Schwarzenegger forcing out CHP chief

[Kadie]

Schwarzenegger forcing out CHP chief
Helmick announces he'll retire sooner than he wanted to

Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Wednesday, June 2, 2004

Sacramento -- California Highway Patrol Commissioner D.O. "Spike" Helmick announced his retirement Tuesday, saying he was leaving earlier than he wished at the request of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration.

Helmick, who served three governors in the patrol's top position, said he would have liked to stay through the end of the year when the mandatory retirement age would have kicked in but accepted the decision that he would be leaving earlier. Helmick turns 60 on Dec. 13 and could have stayed until the end of that month.

"My original plan was to stay. This is fine. I can work this out," he said in an interview about his Sept. 15 retirement date.

At an earlier news conference, Helmick broke down when asked about leaving the force he had served for 35 years.

"It's tough. It's very, very tough,'' he said, tears welling in his eyes.

more... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/06/02/BAGHA6V7HN1.DTL

[rfranklin]

1. I think Schwarzenegger is building a private plice force....

Didn't he just change their uniforms too? (Remember Nixon's "palace guard" uniforms?)