Posted on 03/20/2006 3:27:36 PM PST by calcowgirl
Why hasn’t Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger replaced controversial movie director/initiative promoter Rob Reiner as chairman of the California Children and Families Commission? That’s the question that has many, especially Schwarzenegger’s fellow Republicans, perplexed. Reiner has stepped away, taken a “leave of absence” from his post at the so-called “First Five Commission” in the wake of revelations about its highly questionable spending practices under his leadership. But he intends to return to the chairmanship after his Proposition 82 universal preschool initiative is voted on in June, even though his term in office expired in 2004.
Many Republicans thought they understood Schwarzenegger’s motivation when they saw several high-profile Hollywood names among the sponsors of tonight’s big Beverly Hills fundraiser for the governor. But those figures are not close to Reiner, a very liberal Democrat. The truth of the matter lies elsewhere.
There are several reasons for Arnold’s refusal to act, according to sources around the former action superstar. One is his desire not to speak ill of a fellow celebrity. Another is Maria Shriver’s insistence that he not get into more fights with liberals. Then there is the previously undisclosed fact that Arnold’s own administration is implicated in the unsavory doings at the First Five Commission.
Former Pete Wilson official Kimberly Belshe was a founding commissioner when it was formed in 1998 following the passage of Reiner’s Proposition 10 tobacco tax initiative. She served as vice chair of the commission. While she was a member of the commission, Reiner’s media consultants developed their plans to use state funding to promote Reiner’s “Preschool For All” theme of stimulating public demand for state preschool services.
Then in the fall of 2003, Belshe became a member of the Schwarzenegger Cabinet as secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency. After joining the Arnold Administration, she became an ex officio member of the Reiner Commission.
Another ex officio member of the Reiner Commission was then Schwarzenegger Secretary of Education Richard Riordan, a longtime friend of Arnold. Riordan, the former Los Angeles mayor, was part of the working group assembled by Reiner to draft Proposition 82. He is one of its most prominent endorsers.
The media contract under which the $23 million in taxpayer money was used to boost the Preschool For All initiative was executed on June 28, 2004. That was over seven months after Arnold became governor, clearly on his watch.
The Reiner Commission came under scrutiny from the California Performance Review (CPR). But although the former action superstar famously promised to “blow up the boxes” of the bureaucracy in his 2004 State of the State address, the highly-touted CPR was shelved by Schwarzenegger under pressure from Democrats and members of his own administration.
The CPR had recommended that the Reiner Commission be placed under the aegis of a new Department of Health and Human Services, effective July 1, 2005. Had the commission been placed under the direct oversight of the department, it is hard to believe that its $23 million advertising campaign boosting the Preschool For All initiative — after Reiner launched the campaign and while his operatives were in the field collecting signatures to qualify it for the June ballot — which started several months after, would have been allowed.
It’s clear that the two men, despite their differing partisan allegiances, have an entente. Each has contributed to the other’s causes. Reiner criticized Arnold during the special election, but his comments were much less pointed and of lower impact than those of fellow Hollywood stars Warren Beatty and Annette Bening.
In fact, Reiner was actually a guest at private parties during the Arnold Inaugural. It is laudable that people can have friendships across partisan lines in this far too partisan era. But Reiner’s term in office ended some 15 months ago. He has made it abundantly clear that he either deliberately pushed to use taxpayer money to promote his own ballot initiative or was remarkably unaware of activities that coincidentally promoted his own ballot initiative. Either way, it’s bad.
Consider his disastrous appearance at last week’s Sacramento Press Club luncheon. He said he doesn’t know about the state contract between his Children and Families Commission and his ad agency which instituted the program to stimulate more public demand for universal preschool which is his initiative campaign. He doesn’t know about the earlier memo by his advisors laying out the need for such a program. He doesn’t know about the highly improper use of state resources to promote his initiative campaign kick-off event featuring himself. He never even saw the taxpayer-funded TV ads promoting universal preschool after his preschool initiative campaign was launched.
That media contract he says he doesn’t know about is for $67.5 million. It was executed on the watch of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is just the sort of thing Arnold promised in his campaign to put an end to. Yet he has not. Aside from a few vaguely disapproving comments in response to questions at his Arnold Classic bodybuilding extravaganza last month in Columbus, Ohio, he has dodged the issue.
Indeed, at the end of last week, his people continued to evade the question.
Asked about Arnold’s intentions with regard to Reiner, a Schwarzenegger aide, who insisted on speaking on background, said this: “There’s nothing new to tell you. He has been totally focused on the infrastructure bonds. I can’t tell you when the governor will have something to say.”
Given the involvement of senior members of his administration in the Reiner Commission, given the fact that this has happened on his watch, given the fact that the CPR would have placed the commission under direct state oversight but was dropped by his administration, and given the fact that his drive to place the infrastructure bonds on the June ballot is now over, it seems obvious that Schwarzenegger should attend to this embarrassment in his front yard.
