Posted on 03/14/2006 6:22:23 PM PST by ChessMan
Reporters Grill Reiner Over First 5 Preschool Ad Spending Written for the web by C. Johnson, Internet News Producer
Film director and children's activist Rob Reiner defended himself Tuesday over the alleged misuse of taxpayer money to promote his universal preschool initiative.
Answering reporter questions today at the Sacramento Press Club, Reiner said neither he nor the First 5 Children and Families Commission has done anything wrong. "We've been audited every year," he said. "We've been audited seven or eight times. Clean bill of health every time. Contracting is clean as a whistle. Everything we've done has been above board."
Reiner last month temporarily stepped down as chair of the commission, a state panel that uses tobacco tax revenues to fund early childhood development programs. At issue is First 5's $23 million expenditure for television advertising promoting Reiner's "Preschool for All" at the same time he was qualifying the initiative for the June Primary ballot.
Reiner said the ads did not ask people to vote one way or another on Proposition 82. He also said he recused himself from the preschool ad expenditure decisions.
Others say any use of taxpayer dollars for campaigning is against the law. "These are our taxpayer dollars and they're being spent to push an initiative and it very well could have been illegal in this case," said Ned Wigglesworth of The Rest of Us.org, a taxpayer watchdog group.
One lawmaker, St. Sen. Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks is calling for Reiner's resignation or wants Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to remove him.
When Reiner stepped down from his First 5 post, he said he would not return until after the June election.
Last week, a group of bipartisan legislators approved a state investigation into First 5's campaign expenditures. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office has been also been asked to conduct a review.
http://www.kxtv.com/storyfull2.aspx?storyid=16467
Is the website for the Org.
It should be a Grand Jury posing the questions.
"All your money are belong to us." - Old Leftist Motto
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1596124/posts
What a meathead.
Yeah that we need, to let these liberal indoctrinationists get an earlier crack at our kids.
As far as learning, it is proven that the smarter children who have had NO preschool will surpass those with drilled-in learning by the end of first grade.
Fact : No amount of learning makes children smarter
Fact : Family circumstances play a huge role in your education. (parental involvement, support, emotional issues, etc.)
Fact : Children who stay at home with their mothers and have time to play and explore experience greater intellectual stimulation than those who are busy "learning"
Meathead is a criminal. He belongs in prison.
This is a liberal spending tax payer money. Move along. Nothing to see here.
Save your fingertips typing about this. We all know by now how these things end.
(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.")
"MeatheadGate"... LOL! ;-D
Rob Reiner should be in jail by now.
Related thread: Embattled Reiner slams his critics - He says they won't address merits of his preschool initiative
Lovin' it.
Trying to make it stick. :-D
We're going to beat this suckah down on election day.
Pilfer freely. I throw them out there in the public domain.
I sure hope so! I'll encourage my relatives in CA to vote NO on Proposition 82.
Man, these fascists will stop at NOTHING to get toddlers away from their parents and into the government schools as early as possible. For the selfish teachers unions the motivation is obvious (more students = more teachers = more union dues), but people like Reiner have no excuse - - they are simply and quite dangerously sick in the head.
LOL... perfect!
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