Lame-duck Gov. John Engler should quit trying to play the godfather by making Michigan judges offers they can’t refuse during his final months in office.
The chief executive hoped to move an early retirement plan for judges through the Legislature before lawmakers broke for a two-week vacation this week. The measure would offer bonus benefits to judges who retire early and has been rightfully criticized by Democrats as court-packing and bribery.
An estimated 150 judges would be eligible for early retirement. While they would not be forced to take the bonus package, eligible judges who do not accept could be replaced by Engler’s appointees.
Engler officials argue the governor’s efforts are not motivated to increase GOP political power across the state, but to help streamline Michigan’s courts by offering judges who do not “want to change with the times” a chance to step down with added bonuses.
But courts do not need streamlining. A judge’s bench is not a tool to help push the agenda of whichever party controls the governor’s office.
Unfortunately for Michigan voters, this isn’t an isolated effort of Engler’s to play a political chess game via his appointment powers.
In February, the governor appointed Republican Randall Pittman as the newest member of the MSU Board of Trustees after giving former Democrat Trustee Bob Weiss a judgeship in Genesee County.
That move shifted the political power of the board to a 5-3 GOP majority and left political analysts speculating if Engler was preparing his way to become MSU’s next president.
Similarly, Engler appointed former MSU Democratic Trustee Bob Traxler in August 2000 to a seat on the Mackinac Island Parks Commission and replaced him with Republican Trustee Scott Romney.
Engler also has failed in efforts to gain power to appoint the members of the state Board of Education and the governing boards of Michigan’s three major research universities - MSU, University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
Engler should quit trying to overturn the people‘s’ vote. American democracy is made to work in favor of the public.
