Choice of regents best left to governor.

The editors of the Journal respond to an effort by the
League of United Latin American Citizens to place
university regents on the ballot for selection by voters.

The LULAC argues that hispanics are underrepresented on
the various boards of regents at six state colleges and
universities.

The editors argue that voters are too ignorant to do the
job well or correctly. link sub req.

They argue that the governor knows the candidates and
the issues more thoroughly, and is accountable for his or
her choices through their own reelection process.

The problem is of course, that governors fill appointments
as part of a system of political plums that are given out
for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with the
individual qualifications of the appointees.

And, the idea that Governor Richardson, or any other
governor would actually be held accountable for their
many appointments at election time is simply naive.

I challenge anyone to point to even one public discussion
of "political appointees" in the context of an election.

Further, as a political lame duck, Bill Richardson is not
subject even to that imaginary accountability.

Voters are ignorant; woefully, painfully, frighteningly ignorant.

Still I would put the job of political appointments in their
hands before I would put them in the hands of any typical
NM politico.

Ironically, the voter ignorance that the Journal editors
point to, is largely the result of the failure of the Journal
and other media to educate them.

The education of voter stakeholders in a democracy may
well be the most important job of newspapers; and
the one they do least well.