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The group “Saving the Lives of Our Own” has released an Open Letter to Jeffrey Katzenberg in answer to two full-page advertisements by the Motion Picture & Television Fund in a print trade publication last week. Katzenberg is the Chair of the “MPTF Foundation Committee,” and a member of both the Fund Board of Trustees and the MPTF Corp Board of Directors. Saving the Lives of Our Own is a grass-roots coalition of thousands of Entertainment Industry workers and community members whose mission is to keep the MPTF long-term care facility open, to stop the evictions of its elderly residents, and to ensure that the MPTF promise of “Taking Care of Our Own” remains unbroken – now and for future generations:
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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I certainly have my issues with Jeffrey Katzenberg, but he is and has been one of the staunchest supporters of and fundraisers for the MPTF that this industry has and to call him out like these “Saving the Lives of Our Own” bozos do is just wrong. It just goes to show you that no good deed goes unpunished… particularly in Hollywood.
“Bozos”?! Figures that would come from a Kazenberg supporter! Wonder if this suck-up clown has ever been out to the facility and looked into the patients’ fading eyes…
An Open Letter To “Not So Fast”
What are you saying?? Mr. Katzenberg is a hero for staunchly supporting MPTF fundraisers, therefore, he cannot be called out for any MPTF decision he condones – regardless of how immoral or unethical? On the other hand, rank and file industry workers, who have supported MPTF’s mission for over 85 years, are “bozos” for stepping forward to protect the elderly who are being tossed out and thrown away like yesterday’s garbage?
If you ever suffer an injustice in your life, I hope there is a ‘bozo’ there to help. I doubt you could count on Mr. Katzenberg to even return your call.
Sincerely,
PROUD TO BE A BOZO
Bozos? Saving the Lives of Our Own Bozos? I guess if fighting for the well-being and lives of their family members and fighting for the same for the rest of the Entertainment Indusrty makes them Bozos…then I guess they are.
And staying with the circus theme you have established…. I imagine with a narrow minded, ass-kissing comment like yours, your job at the circus is apparently sweeping up after the elephants.
An Open Letter to Not So Fast
You cannot be serious!
Do you really believe that because Mr. Katzenberg is a staunch supporter and fundraiser for MPTF that any decision he and his MPTF Board colleagues make – regardless of how immoral, unethical or misguided – cannot be questioned??
Thousands of Industry workers have also staunchly supported the MPTF for over 85 years. You consider them “bozos” for stepping forward to protest the fact that the very people the MPTF is committed to serve are being abandoned and tossed away like yesterday’s garbage??
If the day ever comes when you suffer an injustice, I hope you can find a “bozo” to come to your aid. I doubt Mr. Katzenberg would even take your phone call.
Actually I don’t much care for Jeffrey personally, but there are so many people in this town that have done NOTHING for the MPTF and who expect everything or who are simply content to sit back and criticize those who do contribute. Jeffrey is a selfish, self absorbed twit of questionable ethics and motives but you have to give credit where it is due: he has raised millions of dollars for the MPTF, been a supporter and has given an enormous amount of his time to the organization over many, many years. Now he may be doing that for selfish reasons as I sense you might believe, but he has still done it. How many people in this town can make the same claim?
As far as abandoning those in need, it is a tragedy and the reasons for the failures that led to this untenable situation should be questioned and fixed as much as is possible, but it seems terribly ungrateful to implicitly lay the failures of the system at the feet of someone without whom the MPTF would have far less and be in far worse a position.
As far as me suffering an injustice, I won’t wait for anyone to come to my rescue certainly not Jeffrey and particularly not the MPTF. I planned ahead a long time ago and have taken responsibility for my own security and that of my family. The way I figure it is, the only person/people I can truly trust to care for me and mine is — well, me and mine. Perhaps you should consider the same likelihood…
It is absolutely disgusting that Katzenberg, who is a billionaire along with Geffen and Spielberg and a ton of other Hollywood gazillionaires don’t just pull out their bulging wallets and save this facility! It would be a tax write-off for them for Fsakes!
Our good friend Sam Rubin’s mother passed away. Sam has been a friend to us and always an IM away when an opinion or counsel is needed. If the phone rang at 5 a.m. then it was probably Sam or KTLA asking for a guest to be delivered to talk about the Motion Picture Home within the hour. His mother seemed to be a joyous and vibrant woman and I’m sure she was proud of Sam, as we all are.
In her memory and the memory of all family members in this industry we will fight on until the Motion Picture Home is returned to its once world class status.
