Abolish the office of lieutenant governor

Thirteen candidates sought their respective party's nomination for lieutenant governor. Few voters could name more than one or two of them. Neither Scott Lee Cohen nor Jason Plummer, a 27-year-old who spent more than $1.3 million of family money to win the Republican nomination, is qualified to be a heartbeat away from serving as governor.

Cohen has withdrawn from the race. No doubt the Democratic State Central Committee will choose someone better qualified as his replacement. But this begs the real question: should we have a lieutenant governor at all?

The Illinois Constitution gives the lieutenant governor no responsibilities. At least two holders of the office have resigned, one to become a talk-show host and one citing "boredom." We haven't had a lieutenant governor since Pat Quinn became Governor a year ago. Have you even noticed?

Let's abolish the office. If the governor dies or resigns, the Attorney General (an elected official with actual duties) would become governor.

This will leave one less office for voters to elect, so they can spend more time studying the qualifications of candidates for the remaining offices. Illinois has too many elected offices and overlapping jurisdictions. Getting rid of the lieutenant governor would be a good start.

Matt Flamm

Palatine