The prospect of Missouri repealing its mandatory helmet law might be about motorcycle safety. But it’s part of a broader argument about personal freedom and whether government should intrude in personal decisions.

To be fair, you need to know where I’m coming from. My parents never placed me in a child car seat. When I rode my bicycle, I never wore a helmet. I learned to swim by watching others, then jumping in the deep end at the local pool and paddling back to the edge. Things that would horrify people and touch off numerous calls to the child abuse hot line, my buddies and I did without thinking.

Somehow we managed to survive with only a minimal amount of brain damage.

So whenever any governmental agency tries to regulate how I drive or whether I should wear a seat belt, my reaction is “butt out!”

And, indeed, that was my reaction upon hearing that Missouri Department of Transportation director Pete Rahn spent $33,000 on a public opinion poll that showed a majority of people in this state favor having a mandatory helmet law. Then, Mr. Rahn stood outside a hospital emergency room, said the repeal “makes no sense” and urged Gov. Jay Nixon to veto it.

It’s understandable that certain state departments would favor, and indeed urge, a veto. The Missouri State Highway Patrol comes to mind. But the DOT? Mr. Rahn wasted taxpayer money and his remarks were condescending because they insinuated that only a fool would sign the repeal.

Apparently, Gov. Nixon feels the same way. Last week, he cut exactly $33,000 from next year’s DOT administrative budget. Mr. Nixon’s spokesman, Jack Cardetti, confirmed that the veto was a direct response to the DOT poll.

“The governor thought that political polling was a waste of taxpayers’ dollars and therefore he took it out of their administrative budget for next year,” Mr. Cardetti said.

Yes! If my arm was 200 miles long, I’d reach my hand down to the mansion in Jefferson City for a gubernatorial “knuckle bump.” (C’mon, Jeremiah, don’t leave me hanging).

Pete Rahn is a heavyweight when it comes to highways. He’s served on national transportation boards and committees. Last year, he testified before a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He’s also done a great job of fixing Missouri’s highways and restoring credibility to that department.

When Mr. Rahn took control of MoDOT in 2004, he inherited a department with grim finances and a stain from the failures of the ill-fated “15-year” plan. He began by making sure that his department fulfilled its promises and didn’t guarantee what it couldn’t deliver.

Head north on Interstate 35 or I-29, and you immediately know when you’ve crossed the state border. Missouri’s smooth highway suddenly becomes Iowa’s bumpy and patched pavement.

Yes, Mr. Rahn has done a great job for Missourians, and maybe he should weigh in on the issue of whether motorcyclists should wear helmets. But issue a statement or send an e-mail. Don’t spend taxpayer money to try to influence this decision, then grandstand in front of a trauma center.

We want the DOT to give us smooth roads, not slick political maneuvering.

Steve Booher’s column runs on Monday. He can be reached at steveb@npgco.com.