Ron Crane, Idaho’s accounting-challenged state treasurer, has also failed to master the fine art of political timing.
This is a laughably inopportune time for Crane to ask the Legislature for more duties and responsibilities — since Crane can’t even manage to stay on top of the basics in his office.
The string of bad news for Crane continued late last week, when legislative auditors issued a report chronicling several problems in the treasurer’s office. The audit revisits some old issues and introduces some new ones:
• Auditors criticized Crane for using a state credit card to purchase nearly $8,000 worth of gas for his private vehicle, and failing to submit vouchers to account for his travels. Auditors had asked Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor to look into the matter; last week, Taylor declined to press charges.
• Auditors found numerous problems with Crane’s annual trip to New York City, where the treasurer meets with Wall Street analysts who review Idaho’s bond ratings. Some expenses exceeded state limits. Travel expenses were not logged on the state’s accounting system. Limousines were used to squire the Idaho contingent around New York City — and Crane offered no justification for this expense.
Crane disputed many of the auditors’ findings but promised to do a better job of record-keeping. Forgive us if this is starting to sound old and tired. How many times must a state treasurer be admonished to keep better track of the books? How many times must a treasurer have to promise to shore things up?
The most damning finding is a new one. Auditors wrote up Crane for diverting $10,000 a year from the state’s general fund to a nonprofit group that hosts financial literacy conferences, known as “Smart Women, Smart Money.” Said the audit: “The objective of this conference is not a specifically authorized program by the Legislature in the state treasurer’s office, and the direct use of state general funds and staff time to support this effort is therefore questionable.”
Crane’s response: “The treasurer’s office has sponsored the ‘Smart Women, Smart Money’ conference for 12 years and never has a question been raised about our support for this program.”
Well, so what? Auditors have now raised a perfectly legitimate question. Did Crane overstep his bounds?
Lawmakers have taken notice. Crane proposed a bill to give his office the authority to run these conferences directly. The bill was introduced Jan. 26, one day before auditors finished their report. On Wednesday, the bill was yanked off the House floor and sent back to a committee. If this bill never sees the light of day, it wouldn’t be a surprise — or an overreaction.
Financial seminars may be a fine, worthy objective. We just don’t want Crane in charge of the show. As this audit again suggests, Crane himself could use a refresher course or two in financial literacy.
“Our View” is the editorial position of the Idaho Statesman. It is an unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman’s editorial board.
