Bribes, Payoffs, Or Both? What Do These Lobbyists Expect For Their $$’s?
From my inbox:
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Yep. A Fundraiser. Organized by Trey Paradee. For the benefit of Paradee, Sen. Mantzavinos. Lumpy Carson. And Bill Bush.
Nothing too unusual about that.
Except the hosts of this event are two of Dover’s most prominent corporate lobbyists, Scott and Rebecca Kidner. Making this every bit as dirty as that fundraiser that was to have taken place at the Tarabicos Law Firm for two County Council members until we blew the whistle.
Here, in its own words, is what CS Kidner Associates believes:
At C.S. Kidner Associates, we believe that legislation, government decisions, and administrative regulations can be successfully managed through professional presence, influence, and projection. Our approach is key to establishing proactive government relations and public affairs strategies for our clients.
Can anyone think of a more effective way to exercise that influence than to host a fundraiser for legislators and to bundle checks from their clients?
Oh, those clients? From the Delaware Public Integrity Commission, here is a list of Scott Kidner’s clients. Here is a list of Rebecca Kidner’s clients.
A Who’s Who of corporations, trade associations and/or LLC’s.
Being willingly showered with largess from these entities, many of which have a history of fighting against the will of the people is, IMO, close to a disqualifying offense from holding office.
Personal to Mantzavinos, Carson and Bush: It’s not too late. You can cancel. You can promise to accept no contributions from the Kidners’ corporate clients. We will be looking at your campaign finance forms. Absent that, why should we not conclude that you’re working for them and not for us?
In their defense, this is pretty standard operating procedure for elected officials of all shapes and sizes. They all do this including ones that are viewed to be pretty progressive. Also, in further defense, all of these electeds in particular are known to suck big time so I’m unsurprised they would continue to suck in new and innovative ways we hadn’t considered prior. I mean does anyone think Trey parade would fight for anything other than a pine colada at a pool bar? I never considered any of these people to be fighting for the little guy. Their focus is protecting the status quo and their own pocket books.
Except–they don’t all do this.
The only apt analogy is the bundling parties held at the Tarabicos Law firm for County Council members.
That sucked too, which is why I called it out.
I get your point–the vast majority of Delaware elected officials get funding from corporate interests. Some don’t and some have disavowed taking money from paid lobbyists.
They’re my kind of folks, as are some who take the money but represent progressive interests. But when someone like Bill Bush, who has been a corporate shill, is figuratively joined at the hip with Pete ‘n Val, and is facing a serious primary challenge from a legit grassroots progressive, resorts to this, you just KNOW that the interests he serves won’t be those of the people who live in his district.
It is no wonder average people think all politicians are crooked, and that there is really no difference between Democrats and Republicans (beyond the fact that Democrats seem weak and obsequious).
While it would be nice if “the media” acted as a check against this kind of gentile corruption, I think that ship has sailed. Absent the forth estate doing its job it would normally fall to an opposition party to make an issue of this. We don’t have that in Delaware either.
While it would be nice if “the media” acted as a check against this kind of gentile corruption…
Thank you, Jason, I needed a good laugh today!
Scott Kidner’s father founded the Caesar Rodney Institute.
Does spiros even have a challenger??
Don’t think Lumpy Carson does. Don’t think Trey does.
It’s like middle age/old white guys unite!
Ol’ Lump had said he was retiring, but he’s not.
He’s just fattening up the ol’ coffers before he retires. Yes, he can take it with him.
So, someone brought this to my attention. Why am I even posting a response, knowing that anything I say will be summarily dismissed and ridiculed? But, whatever, here it goes…
Steve, (It’s okay to call you “Steve”, right? Or do you prefer your nom de guerre?)
