Lieutenant governor

Lieutenant governor
Rogers' problems aside, the position is unnecessary

January 31, 2002

Underlying last week’s flap over Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Rogers’ expenses was a more fundamental question: Why do we have a lieutenant governor? That Rogers may have spent state funds on personal – or at least silly – expenses is dwarfed by the uselessness of the office itself.

The Associated Press reported, Jan. 23, that Rogers’ office spent $55,000 on what it called "unconventional items." State Auditor Joanne Hill was quoted by the AP as saying that some of Rogers’ spending may have violated the law and that his office will be audited.

Among the expenses questioned by the AP were the cost of two phone lines originally billed to "Coloradans for Joe Rogers," but paid for by the state; $701 for books Rogers says he gave to Chinese dignitaries; $33.92 to ship a package to his uncle in Omaha; $50 for a cell phone for his wife; and $650 for candy.

In addition, The Denver Post says Rogers’ spent $5,000 on a video clipping service and $34,000 on a consultant. Why Rogers felt the need for a consultant is unclear. Why the state paid for one is even less apparent in that the Post says the consultant failed to submit an invoice or a timecard.

Rogers owes the people of Colorado an explanation of what went on in his office. Likewise, the state auditor should produce an independent report on his expenditures.

Beyond that, however, we owe it to ourselves to question the need for the office itself. The lieutenant governor’s position is almost entirely ceremonial. His only real responsibility is to take over in case the governor dies or is incapacitated. But the commander-in-chief function that makes a smooth and immediate transition crucial on the presidential level is absent in Denver.

A simple statute describing an order of succession is all that is needed, with the governor’s duties falling to the next highest elected official of the same political party. In the Owens administration that could be state Treasurer Mike Coffman, Secretary of State Donetta Davidson or, perhaps, Speaker of the House Doug Dean – all of whom are at least as competent as Rogers.

Rogers’ term is coming to a close, and Gov. Bill Owens may well want someone else on the ticket this fall. That may be an improvement, but the qualities of the officeholder will do nothing to change the fact that the job itself is a cipher.