Shopping Is Out of Order

The state Senate Rules Committee acted properly the other day in promptly voting to recommend confirmation of state Auditor General Thomas W. Hayes as California’s new state treasurer. As Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) said, Hayes’ qualifications are outstanding. This does not mean that Roberti will not support a Democrat for treasurer in 1990, assuming that Hayes runs for a full term, he said, but “it’s not our job now to engage in comparison-shopping.”

Over in the Assembly, however, some members were doing a little comparison-shopping, if not more. No witnesses appeared to oppose Hayes, and San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos praised Hayes as a man of ability and unquestioned integrity. But the Assembly committee named to screen Gov. George Deukmejian’s appointee delayed a vote on Hayes until January after at least two members indicated that they would like to put off the seating of a Deukmejian appointee until the next election. This would allow Democrat Elizabeth Whitney, now the acting treasurer, to run for the office as a virtual incumbent. Whitney is the acting treasurer because she was serving as deputy to Democrat Jesse M. Unruh at the time of Unurh’s death nearly two years ago.

Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) told Hayes that he is a good technocrat, but that there already is a good technocrat on the job in Whitney. Thus, he said, it is up to Hayes to tell the Assembly why there should be a change.

This is nonsense. The law provides that the governor fill a vacancy in a state constitutional office by appointment for the balance of the deceased’s unexpired term, the Legislature concurring. Whitney has no claim on the treasurer’s office. The governor went out of his way to make a nonpolitical appointment after the defeat of his first choice, Daniel E. Lungren, in a bitter Senate battle. The Assembly would be making a mistake to wage such a fight over Hayes.