“It Has Always Been This Way” is Not an Excuse.
Note: This is the 4,000th story on Delaware Liberal, at least according to WordPress. Congrats all!
This morning’s NJ article has a lot of choice quotes from current and retired lawmakers concerning the power of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Thurman Adams.
The article essentialy describes Thurman Adams as a mad dictator, with enough power to rule Delaware according to what pleases or displeases him. Consider these passages of the article:
The epitaph for open-government legislation read “Jan. 11, 2007 — Introduced and Assigned to Executive Committee in Senate.”
The Senate Executive Committee is better known as Thurman Adams’ desk drawer, a place where controversial legislation goes to die.
Senate Bill 4, filed on the first day of the legislative session and intended to increase public access to governmental meetings and records, spent two years yellowing and crumbling away there.
Adams can kill bills.
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There are two sides to Thurman Adams: The man described as low-key and caring, who says his family is the center of his universe, and the Democratic senator who some have accused of being vindictive and dictatorial, using his position to derail entire categories of legislation.
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Adams has employed the desk-drawer veto repeatedly to foil open-government legislation, a vote on Bluewater Wind, sports betting and bills that would prevent discrimination against same-sex couples.
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Getting a bill out of [the executive] committee without approval of [Adams] requires 11 signatures — a simple majority — and is often perceived as a vote of “no confidence” for the leadership.
Peterson has said attempts to buck the system and petition bills out of committee can be perceived as a personal affronts to Adams.
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Defying him means risking retribution such as undesirable committee assignments and the untimely demise of all legislation a member authors.
Adams said bills are left to die in his desk drawer not only because of how he feels about the legislation, but because members from both chambers and parties request it.
So, basically, no legislation sees the light of day unless it pleases him personally and the sponsor and author of the legislation has kissed his ass previously. If Adams disagrees with the legislation, no matter if 90% of the Delaware wants, and no matter if all of the Assembly wants it, it goes in the drawer.
And if you attempt to overrule him, it is seen as a personal affront to his reign, and may in fact endanger other pieces of vital legislation simply because Adams is a cranky old man with too big of an ego and too much power.
In other states, and in the U.S. Congress, the position of President Pro Tempore is an honorary position given to the most senior member of the majority party. When the Republicans held the reigns of power in the U.S. Senate, 100-year old Strom Thurmond and the indicted Ted Stevens held the position, but with no real power. Now, the eldery Sen. Robert Byrd holds the position. It is meant as a honorary position, like a President Emeritus. Here, we honor the most senior member of the State Senate with the position, but then give him absolute power and control over the people’s business.
This must be reformed. For giving one person absolute power is an affront to democracy and the principles of our Constitution.
“The pro tempore is supposed to be a facilitator and not a dictator,” Peterson said.
Exactly.
The defense of Adams’ actions in the article is not that Adams is right in doing what he does, but that it has always been this way.
Adams’ decision to use the desk-drawer veto is simply exercising the rules, [Former Senator Roger] Martin said.
“Things have always been that way,” Martin said.
Progressives do not recognize that excuse.
There is a certain sense of society in a bipartisan go-along, get-along game but whose government is it?
Regardless of ideology, who can oppose transparency?
Perhaps it is time to start cracking some ‘Big Heads’ and sending a message.
With all this enlightenment why do I fear that the Dems will somehow continue this pattern of abuse of power by electing Carney… You all seem to have a lot to say both on the airwaves and in these blogs, why aren’t you tearing these people a new hole? Where is the OUTRAGE? Change we can believe in, huh? Well, I’m just not convinced it can be done when the level of corruption in Delaware government and the legislature has become quite ACCEPTABLE. You claim corruption on the part of the head of the party, this Thurman Adams thug, John Carney is hog-tied to the unions. Please for heavens sake, what do you have to offer?
Uh, why do you think most of us support Markell?
Clearly you are the one not paying attention.
As someone who supports Carney, I believe he will be able to work with the Democratic leadership, whereas if Markell gets elected, I believe, the government will come to a standstill.
Given that line of thought, every Republican/Conservative should be rooting for Markell.
I think Carney is astute enough to realize that we cannot continue on the path that we currently are on. However, self-proclaimed progressives, change will not come immeaditely. Look how Obama is dealing with FISA and off-shore drilling.
Yes, yes, of course. I read lots of blogs and many newspapers and of course the usual from Mascitti and Jensen. Your guy Markell seems to be a decent sort and I like the fact that he not only shows up – he’s prepared and informed on the issues and he seems to know that people want to hear solutions. The problem remains…your old guard in Dover, the unions, your wonderful party grand poobah will keep Delaware hopelessly entrenched in the “Delaware Way.” Karen Peterson is quite frankly the diamond in the bunch. For such a little state, I’ve never seen so much incestuousness. It’s pretty damn scary. Two degrees of separation…
graniaclewbay, it’s one-degree of separation.
I don’t know a lot about the state politics of South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming, but I’ll hazard to guess they’re just as incestuous.
How much influence/power does a Governor actually have in promoting open government legislation? I tend to agree with graniaclewbay that it must start with all of the good old boys and girls in the House/Senate. Not that a Gov doesn’t have behind-the-scene influence, but the real impetus comes from below.
Considering that Adams may retire in 2010, do you think it would be possible to get the 11 people with sufficient cajones to get legislation out of the executive committee? I think it is getting those 11 people to do it would be key.
The real key would be to relieve Thruman of his power (since he didn’t seek it and doesn’t need it). Instant change in the way business is done in house would come about with a CHANGE in leadership. No DeLuca, no Blevins, and no Thurman. Think Sokola or Peterson. Either one would start with the rules and begin to dismantle the cloak of secrecy in the Senate. After that, there wouldn’t be a need for cajones because bills could flow through the process on their merit.
If one knew nothing about Delaware politics and happened to read this thread, it would be obvious to them that Delaware needs to elect a legislature who will back Markell if he is elected.
Progressives just focusing upon the gubnatorial candidate will simply not be enough. Just like the 50 state strategy, the 62 district strategy needs to be our calling card.
Agree competely.
kvaips and others, I agree completely, however you aren’t going to get that.
Delaware needs a governor who can shield those in the State Legislature and Senate, and Carney can do just that. Markell will be unable to do so.
National politics is far more poll driven than State politics. State politics is 100% politics.
While a Governor could not get Open Government accomplished on his own, I think that the Gov could certainly implement maximum open government opportunities in the Exec Branch and be a persistent cheerleader for the Legislature to follow. A Gov who is constantly in the paper, on the radio, and in each legislators backyard talking this up could help to create a groundswell for action.
That said, what is depressing about that article is just how much work there is to be done to try get change the way business gets done.
Rebecca, where are you? Explain to these people that PDD spends its time and energy doing just what needs to be done — filling the Legislature with progressives and removing the dead wood. We’ve raised a good amount of money to contribute to some progressives running for the House and Senate in this election.
We sure could use a lot more help. Anyone interested? Our next meeting is Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Just got a robocall from John Carney to attend a FREE dinner at Buzz Ware community hall in Arden on Saturday to hear about his fight for Bluewater Wind, among other things. Think I’ll skip it!
Maybe Mike Matthews will want to run up there and put a microphone in his face like he did at the last free dinner.