Questionable leave

When Fred Ferrell of Charleston, Mo., was tapped in January 2005 by Gov. Matt Blunt to become the state's agriculture director, farmers across the state recognized that a seasoned farmer who knows the ins and outs of Missouri's vital agribusiness interests would have an important role in Jefferson City.

By all accounts, Ferrell has been a strong member of the governor's cabinet, which is what makes his being placed on administrative leave earlier this month -- and the unwillingness of Blunt or anyone else to say why -- difficult to understand. The only reason given is that it's a "personnel matter."

There can be good reasons for discretion in these matters, but when someone that high in state government is put on paid leave and his responsibilities are handed over to a deputy, a lack of any explanation leads to speculation that can be far more damaging than the facts.

Missourians are entitled to know why one of the governor's key department heads is not being allowed to do his job.