AG Supports Poochigian's Request for Review of First 5 Commission's Use of Taxpayer Funds
Posted on 03/08/2006 8:17:47 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Legislators have decided to launch a formal audit of the spending practices of the state commission led by actor/director Rob Reiner, in the wake of news stories examining whether the commission spent taxpayer dollars for an ad campaign that promoted Reiner's political efforts at universal preschool programs.
The audit, which officials say could take 4 or 5 months, was approved this afternoon by the Joint Legislative Audit Commitee.
Reiner, the driving force behind June's Proposition 82 to create taxpayer-funded preschool for all children, has served for several years as the chairman of the state First 5 Commission, which focuses on a number of early childhood development programs (and is funded through the 1998 ballot measure that added a new tax on tobacco).
The key questions: did the commission spend $23 million on an ad campaign that was wrongfully coordinated with Reiner's political team gathering signatures on Prop 82? And did the money spent on PR (and PR agencies) go unfairly to agencies and consultants who have close political ties to Reiner?
The approval of the audit was largely a foregone conclusion, and what proved to be most interesting was what was not said. The executive director of the California First 5 Commission, Kris Perry, told the committee she could not speak about the controversy, other than to say the commission supports the audit.
Why? Because, said Perry, the commission has been told by Attorney General Bill Lockyer that his office can no longer serve as counsel to First 5, and that the commission should have a new lawyer before any testimony is give.
A spokesman for Lockyer says the AG actually just stepped aside on this particular accusation, because he has an "independent responsibility to enforce state laws" and thought it best that the commission have separate representation on the current allegations.
I could never climb those tall 1000 foot plus radio towers. It's amazing that people will just climb up those masts to change a lightbulb and whatnot. I get dizzy just looking at them from the ground.
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