The way I see it, the beleaguered MPTF under the direction of Jeff Katzenberg and the assorted showbiz elite that litter the seats of the MPTF board meetings have recently been under the gun when it comes to dealing with various government health entities, families and residents themselves.

Run-on sentences aside, the scattered and unfocused route to healthcare oblivion has necessitated detouring around various fires that threaten to immolate the future of motion picture and television healthcare.

Jeff has been very busy of late. Religious persecution, storm-trooper security and feigned ignorance of basic healthcare regulations have taken a backseat to Jeff's own frenzied salvation of his reputation. Shtupping the elderly will have to wait while Jeff and his peeps wade through the mire that comes with the territory of tyrants and absolutists who must finally deal with...

A truncated "conference call" took place last week between the families and the MPTF brass; it took not more than 10 minutes. As I dialed into the conference, and entered the code on my cell phone, what I thought might be a glimmer of hope fluttered in the recesses of my Droid. Meretricious and unsavory inferences aside, I had expectations that the conference call may indeed be the harbinger of better things to come.

The seemingly hastily scheduled call was announced as a FedEx letter on my doorstep, delivered 24 hours before show time. Could this be another quickly cobbled together attempt to transmit what had already been decided as per the m.o. of the MPTF? On the face of it, the letter invited the recipient to log into a "conference" of sorts where the new message of consolidation of care would be discussed in an open forum. Once again I was misled...

This is a letter that I'm sending off today to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

April 26, 2010

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor -

I watched this morning as you extolled the successful results of the cause that you and other celebrities championed to save the Hollywood sign. You showed the possibility that a grassroots campaign, once recognized by the public and adopted by the industry, can have a positive effect.

My reaction to your words, "When I heard that it was 130 acres around the Hollywood sign needed to be protected, I did what the Terminator was supposed to do, which is to jump into action," was bittersweet. The iconic persona that you have crafted over the years, as exciting as it is, is not being used to its full potential -- that is, saving lives of the...

In this blog, I'm reaching out to you, dear reader, to help prevent a tragedy.

The symptom of the new and paranoid 'lockdown' mindset of the MPTF is about to result in an accident that we can prevent. The seemingly arrogant assurances of MPTF COO Seth Ellis have fallen flat as you will read and see, and show an apparent lack of regard for the safety of the most fragile residents.

During a visit with my mother last weekend at the Motion Picture Home, I personally experienced this symptom of security-gone-wild that has transformed the property needlessly into a virtual gulag. Gaining entrance to Area 51 might be easier than what I experienced this weekend.

The sun had broken through the clouds, and I thought I'd chance a nice...