Couldn’t find another diary on
this. From today’s L.A. Times:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration violated state law by producing fake news videos touting his proposals to soften an array of pro-labor laws, including one to water down nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, a judge ruled Thursday.
Superior Court Judge Lloyd G. Connelly of Sacramento ordered that Schwarzenegger refrain from producing and distributing the videos, ruling that state law bars officials from using tax money to pay for one-sided releases, particularly when they advocate pending proposals to alter state laws and regulations.
The releases, produced last year and early this year, were similar in format. The administration sent the releases to television stations throughout the state, including scripts to be read by news anchors. The videos contained interviews with administration officials and people who supposedly would have been affected by the laws, all of whom spoke favorably about the administration's proposed revisions. Parts of at least one of the videos appeared on several local television broadcasts, according to the administration.
[. . . ]
Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) protested and accused him of violating a state law barring the use of tax-funded propaganda.
"Free press is free press; government is government, and never the twain should meet," Romero said Thursday, adding that the releases "didn't pass the smell test."
Well, I guess everyone wants to get into the act. Ahnuld must've decided that planting news stories in Iraqi print media was for Beltway wonks; he is, after all, Der Governator of Kellyfoania, and if anyone could put together a blockbuster on nurse-staffing ratios for the small screen, he was the guy to do it.
We'll run the box office numbers as soon as they're available, but if you'll excuse me, I've gotta run to a pitch meeting for a "union-rep-meets-anti-gay-marriage-spinmeister" mini-series we've got. Have your people call my people; we'll do a special election.