How dare you openly publish the fact that Mr. Rubin’s mother passed away! It is his decision to release that information and his only! Unless you have his WRITTEN permission, it’s completely unprofessional to mention his name in a blog like this to try and gain support for your cause.
Hey asshole, he announced it this morning and Richard waited until it was announced. Blow a goat.
My parents WERE promised by the MPTF that they would have the Long Term Care unit available as long as they lived at the Home. The only reason they sold their larger house to move to a small cottage was to ensure this continuation of care for themselves. The current option of being evicted to a Medicare-subsidized nursing home and to be physically separated was not what they had wanted or paid for over the years.
Mr. Katzenberg would never allow his parents to live their remaining lives in the marginal care he is now trying to impose on my parents. He can afford the high cost of quality long term care but my parents cannot. Their only hope is for MPTF to remain committed to their promise and original mission.
I can’t even fathom how Katzenberg is treading water through the mire of this mess. This is political quicksand that even his high powered friends can’t pull him out of. He’s a smart man, he’ll make this right. We’re all entitled to mistakes, unfortunately this one has cost lives.
Were any of the MPTF Funds invested with Madoff?
To Not So Fast,
What are you issues with Mr. Katzenberg? He’s a great guy… look at what he’s done this last year to ALL of the MPTF residents.
The hard truth is, HE is the guy in charge, and could put a stop to the despicable and horrific action being carried out on ALL of the sickest and most fragile residents out at the Home.
Have you been out to the Home recently to see and hear what the residents are living through?
Some one has to be accountable for the residents that are suffering with the fear of eviction. Why it be the guy in charge?
All the supposed great things that Mr. Katzenberg has done in the past, don’t even come close to the actions he’s been party to in the MPTF disaster. This WILL be his legacy.
Thank God for the thousands of people in our community, and industry that are fighting for the future of the MPTF residents and the mission it has stood by for over 89 years.
I don’t mind being called a BOZO… like Bozo, I give joy and happiness to all the residents on a daily basis.
I can live with myself knowing that my love shared with the residents is mutual. Can you or Mr. Katzenberg say the same thing?
You’re right about one thing, “no good deed goes unpunished”.
He’s much too busy drawing up his “MPTF Death Panel”
A connection between Katzenberg and politics? you bet. He leads the march to close the Home AND he leads president’s fund raising in southern Cal. Ideology + power + money.
At what point did the leaders of the Motion Picture and Television Fund lose their moral compass? When did they decide that it was no longer a charitable organization providing a safety net for people in our Industry? When did they decide that helping the needy was a burden and not profitable, and that the mission to take care of our own would shift to money making health clinics, and other assorted services that were determined to be more important than taking care of our members in their final days or years – a matter of life and death.
The Board wants to build and run health clinics? Fine, it’s a self sustaining business that need not cause the Home to close.
What are the donations for? Why give any money to the Fund if it’s gonna close the Home. Everybody knows what the Home is. Mr. Katzenberg, calling it “a service area that’s going to close” just isn’t right. The grips, the stage-hands, the extras, the cameramen, the AD’s, actors, etc., we know what the Home is, our friends and family are there and have been there. It’s a wonderful place, and we sleep better because it’s there. Don’t take this away from us, it would be a sin.
people can write all the open letters they want, but if they want to help they should put their money where their mouth is.
the MPTF can’t afford this facility. period.
and i’m not seeing any groundswell of support from the high paid community eligible for coverage from the MPTF stepping up and donating the millions needed per year.
it’s sad, but no one is entitled to services at a cost that no one else is willing to pay on their behalf.
it’s a sad and tough message for frail old people, but the fix is to come up with the cash, and that’s not a problem Katzenberg can solve — he needs thousands of check writers, annually, and not the current sound of crickets chirping when he asks who will pay to keep these facilities open.
The public was told last January by Dr. David Tillman that even 200 million could not save the hospital. They were told that money donated to “saving the home” WOULD NOT be accepted. No one was made aware of this situation before it was closed. GET IT STRAIGHT PEOPLE…This is by design. THEY WANT IT CLOSED!!! THEY DO NOT WANT IT SAVED!!! THEY ONLY WANT CHECK WRITERS FOR WHAT THEY WANT!!!
The MPTF is currently refusing to accept any donations ear marked for the Hospital or LTC… if your not vested and you’re not informed maybe you ought not post. here is the link for Saving the Lives of Our Own: http://savingthelivesofourown.org/
FACT: The MPTF has a license for 195 beds in the long term care facility.
FACT: The MPTF enjoys one of the, if not the largest contribution per resident from the State of California in MediCal payments (over $10,300 per month, per resident – that’s over $26,000 per room)
FACT: If all beds were filled the MPTF would be realizing a revenue of approx. $24 million per year.
