Posted on 02/25/2006 11:52:59 AM PST by Amerigomag
Movie director/initiative promoter Rob Reiner stepped away from his controversial post as chairman of the First Five Commission yesterday in a private letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, taking a “leave of absence” through the June primary election. Don’t expect him back.
The governor, who gave a smoothly delivered, politely received speech over an hour later than scheduled to kick off the state Republican convention in San Jose last night, wasn’t taking any press questions. He still wasn’t taking press questions when I ran into him at a private event after his speech.
Some Reiner friends in Hollywood saw the bad situation he is in, as, reportedly, did Reiner himself. His refusal as a public official to return my repeated calls regarding his status and plans coupled with his aides declining to simply say something like “Rob has done nothing wrong and will remain as chairman” made his crisis obvious. As a fellow Hollywood star, Schwarzenegger was in an awkward situtation. This face-saving option to attempt to defuse the situation is the result.
Will it work? Like most half-measures, probably not.
(Excerpt) Read more at newwestnotes.com ...
Once a meathead, always a meathead.
I wish for a day when our gov't doesn't need watchdogs and pajama types to keep it from being even more corrupt than it already tends to be.
My question is why he was allowed to remain as long as he did:
http://www.newwestnotes.com/reiner-redux/
His term of office, as Governor Schwarzenegger’s office told me Wednesday, ended in 2004. He has not been reappointed and no replacement has been named. The governor has taken no position on Reiner’s continued tenure as head of the commission. He could, of course, replace Reiner at any moment by naming someone to fill the seat for the new term of office.
His term of office was up two years ago. Arnold didn't name any replacement so he was allowed to continue to run things.
He is an at-will appointment, which means his Hollywood croney can keep him on if he wishes.
By the way, has anyone noticed the socialist anti-religious aspect of this initiative? If you require college-educated workers and "credentialed" workers (a union scam wherein even Ph.D.'s don't qualify as teachers without going through re-education camps) you essentially drive out pre-schools run by churches that charge very little, but will not be able to compete against the unending spending of the government, not to mention you stretch the cradle-to-grave mandatory government entitlement program even further.
By the way, those who know Reiner from his television writer days say he was a not even arguable radical socialist, living off the Hollywood patronage, naturally. Nothing indicates he's changed a bit.
He's not stepping away. His term ended. He has no more right to be there.
A new director might give the party faithful some red meat to chew on don't ya think?
Reiner was appointed in 1999 by then-governor, Gray Davis.
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.
According the Reuters - he's outa there -
"SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - Actor-director Rob Reiner, accused of abusing his role as head of a California commission by spending state funds to promote a campaign to fund preschool, resigned from the job on Wednesday."
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-03-29T200505Z_01_N29387866_RTRUKOC_0_US-CALIFORNIA-REINER.xml&rpc=22
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.