Turman set public service example worth emulating

By Charles S. Johnson - 12/13/2008

HELENA — Former Lt. Gov. George Turman, who died last week at age 80, got his start in politics almost accidentally and just kept moving up the ladder.

Turman brought a rare combination of intelligence, ethics, modesty and graciousness to the offices he went on to hold. He was always a quiet, wise public official more interested in good public policy and serving Montanans than any personal ego.

He was the quintessential example of a good citizen called to public service, serving honorably and bowing out graciously to let others take their turn. That's how a democracy is supposed to work, isn't it?

Turman was practically pushed into politics by some Missoula friends in the summer of 1970.

Missoula Mayor Dick Shoup had resigned after winning the Republican primary election for the western district congressional seat in June 1970.

The then-partisan and divided Missoula City Council struggled for weeks trying to choose Shoup's successor, but couldn't agree on anyone. Some council members even applied, but couldn't pass muster with their peers.

The delay had become embarrassing.

Friends of Turman urged him to apply, and he did. He had worked for the Federal Reserve Bank in Seattle and San Francisco for before returning to Missoula with his wife, Kay, and their children. Turman had a property management business when he agreed to accept the call to serve his native city.

Turman quickly impressed the council, which chose him as mayor to fill out Shoup's term. He later won election as mayor.

In 1972, he was elected to the Legislature as a Republican. Unlike their peers, Turman and Hal Harper of Helena and a few others were strong environmental, pro-labor Republicans. They felt unwelcome in the House GOP caucus and later switched parties.

As a Democrat, Turman won a seat on the Public Service Commission in 1974. The utility regulatory agency that year had been overhauled into five regional districts instead of three statewide seats.

Turman was part of an especially good, populist PSC in those years.

He and commissioners like Gordon Bollinger, P.J. Goodover, Clyde Jarvis and Tom Schneider steered the commission 180 degrees away from its predecessor agency, which for too often had been little more than been a rubber stamp for the Montana Power Co.

Turman was not a man without some ambitions.

He ran in 1978 he ran for the western district House seat vacated by Democrat Max Baucus. Turman finished fourth in the six-candidate primary race won by Pat Williams, who went on victory in November.

In 1979, Ted Schwinden, the lieutenant governor running for governor, tapped Turman as his running mate. They went on to defeat Gov. Thomas L. Judge, who was seeking a third term, and running mate Joe Roberts in the June 1980 Democratic primary. Turman helped Schwinden carry Missoula County.

The Schwinden-Turman team won in November.

He fulfilled the lieutenant governor's job well, chairing various commissions and serving as state government's liaison to local governments.

Turman left public office just as suddenly as he entered it. After serving seven years as lieutenant governor, he resigned in 1988. Schwinden appointed him to serve that remaining year as one of Montana's two members of the Northwest Power Planning Council.

Unlike many lieutenant governors, Turman never went on to run for governor.

He might have been a strong candidate for governor in 1988 after Schwinden bowed out, but Turman showed no interest. I suspect he would have enjoyed discussing issues with Montanans, but would have hated having to ask people for campaign donations.

Turman never ran for public office again.

He went on to serve as president of the National Center for Appropriate Technology in Butte from 1989 until he retired in 1993.

I covered much of Turman's public career. He seemed to most enjoy digging into energy and environmental issues, whether it was helping devise "lifeline" natural gas rates for low-income people or exploring ideas like taxing air pollution.

George Turman's example of stepping up to serve, doing his job well and bowing out quietly may be his legacy. To make democracy work, Montana needs more people from all political philosophies who are willing to follow this example at all levels of public service.

Johnson is chief of the Lee Newspapers State Bureau in Helena. He may be reached at (800) 525-4920 or 443-4920. His e-mail address is chuck.johnson@lee.net.