Who needs oversight?

An editorial in today's Courier-Journal:

On a near party-line vote, the (state Senate) members passed Senate Bill 58, which would ask voters to get rid of the office charged with balancing the books, writing checks and providing independent oversight of state finances, The Courier-Journal’s Sebastian Kitchen reported Wednesday.

State Sen. Chris McDaniel, a Republican from Taylor Mill, explained glibly that the treasurer’s duties could be shifted to the Finance and Administration Cabinet. Not so fast, even if that’s possible.

The elected state treasurer is independent and more equipped to provide the oversight state government demonstrates it needs on a regular basis. The finance secretary, appointed by the governor, is less so. Plus, as Kentucky Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, a Democrat, pointed out, his office generates millions more through its unclaimed property efforts than the state spends for the office’s $3.1 million budget.