Governor fuels board furor (criticized for saying chiropractic panel should represent the industry)

Sac Bee ^ | 3/9/07 | Kevin Yamamura

[NormsRevenge]

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger drew immediate criticism Thursday for declaring that the state's Board of Chiropractic Examiners should represent chiropractors despite the panel's mission statement of protecting the public.

The Republican governor made the remark as he tried to distance himself from his own chiropractic appointees, including two of his earliest bodybuilding friends, after the board took questionable actions last week that consumer advocates say favor the chiropractic industry.

"They run their board by themselves, independent of us," Schwarzenegger said after touring the San Joaquin County jail in French Camp to promote his prison plan. "We don't give them directions. What is important is that the chiropractic board represents the chiropractors. And each board represents their profession."

The board's three-part mission statement includes protecting Californians from "fraudulent or incompetent practice of chiropractic," as well as licensing applicants and enforcing the 1922 chiropractic act, according to its Web site.

Julie D'Angelo Fellmeth, administrative director for the Center for Public Interest Law at the University of San Diego, said the governor's comment "represents a fundamental misunderstanding of these boards. This board is supposed to regulate the chiropractic profession in the public interest, not in the interest of the chiropractic profession."

The board at its March 1 meeting fired its executive director, ejected a deputy attorney general from a meeting, endorsed a controversial chiropractic technique that involves use of an anesthesiologist and certified a Florida chiropractic college that did not have an active application in place. The meeting spiraled so out of control that five California Highway Patrol officers were called in to keep the peace.