Resign, or your paycheck sleeps with da fishes

Yesterday, we learned that Gov.Terry Branstad asked/demanded that the president and president pro tem of the Iowa Board of Regents renounce their titles and step aside for more Branstadian replacements. They did so, with regret, even though their terms weren't up until next year.

Generally, I am about as interested in the Regent's political soap opera as I am in stamp collecting. (No offense, philatelists) So I shrugged at this development.

Then, this story broke today in various places. From Radio Iowa, where I saw it first:

A lawyer who works for the state says he's in shock after two of the governor's top deputies demanded his resignation yesterday.

Christopher Godfrey, the Iowa Workers Compensation Commissioner, says after he refused, his salary was cut by 33 percent.

“I informed them that I was unwilling to resign. I gave up a lot to take on this position. I gave up a legal career to take on this position and that I was not in a position, financially or otherwise, to give up the position,” Godfrey said during an interview with Radio Iowa.

Apparently, Godfrey was first appointed by Gov. Tom Vilsack and reappointed in 2009 by Gov. Culver, when he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. His term in office runs into 2015.

But da guv asked for everybody's quittin' papers when he took office. An offer they couldn't refuse. Godfrey refused. Now, his paycheck is wearing a cement envelope. His $109,000 salary was cut by $36,000.

What? I mean, what's a governor to do, letting this little guy defy him? It's bad for business.

From a second Radio Iowa story this afternoon:

Christopher Godfrey, the state workers compensation commissioner, says he was asked to resign after the election in November and Godfrey says he was told this past Monday that if he failed to resign, his pay would be cut. Branstad chief of staff Jeff Boeyink disputes that.

“There were no threats. There were no discussions of any quid pro quos. This was a situation where Mr. Godfrey made a decision not to resign and we made a decision to reduce his salary,” Boeyink says. “It's as simple as that and for him to characterize it as something more than that would simply be inaccurate.”

According to Boeyink, Godfrey was called into a meeting that lasted less than five minutes and, when the commissioner was asked to reconsider and resign - and failed to do so, Boeyink says Godfrey was told his pay would be cut.

 The Register of Des Moines also has the story, and makes an important point:

Iowa's governor has the power to appoint dozens of top positions in state government and there is generally a large turnover when a new administration is elected.

However, there are purposely a handful of positions appointed by a governor and confirmed by the Senate that have terms that often carry into multiple administrations. Such positions are better sheltered from political influence, especially important in positions such as workers' compensation claims, noted Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo.

OK, so clearly, Branstad can ask for resignations. And he can cut pay. 

We know what he can do. The question really is, should he operate this way? I don't think so. He has no specific beef with this guy's performance, from what I can gather. The law says Godfrey serves until 2015. So the payday kneecapping seems unfair and excessive.

It's a given that had a Democrat pulled this, Republicans would be outraged, and rightly so. I can't recall Vilsack doing anything quite like this. In fact, Vilsack took heat from the left because he kept to many Republicans around. Maybe some of you can think of an example.

Governors have a ton of appointment power. Branstad's been appointing like crazy since January. His folks are running state departments and taking seats on boards and commissions. As it should be.

But because of staggered terms, governors simply don't get to appoint everyone all at once. That's the system we have, and it allows for some reasonable continuity. Using strong-arm tactics to shortcircuit or circumvent that system, just because the deck is not quite stacked exactly the way you want it, is not the kind of leadership I'd expect out of the seasoned elder statesmen who returned to run the place like an adult.

Your thoughts?