The California budget that wasn't born on July 1, or Aug. 1, may also be overdue -- absent serious hard labor -- come Sept. 1. (BTW, a quick check shows that, since 1992, the latest date a state budget was enacted was Sept. 5, 2002.)

Consider the possible scenarios playing out:

• Democrats leaning heavily on tax hikes to offset a $15 billion deficit (what kind, who pays -- at issue). Republicans bent on a spending cap (how much, whose ox will be gored in the foreseeable future -- at issue).
• Democrats want a deal so they can attend their national convention, Aug. 25-28 in Denver.  The current two-year California Legislature is supposed to conclude Aug. 31. State Republicans want to attend their Minneapolis/St.Paul national convention Sept. 1-4.
• If the budget debacle continues into next week, meaning the Dems can't go to their convention, chances are it may linger into September so that the Reeps will be forced to miss their confab.
• The Limpinator (our Governor had knee surgery last weekend) could call another special legislative session -- nobody goes home -- to keep Sacramento hotels and bars busy for who-knows-how-long.
• And "structural reform" -- another of this year's buzz phrases, focusing on overhauling the faulty tax structure that's supposed to pay the state's bills (aka boom/bust business cycle) -- will become a phantom because deadlines will have passed to put needed ballot measures (constitutional amendments) before the state's voters.
• And, since Schwarzenegger has claimed he'll sign no legislation until a budget is brokered, hundreds of bills -- for good or ill -- may end their lives as a lot of expended hot air and engorged gigabytes.

The state stopped paying hospitals like nonprofit Community Medical Centers earlier this month, meaning each week Community is forced to find $3 million to offset its costs. And when California resumes paying for services rendered, that money does not come with any interest or enhancements for debt service. The debt to Community is something like $9 million now. And tales are even darker for other health facilities.

One final note. The next legislative session is supposed to convene Dec. 1, facing another July 1 budget, ho-hum/whatever, deadline. Given the lack of structural change, jeopardy to state bond ratings, more people out of work, uninsured, maybe it's time for a harsher remake of the old tear-jerker, "Same Time Next Year."