Candidate for office the state can do without calls for elimination of elected board the state could do without

By adamg on Tue, 07/08/2014 - 4:17pm

Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung says it's time to eliminate the governor's council, a holdover from the days when the governor was appointed by the king of England.

Cheung says the council's most important role - confirming the appointment of judicial nominees - could be handed over to the state Senate.

Of course, Cheung doesn't just want to just twiddle his thumbs as lieutenant governor - a post that's been vacant since Tim Murray resigned last year, forcing Gov. Patrick to chair governor's council meetings. He's also proposing making the lieutenant governor the state's chief operating officer.

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Comments

A Cambridge City Councilor is

By anon on Tue, 07/08/2014 - 4:25pm.

A Cambridge City Councilor is speaking thoughtfully and proposing logical democratic reform? What is this Bizarro world?

"I want to be a worthless figurehead"

By BostonDog on Tue, 07/08/2014 - 4:29pm.

Is pretty much all he is saying. He wants to be appointed to the board of a bunch of quasi-public boards of directors for no good reason or need other then he'll want something to do with his time since there isn't much else for him to do.

This is a stupid solution in search of a problem. The state gets along just fine without a LG. I can think of plenty of volunteer groups he can join if he's looking for something to pass the time while he waits for the governor to resign or die.

Yep

By Nonymouse on Tue, 07/08/2014 - 5:18pm.

This might be anti-democratic of me, but I hate the thought of an elected position being in a COO position. The gap between people who are liable to get elected and people who are capable of performing COO duties for a major city is larger than I care to dwell on.

That said, yes - let's get rid of the Governor's Council. There's nothing we need there.

Of course it should be abolished

By anon on Tue, 07/08/2014 - 7:53pm.

should have been abolished a long time ago. And if the commonwealth can make do without a Lt. Gov., that office should be abolished,too.

so to recap

By aging cynic on Wed, 07/09/2014 - 1:12am.

We have a former trash collector making $330,000 plus a car, life insurance and other fringes to run a city of 105,000 thanks to Mr. Leung and his fellow councilors Yeah, he should fit right in.