Today's final rundown/script

CTNS SCRIPTS

CAPITOL TELEVISION NEWS SERVICE

SACRAMENTO, CA

(916) 446-7890

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

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1. GOVERNOR RECOGNIZES ORGAN DONORS..VO/SOT

2. TAX FREEDOM DAY............................................VO/SOT

3. VOTER IDENTIFICATION DAY............................VO/SOT

4. FIRST LADY BOOK SIGNING..............................VO/SOT

5. MOVING BUDGET NUMBERS.............................VO/SOT

2. TAX FREEDOM DAY VO/SOT

LIVE: REPUBLICAN STATE LAWMAKERS OBSERVED CALIFORNIA'S TAX FREEDOM DAY THIS MORNING, SEVEN DAYS LATER THAN THE NATIONAL TAX FREEDOM DAY. TAX FREEDOM DAY IS THE SYMBOLIC DATE EACH YEAR WHEN THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER HAS EARNED ENOUGH TO PAY HIS COMBINED FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES.

SUPER: TODAY/STATE CAPITOL

VO: (:30) ON AVERAGE, U-S RESIDENTS PAY 31 PERCENT OF THEIR INCOME IN TAXES, SO TAX FREEDOM DAY THIS YEAR OCCURRED ON APRIL 23RD, ALMOST A THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH THE CALENDAR YEAR. BUT BECAUSE CALIFORNIA'S STATE AND LOCAL TAX RATES ARE HIGHER THAN MOST OTHER STATES, CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS HAVE TO WORK A FEW MORE DAYS FOR THEIR TAX FREEDOM DAY. THE HOWARD JARVIS TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION'S ANALYSIS INDICATES CALIFORNIA HAS THE FOURTH HIGHEST TAX BURDEN AMONG THE 50 STATES. ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT JON COUPAL SAYS BECAUSE GOVERNMENTS DISGUISE TAXES IN THE FORM OF FEES, REGULATIONS AND PAYROLL WITHHOLDING, THE AVERAGE AMERICAN DOESN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH HE'S PAYING TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT.

SUPER: JON COUPAL/HOWARD JARVIS TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION

SOT: (:32)

SAYS: "WE WOULD REALLY PREFER A SYSTEM BY WHICH PEOPLE HAD TO SIT DOWN AND WRITE A CHECK , BOTH TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INSTEAD OF HAVING THEIR UH, UH, TAXES WITHHELD, BECAUSE WHEN THOSE REBATE CHECKS COME IN THE MAIL, FROM THE IRS, THEY THINK IT'S A GIFT. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT'S THEIR MONEY TO BEGIN WITH. WE WOULD FAR PREFER TO HAVE SYSTEM WHEREBY ONCE A YEAR PEOPLE HAVE TO WRITE THAT CHECK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEY WOULD KNOW EXACTLY AT THAT POINT IN TIME HOW MUCH PAIN IS BEING INFLICTED UPON THEM."

SUPER: ASSEMBLYMAN JOHN BENOIT/R-PALM DESERT

SOT: (:15)

SAYS: "WE'RE ALREADY AT A POINT WHERE OUR, WE RECENTLY SEE THAT OUR UNEMPLOYMENT IN CALIFORNIA HAS GONE OVER SIX PERCENT, THE ECONOMY S CERTAINLY NOT STRONG, MAYBE, SOME WOULD SAY HEADING TOWARDS A RECESSION. THE IDEA OF ADDING TAXES ON TOP OF THAT TODAY UH, COULD NOT BE AT A WORSE TIME, OR MORE ILL ADVISED."

VO TAG: ASSEMBLYMAN JON BENOIT SAYS INSTEAD OF DISCUSSING WAYS TO REDUCE GOVERNMENT SPENDING OR INCREASE GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING RAISING TAXES BY ELIMINATING CALIFORNIA'S HOME MORTGAGE INTEREST TAX DEDUCTION, REDUCING THE CHILD DEPENDENT TAX CREDIT, RAISING TAXES ON NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND INCREASING VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES.

EXTRA BITES:

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS ALSO TODAY CELEBRATED THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF PROPOSITION 13, WHICH LIMITED PROPERTY TAXES IN CALIFORNIA. THAT INITIATIVE WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS IN JUNE, 1978.

SUPER: ASSEMBLYWOMAN MIMI WALTERS/R-LAGUNA NIGUEL

SOT: (:30)

SAYS: "PROPOSITION 13 QUALIFIED FOR THE JUNE BALLOT IN 1978, INFLATION HAD CAUSED PROPERTY TAXES TO SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL, FORCING FAMILIES TO SELL THEIR HOMES, BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT AFFORD THEIR PROPERTY TAXES. PROPOSITION 13 ALLOWED ORDINARY CALIFORNIANS TO KEEP THEIR HOME. OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS, OPPONENTS HAVE ARGUED THAT PROPOSITION 13 HAS ROBBED CALIFORNIA OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAX REVENUE. THE REALITY IS THAT PROPOSITION 13 HAS SAVED WORKING CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNERS TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PROPERTY TAXES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS."

SUPER: JON COUPAL/HOWARD JARVIS TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION

SOT: (:25)

SAYS: "WE HAVE SEEN UH, IN VERY STARK TERMS, TAXPAYERS DOING THEIR JOB IN PROVIDING YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASES IN TAX REVENUES, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE POLITICIANS WILL SPEND EVERY DOLLAR THAT COMES THROUGH THE DOOR, AND THEM SOME, FURTHER DRIVING CALIFORNIA INTO DEBT. AND UH, IT'S NOT THE TAXPAYER'S FAULT, IT'S THE UH, FAULT OF THE OVERSPENDING POLICIES ADOPTED BY OUR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP."