Politics & Other Mistakes: Konstitutional klunkers

Last week, the Maine Legislature chose the state’s constitutional officers, picking from the usual assortment of political stooges, amiable doofuses, and crusty remains of cat-food cans.

The state Constitution insists we must have a secretary of state, an attorney general, and a state treasurer for very good reasons, none of which I’m unaware of. The only requirement for winning one of these cushy jobs is to be either a current or past member of the majority party in said Legislature.

Not having any real qualifications for the positions isn’t quite as big a handicap as it might seem, since the actual work of the constitutional offices is done by veteran staff members. Because these employees are the only ones who know where the bodies are buried, they’re rarely replaced, regardless of the partisan affiliations of their newly chosen bosses.

This system actually works pretty well, if you don’t mind squandering taxpayer money on the six-figure salaries of three people whose only purpose in life is either to prepare for seeking some high elected office (new Secretary of State Shenna Bellows) or to pad their retirement accounts (old Secretary of State/new State Auditor Matt Dunlap).

Read more: https://portlandphoenix.me/politics-other-mistakes-konstitutional-klunkers/