FACT: If you add planned giving, endowments and donations from the industry, you have more money than you can spend for this facility.
The MPTF can’t afford not to have this facility, period.
189 beds min. $10,500 month per bed occupied bed, minimum.
the MPTF can’t afford NOT to have this facility, period.
Mr. Katzenberg has raised many milions for the MPTF. If he gave the word, how many phone calls do you think it would take to stop this madness? Sure some business ventures he touched have gone south, same with Casey Wasserman, but this charity does not have to be one of them. MPTF can have it all, long term care and an upscale retirement community. Many of us are emotionally vested in the Home. Clean house and make it work.
FACT: THE MPTF REFUSES TO ACCEPT CONTRIBUTIONS SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED TO SAVE LONG TERM CARE.
LACK OF MONEY IS NOT A PROBLEM.
LACK OF MORALS IS!
Katzinbergs idea is closing the Home for no good reason except to get rid of all those handicapped [yeah THE HOME - thats what we who visit sick friends therecall it], and he says he wont let anyone give money to keep it open and he wont raise money. So what does that say – how stupid do they think we are. If he wont raise money and he doesnt want other peoples money that they want to give to keep the home open then he doent want it. Right??? Anyway how come he cant run take care of 195 people for more than $24 million bucks a year that they get that from the government and social security for those people. Cause they dont want to is why. Cause we are garbage to them is the bottom line.
I still hear the voice of CEO David Tillman telling hundreds of people that no amount of money will reverse the decision.
More recently Ken Scherer was heard to say yes Tillman said it, but he didn’t mean it.
There was never a campaign to raise money for the hospital and long term care. It was delivered as a fait accompli.
Let’s not revise history.
Why doesn’t Katz just wait for healthcare to be passed to close this out? Won’t Barrack’s healthcare plan take care of these people, and why there is a mandatory acceptance of preconditions clause? This will be a perfect group for the trillion dollar healthcare bill to help- unions like this shouldn’t have to pay for healthcare.
Even more reason to keep the LTC open.
First, the motion picture and television industry should be a leader in the way its community is treated in their old age, regardless of how disbursements are made outside of private pay. Second, elder care is all but forgotten in the health care reform package
The disjointed system of care for elders fails to cover — not even through Medicare — long-term assistance for persistent conditions and frailty. Medicare only covers acute-care conditions, such as broken hips or strokes. But once a stroke victim becomes medically stabilized, for instance, Medicare does not pay for extensive rehabilitation or therapy needed for a person to fully recover the ability to move or communicate.
Unlike any other economically advanced country, continuing-care coverage available to older Americans and people with disabilities is available mainly through Medicaid and MediCal, which basically is a poverty program forcing people to “spend down” until they are poor enough to qualify. Private long-term care insurance is generally unreliable and covers only 6 percent of older Americans.
Katzenberg can afford the best private care, so can the board of directors of the MPTF.
Hence the need for a community centric approach to elder care that is funded by the government, and the community. In this case, the motion picture and television industry which has more money than God.
If you’ve read all this. I applaud you.
Michael Eisner was right in his feelings about Katzenberg: “I hate the little midget.” Now it’s clear to the world that Eisner was right all along.
And so is Alec Baldwin: “He’s the eighth dwarf – Greedy.”
Michael is a money-grubbing monster who doesn’t care a shit about people. Money to charities? Ahhh, per the advice of his tax advisor, I’m sure, and nothing more. If Katzenberg’s actions here don’t prove he’s a human shit, nothing does.
If anyone’s in need of a heart transplant – be sure to get Katenberg’s when he expires – you’ll be getting a heart that’s NEVER been used.
Old people who are sick and handicapped are not worth wasting resources on. Jeffrey Katzenberg understands this.
The MPTF full page Advertisement in Variety last week said it all. Katzenberg and company deliberately sought to take back the meaningful words “the Home” from the residents and family members and caring Industry workers. In their Ad in Variety last week they basically said, the Home isn’t closing, only some related service area. They failed to mention it is where 195 of our neediest elders used to live and call home. It is also an attempt to sanitize their awful action in trying to close the Home.
Quite the legacy indeed.
Why would anyone give a donation to the Motion Picture Fund while these Board members are trying to shut down Long Term Care – the nursing home?
They are cutting the heart out of the Fund. I’m holding off on any contributions until they give up on this misguided venture.
If after 60 plus years they want to change the charitable mission of the Fund and throw out the elderly and shut the Home down permanently, then like the open letter says, they are morally bankrupt and don’t deserve money that should be used for real charity. I don’t need to donate so that President David Tillman can get a financial package of around three quarters of a million dollars a year, and for what, closing the Home?
