At this pace, reducing the size of the Maine Legislature could be done by attrition.

The latest is Republican Rep. Phil Cressey, who resigned his House District 99 seat effective Tuesday, after concerns were raised about his conspicuous lack of qualifications for legislative service.

Such as his working in Massachusetts during the week. Cressey defended this situation as temporary, a hollow protest when factoring his children’s enrollment in Massachusetts schools, which indicates permanence.

As does his legislative record. Anyone wandering into the State House during the last legislative session had less than a one-in-five chance of seeing him in action, given his appearance for only 16 percent of votes.

On one hand, this means Cressey was perhaps the legislator least influenced by special interests. (He was barely around to be lobbied.) On the other hand, this also made him the least connected with constituents. (He was rarely around to represent them.)

Neither Democrats nor Republicans much supported his continuance as a legislator. Rep. Josh Tardy, R-Newport, spoke for Cressey in a statement, saying, “Phil believes the amount of time he is spending away from his home … will negatively affect his ability to serve his constituents.”

Even in departure, Cressey was a no-show.

In the past two months, the Legislature has lost hard-working representatives on both sides of the aisle – like Republican Rep. Randy Hotham and Democratic Rep. William Walcott – to the demands of changing lives.

Another district, House District 83, lost two suddenly: Republican Rep. Abby Holman to a tragic skiing accident, and then Democratic Rep. Deane Jones to illness. And a Republican from Greenville, Rep. Earle Richardson, passed away in August.

All of them will be replaced in November, for the coming session in January, when the great deluge of proposed legislation washes over the capital, and one of the nation’s largest Legislatures and legislative staffs gets back to work.

Hotham, after his resignation, said the Maine Legislature is too big to be efficient, and tries to cram too much into each session, lawmakers are skimming legislation instead of understanding it. It’s little surprise, then, that Maine employs one of the largest legislative staffs of the 17 states that have part-time legislatures.

It’s inevitable after pushes to consolidate school administrations and county jails, that the microscope will again turn onto lawmakers to practice what is preached. Cross-aisle comments about legislative expenses, however, indicate leadership is attuned to the need for a harsh examination of the cost of governing Maine.

With Cressey, Democratic and Republicans showed what they can do, together, to deduct one representative from the Legislature.

Imagine what slimming, and savings, further bipartisan agreement toward shrinking government could achieve.