First of all, I did not “organize” this event. You got your facts wrong AGAIN. Shocker. In fact, I did not develop the graphic that was used for fliers and the email that I sent to friends, and, apparently, to some people who clearly are not friends. I was invited to participate in the event, as were the other participants. You might notice that the four legislators who were asked to participate are the chairs and co-chairs of the business/economic development committees of both the House and Senate. I have known Rebecca Kidner for nearly 40 years – since I was a teenager, obviously long before I ever considered entering politics. I have known her husband, Scott, for over 30 years. I consider them friends. They also happen to be my constituents. One is a lifelong Democrat – the other, not so much. During the years that I have served in the General Assembly, we have found ourselves on opposite sides of several issues. There have been times when we have fought bitterly against each other. But I have always respected them and been willing to consider their point of view, which is what every public servant should do. Scott and Becky are wonderful, smart, honest, hardworking people, who are widely respected by legislators on both sides of the aisle. The reality is that the Kidners’ names and the names of their clients appear on the campaign finance reports of MANY of the darlings of this website, but I am not surprised by your hypocrisy. It’s pretty much what you do here. When friends and/or constituents offer to open up their home to me in order to raise campaign funds, I am very grateful, and, on this occasion, I accepted the offer. Apparently, you think that campaigns are free. They’re not. Billboards, mailers, signs, and all the other various forms of advertising cost money – a lot of money. Like everything else in this world, the cost of campaigns continues to increase year after year. In fact, over the past decade, the cost of postage, which happens to be one the largest expenditures for every campaign, has increased 32%. Look it up. Meanwhile, the maximum campaign contribution that can be made by an individual of $600 has remained the same for four decades, making it more and more difficult to raise sufficient funds to pay for all the signs, mailers, brochures, etcetera. Meanwhile, the Republicans in this state have mastered the use of PACs that allow their supporters to make contributions in the tens of thousands of dollars every year. I cannot be bought for $600. I cannot be bought for any sum of money. That what makes your post and assertions so preposterous to me. I LOVE representing my hometown. It has been the greatest honor of my life. I vote my district, and always put my constituents first. I am proud that I am regularly endorsed by organizations like the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, and Stonewall PAC. They know that I am committed to supporting their causes. I am also proud of all the tremendous work that the Joint Finance Committee has done over the past few years under my leadership. We have put a tremendous amount of money into creating opportunities at our higher eds and funding pre-school and pre-K for children in disadvantaged communities. I could write volumes about all the great work the JFC has done in recent years. I am fortunate to serve with such great people! It never ceases to amaze me how this site is so preoccupied with tearing down Democrats – especially some of those who are doing great work. Sure, there are some members of our party who need to be criticized from time to time, and there have been times when I have not been on the same page as this website. I get that. I don’t mind being questioned or criticized when it comes to policy. I signed up for that, and I am happy to defend every vote I have ever taken – even if there are 2 or 3 that I wish I could do over. But the personal attacks and these ridiculous conspiracy theories that are literally lifted from the imaginations of Sam Chick, Kim Petters, and their merry band of Young Republicans only serves to diminish what this website could be and used to be a decade ago: engaging, substantive, and relevant. So, I wish you well. I hope everyone who is reading this has a glorious weekend. Keep being you, and I will keep working fiendishly to serve my constituents to the best of my ability.
Warmest regards,
Trey
Please. You’re in an overwhelmingly D district. R’s generally get no more than 36% of the vote in your district. You’re from a wealthy family that has been a power broker in D politics since I started working in the General Assembly back in 1983.
So spare me the cost of billboards is going up.
Oh, as of now, you don’t have an opponent. Lumpy doesn’t have an opponent. Spiros doesn’t have an opponent. Only Del-Tech consigliere Bill Bush has an opponent, but raising money is pretty much the only problem he DOESN’T have in facing a legit grassroots challenger.
YOU sent out the notice about the fundraiser, and YOUR name was the only one listed with the ‘make checks payable to’ info. Maybe I should have said ‘promoted’ instead of ‘organized’. But you were the lead legislator on this event. Like you said, you’ve known Becky Batson since high school.
Lumpy Carson and Bill Bush are the worst sort of Delaware Way politicians, and have helped the House leadership kill progressive legislation since they’ve been in office.
The fact that you see nothing wrong with having a bundling party at the offices of corporate lobbyists reflects on you, not on me or anybody else. It pretty much illustrates everything that’s wrong with the Delaware Way. I, too, knew Becky Batson. She was a Senate Attorney who referred to the President Pro-Tem as ‘Uncle Thurm’, because he was her uncle. She and her Republican husband represent some of the most powerful corporate interests in Delaware.
You’ve done some good things and, as you know, I’ve praised you for them. You ALSO took part in the blatant Delaware Way-ism of the athletic complex in Frederica, as did your lobbyist brother. So you’re far from immune from taking part in Delaware Way inside baseball.
I think that both the reality and appearance of what you did on this sucks, as does your unwillingness to recognize that there’s something wrong with this political incest.
One more thing–and feel free to respond.
You correctly pointed out:
“You might notice that the four legislators who were asked to participate are the chairs and co-chairs of the business/economic development committees of both the House and Senate.”
Yes, I noticed. That’s why I urged all of them and you yesterday to cancel their participation. As you know, but tried to gloss over, we’re not talking one $600 check, we’re talking checks from the Kidners’ corporate clients. $600 times ??
This is designed to benefit the Kidners’ clients. I would argue at the expense of the people you and the others actually represent. The casual corruption of the Delaware Way is so casual that you, among others, see no harm in these bundling parties.