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Secretary of state: Rutherford’s focus is on customers

Rockford Register Star

Editorial

October 24, 2006

Things change. The Rockford Register Star endorsed Jesse White when he ran for secretary of state in 1998, replacing outgoing secretary George Ryan, who was elected governor that year.

White promised to ferret out the kind of corruption in the office that proved to be Ryan’s downfall. In 2002, this newspaper endorsed White for re-election, lauding him as “competent, credible.”

In 2006, we believe White has become too comfortable in the office and that his judgment on important ethical matters has become questionable. He has hired and promoted numerous family members, most notably his own daughter, who now draws a $112,000 salary from the taxpayers. He has awarded questionable no-bid contracts to cronies, and he has accepted holiday gifts and campaign contributions from secretary of state employees.

And so, we recommend his challenger, Republican state Sen. Dan Rutherford. We believe Rutherford would establish higher standards for ethical hiring and business practices and stick to them. Also, we believe Rutherford has some ideas to improve customer service in the office.

Rutherford admits to liking Jesse White, and he spent more time in his Editorial Board interview talking about his customer-service ideas than he did criticizing White’s performance. Rutherford has made a campaign issue of nepotism in White’s administration, and rightly so.

White showed political arrogance in nearly tripling his daughter’s salary and putting a stepgrandson, a nephew and three nieces on the state payroll. He has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but these practices don’t inspire confidence in White.

If elected, Rutherford promised not to hire relatives. He promised not to solicit or accept campaign contributions or gifts from employees. He promised to adhere to squeaky-clean practices in the awarding of state contracts.

Rutherford is an executive with ServiceMaster Co., and he is qualified to run the state agency that has the most interaction with citizens as consumers. He believes good service should not just be a function of private industry.

The most public face of the secretary of state’s office is at the state’s driver’s license facilities. People should not have to wait in line for hours at those offices to be served, yet citizens have come to expect a half-day ordeal when they go to test for or renew licenses.

There is a better way to do business. Rutherford said he would establish an appointment system at the offices, while still allowing for walk-in clients. People should be able to call or go online to book appointments, he said. Other states do it. Why not Illinois?

In addition, hours at the driver’s services facilities should be expanded on Saturdays and into the evenings to accommodate working people. Rutherford believes his reform proposals can be accomplished without additional cost.

He has proposed notifying car owners by e-mail, as well as by snail mail, when it’s time to renew the license plate registration.

Many car owners don’t receive their mail notifications, and some 200,000 of them end up paying the $20 late fine. Drivers could opt to have the e-mail reminders, which would save the state in postage and be more efficient for citizens.

Rutherford, who is from Pontiac, is not well known in this region, but he has been in public service for more than a decade. He served 10 years in the state House and was elected to the state Senate in 2002. He is ranking Republican for the Financial Institutions Committee and serves on the Environment & Energy Committee.

It is time for a change. We believe Rutherford can bring some integrity back to the office of secretary of state, and that is why we are recommending him in this race.