Contributor: Rob Reiner reshaped how California understands and invests in children

Things to Do in L.A. Hollywood director Rob Reiner engineered Proposition 10, a 1998 tobacco tax that created First 5 California, generating more than $11 billion for early childhood programs statewide. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . After his tragic death Sunday, the world remembers Rob Reiner as a cinematic force -- and he was one, as an unforgettable presence on the ambitious 1970s sitcom "All in the Family" and later as the director of beloved films. I came to know him differently: as a restless thinker who transformed his own life story into bold public policy, reshaping how California understands and invests in its youngest children.