Is it worth $78,197 for Minnesota voters to take out a life insurance policy on the governor? Actually, it's not quite as morbid as that, and nothing terrible, thankfully, has to happen to Gov. Tim Pawlenty for its benefits to kick in. The amount is the salary paid toLt. Gov. Carol Molnau -- an expense targeted by state Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, who's filed a bill to do away with the job.
"The most important aspect of the job is sitting around and waiting for the governor to die," Kahn told reporters last week.
Kahn correctly points out that there are very few duties of the office beyond succeeding the chief executive, and that several states don't even have the position. Some designate the secretary of state or a top legislator as next in line to succeed a governor who leaves office.
But wait a minute. Even if second-banana jobs have been described as less than a warm bucket of some-fluid-or-other, they do have a purpose. The mixed performances of American vice presidents who succeeded to the presidency notwithstanding, the country would have been in worse shape without them, as the nation recalled with the recent death of President Gerald Ford.
Kahn has stated that her effort isn't politically motivated. There's reason to believe her; the measure, which would have to be approved by the voters as a constitutional amendment, wouldn't take effect during the current term. That means if Minnesota GOP fantasies come true and Pawlenty is chosen for a spot on the national ticket in 2008, Molnau still would succeed him.
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Kahn has experience in getting rid of superfluous constitutional officers. Her fingerprints are on the legislation that deep-sixed the state treasurer position in 1998 when that office was deemed as having few duties that couldn't be delegated elsewhere. She also was behind an unsuccessful effort to get rid of the lieutenant governor spot in 2003.
But take away the lieutenant governor and only four state constitutional officers remain: governor, attorney general (a weaker position than in other states because it has few criminal prosecutorial powers), auditor and secretary of state. By that logic, eliminate them all, and throw in the Legislature as well, and we'll save even more.
Maybe the lieutenant governor should be given something more to do, as Pawlenty tried by appointing Molnau to the dual position of transportation commissioner in her first term (her reconfirmation by the DFL-controlled Legislature is less than certain this time).
But if a better job description is desired, let the voters decide, instead of eliminating the office entirely. Or, if desired, separate the election of the lieutenant governor from that of the governor. Taking away constitutional officers who are accountable to the voters leads us toward oligarchy, not, as the Minneapolis DFL stalwart should know, democracy.
