET.''

SOT: (:16)

SAYS: ``A MONTH OR TWO FROM NOW, IF THIS CONTINUES, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY OF THE STATE'S DATA CENTER HAVING TO SHUT DOWN AND THE COMPUTERS SHUT OFF. AND THAT'S NOT A SIMPLE REBOOTING OF YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM. THAT AFFECTS A WHOLE HOST OF DIFFERENT COMPUTER SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, SOME OF WHICH INVOLVE EMERGENCY SERVICES.''