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State Auditor Rebecca Otto's announcement


Maybe you think I'm a political junkie. There are lots of ways to spend a Monday morning other than attending official announcements. But there I was, at 10 a.m. sharp, filing into a windowless room and taking a seat in the back row. 
 

My usual inclination is to sit in the front row, but my friend steered me away. Apparently, the press requires the front row for its recording devices and its sharply honed questions.


My friend is the one who told me about the event, and that the announcement would be open to the public. My curiosity took care of the rest. I'm a nut for new experiences. How could I pass up an opportunity to witness the daily life of my state government?


Yet, as soon as I seated myself, the doubts crept in. What was I doing here? What did I know about state auditors, save that the word auditor sounded an awful lot like audit, as in "tax audit"? 


Here's the truth: I know more about South Carolina's philandering 

I can get down and dirty about the particulars of former Democratic presidential candidate 

 with a campaign videographer -- that they had a love child; that Edwards at first denied his paternity; that Edwards allegedly tapped a campaign staffer, Andrew Young, to take the fall and claim he, not Edwards, was the proud papa. 


But don't ask me about fiscal policy or the financial condition of state agencies. It's not my bag. Too many details and not enough bang to stimulate my limited attention span. And it turns out I'm not alone.


At the announcement, State Auditor Otto referred to her job as the "Rodney Dangerfield of constitutional offices." No one pays attention to the office or the office holder. To my knowledge, Otto hasn't lied about trips to the Appalachian Trail or carried out an affair with a hot Argentinean lover. 

If she had, I'd know all about her. The press would work the story to death. We could all shake the gloom of economic woes and health care reform gridlock by redirecting our attention to yet another political scandal. 


Sure, politicians make easy targets. Think 

. But why do I have to follow the bouncing ball?


If I were more cynical, I might even suspect I was being intentionally diverted. Diverted from the cause-and-effect of public policy. Diverted from my civic duty to understand the workings of government in the event that, should I disagree with a policy or a politician, I could do something about it. 


Because here's another truth: Mark Sanford's actions have no direct impact on my civic well-being; Rebecca Otto's actions do. 


Among other duties, the state auditor oversees the billions of dollars spent annually by local governments in Minnesota. That's policymaking that hits close to home.


I could blame my distraction on the dumbing-down of American media and the moral hypocrisy of elected officials. But I'd rather cultivate an attitude of self-responsibility. 


After the conference, I went online. I found the Minnesota state auditor Web site. I found Otto's personal Web site. I found news releases, opinion pieces and published articles. 


Sure, a little Web surfing doesn't qualify me to vote responsibly or -- heaven forbid! -- pass a bill. But I'm reminded that every education begins with a willingness to learn.


Britt Aamodt is a freelance writer in Elk River, Minn.

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The South Carolina governor should not be a bigger name than the Minnesota auditor. At least, not in Minnesota.

Why does public policy take a back seat to public scandal?

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