Governor’s IOUs

Gov. Wilson has said that, if necessary, he would wait until November to sign the budget, even if the state government was in shambles. Or words to that effect.

As the executive director of a not-for-profit community clinic, I too am worried about the state budget and the state of the government. But I’m also worried about agencies like mine, which, in good faith, provide much-needed health care under state contracts and agreements. We depend on weekly reimbursement from the state for services that we provide in advance.

Without that reimbursement, our agency won’t survive. When the state sends us a “registered warrant” (read: IOU) instead of a check, how do we meet our financial obligations? Will suppliers still deliver? How do we pay malpractice insurance? How lenient will our landlord be? And what about the phone company?

Is it acceptable for me to pay my staff with IOUs? Perhaps I should issue “Womancare Warrants.” If I follow the governor’s example, members of the staff should, in turn, be able to issue IOUs to the local grocery, to their landlords or mortgage holders, to their credit card companies and to the child care centers their children attend. Presumably, ATMs will still dispense much needed weekly cash, even if a checking account balance is in the red.

Community agencies like ours run on hard work and a large dose of good faith. Our staff works long hours at wages that rarely equal those in the private sector. Not only do people work diligently, but they pour their hearts and souls into supporting a community of clients who would otherwise not be able to afford care. We have faith that our efforts will make the world a better place.

ASHLEY E. PHILLIPS, Executive Director of Womancare Clinic