Whoa, Boys! Let's slow down here. You're not a pair of bull elk in mating season, butting heads in some predestined power struggle. You're supposed to be leaders, elected to be rational, thoughtful people dedicated to solving the problems of our state, not to mutual self-destruction.

I'm talking, of course, about Governor Bill Owens and Lt. Governor Joe Rogers, who surely ought to know better than to behave like two backyard bullies. They were elected together, for Heaven's sake-as a team. The voters certainly expect better of them than bloodying each other's noses in public (or anyplace else, for that matter).

I happen to know a little about this Governor/Lt. Governor relationship. If the two politicians occupying those jobs work well together, forming a partnership, it can be extremely valuable to the state. That's the way it should be. If they fight, they're just wasting taxpayers' money. That's what's happening right now. Let's take a look at what's going on. First, while the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run together, voters elect the governor, not the lieutenant governor, to run the state. The lieutenant governor only has a job if the governor trusts her or him enough to send some responsibility that way. Joe Rogers needs to understand that he has to win Bill Owens trust, not the other way around. Lt. governors have no room for arrogance.

Second, Governor Owens could muster a little respect, at least in public, for his running mate. To demand a "background check" of Joe Rogers' employee is unprecedented and probably just a jab to let Rogers know who is boss (which he apparently hasn't figured out yet). In my 12 years as a statewide elected official, I can never remember a background check being required. This isn't the White House, where the world's most powerful person resides. It's the Colorado state capitol, where ordinary people are allowed entry at will.

Next, if Joe Rogers wants to win Governor Owens' respect, he needs to watch his spending, demonstrating that he can be careful with public money. The Governor, on the other hand, does manage the Lieutenant Governor's budget, so to complain publicly about his expenditures, rather than simply refusing to pay for irresponsible expenses, is petty. Let's remember who's really in charge here.

What's to be done about this sorry mess? The two men need to sit down like adults and negotiate a truce. If I were Joe Rogers, I'd go knocking on the Governor's door to say I'm ready to be a contributing, responsible official. I'd not expect trust to return any time soon, however, but I'd ask for some responsibilities so that I could prove myself.

Governor Owens, on the other hand, would do well to offer the olive branch. After all, it's his administration and he will be judged on how well he manages both issues and people. I would urge him to see the Lt. Governor's office as a potentially valuable aid and to give, slowly to be sure, Joe Rogers some key jobs. This can not only relieve the governor of an overly full plate, but help solve critical problems as well. If Rogers performs, Owens can up the ante. Hopefully, over time, Rogers will come to understand his role as number two (which only kicks in if he behaves himself). And Owens will develop an ability to share some of the power and publicity that accrues to the governor's office.

My caution to the Lt. Governor is this: don't go off half-cocked or on your own. You build trust with the Governor by making sure you don't blindside him, by making sure you touch base before heading off to solve some real or perceived problem, by making sure you are someone the state can respect. You build trust by consulting with the Governor and focusing on his agenda. Above all, you build trust by remembering, always, that he was elected to manage the state, not you.

To both the Governor and Lt. Governor: It's time to move beyond this sorry escapade, to work together and to act like the leaders the voters elected you to be.