If you’re a political journalist and you don’t know how to begin a story, there’s always the old standby “The race for ____ heated up yesterday when…”

And there it is, in this morning’s all-in-color-for-a-buck Freeploid. Today’s fill-in-the-blank is “Treasurer.” And the heating is courtesy of Republican challenger Wendy Wilton*, who is accusing incumbent Beth Pearce of a veritable cornucopia of malfeasance, and demanding not one, but TWO investigations.

*Wilton’s cheap-ass campaign website bears the misleading headline, “Treasurer Wendy Wilton for Treasurer.” Wilton is, of course, Treasurer of the city of Rutland, population 16,399, a tiny bit different than being Treasurer of the state of Vermont, population 626,431. So Wendy, if I’m the president of my local Elks Club chapter and I run for President of the United States, can I put “President John Walters For President” on my website?

Wilton has filed complaints with the Attorney General and the State Auditor, regarding overtime pay in the Treasurer’s office and reputed delays in an upgrade of state retirement systems. Wilton depicts her action as a simple request for information, but an e-mail blast from her campaign refers to “an overtime scandal” and “gross mismanagement.”

Yeah, not political at all. Three weeks before the election. When there’s no way any investigation or audit can be completed by Election Day.

After the jump: a closer look at Wilton’s bluster.

The overtime stuff is old news. One key staffer ran up significant overtime* because some experienced staff left the office, while Pearce kept the overall payroll under budget. In her new complaint, Wilton asks why Pearce didn’t hire additional personnel instead of allowing overtime pay. (Gee, Wendy, you want to INCREASE the state payroll?) Pearce’s response: the work was highly technical in nature, and you can’t just hire a few temps to get you through a rough patch. In short: This ain’t McDonald’s, lady.

*Although the overtime figure isn’t nearly so scary when you break it down. Wilton says the staffer accumulated 3,216 hours in overtime. In a three-year period. So if you divide 3,216 by three years, you get 21 hours per week in overtime. So the staffer in question was putting in 60-hour weeks, while filling the shoes of two departed senior employees. That sounds a lot less appalling, no?

As for the overdue pension system upgrade, Pearce acknowledges some delays (which are pretty much par for the course in this kind of thing) but says the entire project is on track — and under budget.

Now, that’s my kind of malfeasance.

Pearce also points out that another audit would be superfluous, since the State Auditor conducts a yearly audit of the Treasurer’s office. The most recent audit, she says, found no problems.

And yet Wendy Wilton wants two investigations.

Well, not really. She just wants to stir up trouble.

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p.s. I began this piece with a flip observation about lazy writing, so I’ll end the same way. The Freeploid’s article is headlined “Candidates Spar in Heated Treasurer’s Race.” Oh boy, cat fight!

Thing is, last I checked, a fight requires two participants. In this case, Wilton is attacking Pearce’s credibility and professionalism (and even adherence to the law), while Pearce is responding to the accusations. That’s not a fight, and that’s not a “heated race.” That’s one candidate going off the deep end in a desperate attempt to smear her opponent.

p.p.s. I’d like to put in my own request for an investigation. Wilton’s cheap-ass campaign website features a photo of the candidate. The exact same photo used by Vermonters First in its recent, ill-fated State Seal webvertising campaign.

The same photo!!!!!!

I smell collusion.