I’m doing the same. My family has donated for several generations but no more from me unless the nursing home hospital is a part of the plan.
Good point by No Money From Me.
What makes the Fund a worthwhile charity if it shuts down the Home where our needy are taken care of? They keep saying they are serving 60,000 with Health Clinics. They make money on those clinics and there are alternatives to those clinics. I see that as a business venture that does not require or deserve the money I earmark for charity.
Do you think perhaps they are deliberately trying to cause ruination to the place?
MPTF is not closing the Home? Oh?
The Home consists of four different living areas for retirees: apartments, cottages, the Lodge and Nursing Home/Alzheimer residence. At 100% occupancy, the Home can house over 400.
The ‘service area’ that MPTF wants to close accommodates 195 residents, when fully occupied.
So “only” 195 people – out of 400 – are being told to leave.
Re-defining almost 50% of the Home as a “service area” can’t change the fact that – by every definition of what the Home is supposed to be – THE HOME IS CLOSING.
Katzenberg wants to build that studio he wanted to build in Playa Del Rey 10 years ago. Dreamworks was in the process of securing the 48 acres of land there before the city council of Playa Del Rey shut them down. I guess the guys in India that gave Jeff and his buddies the 1.3 billion dollars to partner up on their film studio, want their money back, or a studio built. Hmmmm, anyone know of 48 acres of cheap land available to build a film studio? Jeff???? anybody????
In my opinion the MPTF is no longer in the business of taking care of its own. It’s in the business of making money and creating their own Kaiser like health clinic system. What was the gold standard of health insurance the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan has now turned into a MPTF money making fiefdom.
We used to be able to go to any doctor we wanted now if you don’t go to the clinic they won’t pay hardly any of the bill or they’ll refuse to pay the bill. Why not allow people to go to any doctor and pay what they would pay a MPTF clinic doctor with the patient picking up the rest? Because by not reimbursing the patient hardly any money for going to an out of network doctor you are now essentially forced to use the MPTF clinics unless of course you are rich. Many joined the union and worked for scale wages with no sick days or perks because we were promised good health insurance benefits and long term care at the MPTF Home. Now these benefits are all being taken away and those of us who are older can no longer qualify for or afford a long term care policy. That means if we need to be in a board and care or nursing home we can use up any money we have paying for long term care or if we don’t have much money we can end up in a medi-cal nursing home. I agree with Bea, the health clinics are a for profit business and not a charity. The MPTF is opening a new clinic in Glendale. Perhaps they should get out of the health care business and get back to being a charity! They need to keep the Home open.
An HMO and a resort. A charity? How embarrassing for MPTF.
One point of this letter is that Katzenberg has the power to make it happen. No one seems to be asking him to fund the MPTF himself. If his head fundaiser isn’t doing the job then hire someone else who will. If his management is mismanaging, replace the team. They’ve squandered the trust too easily given to them. People have lost confidence in them. This is Katzenberg’s watch, and his call.
And, still, no investigation!!! Where are the books?! Why hasn’t anyone subpoenaed the records?! Stop stalling and go after these bums!
My grandmother used to use the word, “IGNORAMUS” — Here is a dictionary definition:
ignoramus
noun – dunce, fool, ass, donkey, bonehead (slang), duffer (informal), simpleton, dullard, dolt, blockhead, lowbrow, putz (U.S. slang), fathead (informal), eejit (Scot. & Irish), thicko (Brit. slang), numpty (Scot. informal), doofus (slang, chiefly U.S.), numbskull…
Fitting!
Open letter to the celebrities who lend their good name to the Motion Picture Fund,
The Motion Picture Fund leadership is deliberately keeping beds empty at the nursing home. At this time about 104 beds are empty. By doing so, instead of taking care of 104 seniors in our industry who desperately need these beds and this level of care, the Fund is losing about $1,092,000 (yes, one million ninety two thousand dollars) each month. [MediCal and social security cover about $10,500 per resident each month or it is a cost paid privately].
There is a cure for this loss. Fill the beds with elderly members of the industry who want to live and be taken care of at the Motion Picture nursing home, just like the industry members from the past 60 plus years.
How dare the the Fund leaders ask for charitable contributions under these circumstances.
Why give your money to fund this deliberate loss when there are sick old people in our industry in desperate need.
You can make a difference. Please send the message:
NO NURSING HOME, NO DONATIONS! NO NURSING HOME, NO DONATIONS!
Thank you.
STOP STALLING! GET THIS INTO THE COURTS NOW!!!
All in due time, at the appropriate time.