The plot thickens
Another possible reason is that Arnold -- seeing that "even" many of the Leftist-lature are sprinting away from the Reiner-smell -- is letting Meathead twist in the proverbial wind for awhile.
That would be a convenient excuse, today. But Reiner was appointed by Gray Davis in 1999; his term expired in 2003.
Here is what the statute says:
130115. The Governor shall appoint three members of the state commission, one of whom shall be designated as chairperson. One of the Governor's appointees shall be either a county health officer or a county health executive. The Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Rules Committee shall each appoint two members of the state commission. Of the members first appointed by the Governor, one shall serve for a term of four years, and two for a term of two years. Of the members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Rules Committee, one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Rules Committee shall serve for a period of four years with the other appointees to serve for a period of three years. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for four-year terms. No appointee shall serve as a member of the state commission for more than two four-year terms.
Schwarzenegger sees Reiner's work as laudable and a complement to his own stepchild, Prop 49. Why crucify the author over a few minor acts of plagiarism when the book is great?
Not all that hard to figure out. Arnold simply wants to avoid pissing of the bulk of his base--the uber lefties and liberals. He's already lost the real conservatives along with plenty of the pretend-conservatives. The left, including the silk sock country club New Majority Big Tent elites, is all that remains.
I can't help but think that the big bond initiative relative to Education ($10 Billion in bonds in 2006 and another $9 Billion in 2008) doesn't have something to do with preschool. I saw in the text of the law that upon new construction, existing portable classrooms to be removed could be used for childcare and PRESCHOOL.
Lots of the silk sockers that contribute to Arnie are among the largest contributors to the Preschool For All Proposition (Dick Riordan and his wife Nancy Daly; Reed Hastings; Warren Hellman; Rob Lowe and wife). You can also find David Geffen, Eli Broad, George Soros, etc.
If Reiner's term expired in 2003, how does he hold office (and draw a salary, etc.)? Did Arnold re-appoint him? Although the statute is valuable background for analysis, isn't it possible that Arnold is letting Reiner twist in the wind, as part of his motivation for inaction?
Regardless, I'm disappointed that Arnold hasn't even managed a tepid statement like, "these are serious allegations deserving a serious response from Mr. Reiner." But no. Off at a bodybuilding contest or something, leaving BustaMecha in charge, technically.
...i.e., the usual suspects.
Orange County conservatives detest the New Majority.
Ostensibly the deal was struck to placate Nunez, whose school district is way over budget, broke and has a reputation for mega waste. But, there is always the possibility that the gang was also anticipating the approval of Prop 82 and didn't know quite how to approach, by then, a livid, electoral minority, seeking funding for all the new, state operated preschools to house the new batch of state educated and salaried teachers.
So maybe, yes, the gang had Reiner's dreams in mind when they fronted for the education lobby.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
130135. Voting members of the state commission shall not be compensated for their services, except that they shall be paid reasonable per diem and reimbursement of reasonable expenses for attending meetings and discharging other official responsibilities as authorized by the state commission.... isn't it possible that Arnold is letting Reiner twist in the wind, as part of his motivation for inaction?
Many things are possible. But only some things are credible.
It's a shame the Teacher's Union runs the whole state.
Steroids have a bad effect on male testosterone levels.
If Reiner's term expired in 2003, how does he hold office (and draw a salary, etc.)? Did Arnold re-appoint him?
No. Arnold appoint anybody, instead allowing Reiner to stay on indefinitely. There is no salary for the post:
130135. Voting members of the state commission shall not be compensated for their services, except that they shall be paid reasonable per diem and reimbursement of reasonable expenses for attending meetings and discharging other official responsibilities as authorized by the state commission.
... isn't it possible that Arnold is letting Reiner twist in the wind, as part of his motivation for inaction?
Many things are possible. But only some things are credible.
I think it is simply that he does not want to pile on and make it look like it's politics.
I could be wrong of course, but I think that could be the reason.
You're obviously good at providing the legal authorities, and I do appreciate those. But you haven't reaslly explained why wind-twisting isn't "credible" as a partial explanation for Arnold's inaction. I agree with some of the other suggested reasons, but you haven't explained why it's not credible -- and you've been rather condescending, which is par for your course, I'm afraid.
I've asked you twice, and once again, I'm done with you. Enjoy your sandbox.
Forgive me, but I have a much more cynical viewpoint.
I see an Austrian tank driver, turned body builder, turned action hero icon (with limited dialog), as the populist spokesman for a termed out and driven out group of political insiders, masters of expediency and loyal to no particular persuasion if it doesn't translate to immediate political gain.
From my perspective the Austrian didn't learn anything but his lines, provided each morning to his office by the gang and delivered with great passion after review by Teddy's niece. Schwarzenegger is not Von Braum and his simple repeatitive mantra is neither Marx nor Shakespeare. His pronouncements are efficient and simply, designed to be understood both by the suckers and the huckster. They are not a study in strident ideology but rather a primer in political expediency.
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