Remembering (former) Lt. Gov. Ernie Kline: He leaves a legacy that should be followed

http://www.pennlive.com/editorials/index.ssf/2009/05/remembering_ernie_kline_he_lea.html

by Mark Singel
Monday May 25, 2009, 5:17 AM


Ernie Kline, right, was a former Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania

Let us take a moment and thank Ernie Kline.

As lieutenant governors go, he was one of the best. Gov. Milton Shapp entrusted some of the key issues of the day to him.

When the Arab oil embargo threatened our economic stability, Shapp's Lt. Governor initiated the Governor's Energy Council and set the tone for one of the most progressive agencies of its type in the nation.

Lt. Gov. Kline was the first to assume control of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and establish the precedent for the second in command to step into the breach anytime there was a life-threatening occurrence in the Commonwealth. Kline also utilized his leadership skills and strong connections to labor and other constituencies to handle a potentially explosive truckers strike early in his term of office.

Ernie Kline was the odds-on favorite for governor in the 1978 election until a spirited primary, buffeted by the winds of change, anointed Pete Flaherty -- a self-proclaimed maverick -- who went on to lose to Dick Thornburgh. As a side note, the presence of another strong political name on the ballot that spring -- Robert P. Casey -- further divided the vote. Most old-timers believe that had either Casey or Flaherty not challenged the incumbent lieutenant governor, Kline could have won the primary and general elections handily.

Ernie Kline didn't spend much time licking his wounds, however. He picked up right where he left off as a public official.

FULL story at link.

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