By John Brummett
The other day Gov. Mike Beebe lamented these “scary” hints of Washington-style partisanship in the state Legislature.
Republicans responded dismissively, saying partisan debate is healthy and that the governor was either alarmist or longing for the good ol’ days of one-party rule.
But Beebe was talking about blind allegiance to party interest in defiance of practicality. He was warning of a day when nothing could gain general acceptance as truth or fact because of embedded partisan interest that superseded the general interest of compromise and consensus for workable government.
So we have this oddly well-functioning system in which the state legislative branch encompasses the Division of Legislative Audit as the vital ongoing watchdog over fiscal integrity and efficiency in state and local government. As long as I’ve been covering state government, legislative accountants have presented credible and commanding audits to legislative committees that were accepting, even admiring, of the work.
Thank goodness we never had partisan legislators trying to undermine the audits by saying these accountants were agents of the other party.
Now to be clear: I am not suggesting that this vitally efficient nonpartisan process was undermined last week. But what happened warrants putting on the record.
Auditors came before the legislative auditing committee to say that their review of the agency overseeing tobacco settlement money had found that the director, a young Republican from the Huckabee administration, Aaron Black, had taken off 409 hours, more than 10 work weeks, without taking leave and while receiving his usual pay.
Even if Black was working diligently from a remote location, as he seems to contend for at least a portion of those hours, it would stand to reason that a public servant ought to account for that in some transparent way. You would think that these emerging budget-cutters of the Republican and tea party persuasions would be especially insistent on such a thing.
But the opposite happened.
House Minority Leader John Burris of Harrison tells me he got a phone call shortly before going into this audit committee meeting. It was from Black, a fellow Republican who would not be coming to the meeting, absence seeming to be his style.
Burris said Black, who left this public job a couple of weeks ago, told him he had just seen this audit and that it was pretty bad and that he did not think it was fair. He said he would appreciate it if Burris would study the audit as closely as possible in the short time available and perhaps find it in his heart to stand up for him.
So that’s what Burris did. He argued that Black was being maligned for not keeping records even though such records were not required. He complained that auditors had commanded Black to prove he had been working rather than take it on themselves to prove he had not been working. This amounted to a presumption of guilt, not innocence, Burris claimed.
And as for this business about referring the audit to the local prosecuting attorney, a standard procedure that surely will come to nothing — good heavens, Burris argued, we are publicly suggesting fraud and criminality over sloppy record keeping.
Burris makes a couple of decent points. But the broader issue is whether he intends to extend this benefit of the doubt to every agency executive or school superintendent who doesn’t appreciate auditors’ nitpicking. Will he provide his personal mobile number to everyone inconvenienced by audit findings on which they’d like to be defended publicly?
If he had wanted to be partisan, Burris told me, he’d have kept quiet to avoid this very kind of criticism.
But I don’t want him to keep quiet. I want him to speak up, particularly after the local prosecutor declines, as surely he will, to pursue any charges in this matter.
At that point I’d like Burris to take the lead in saying that, while he believes no fraud was committed, his buddy Aaron Black ought to be made to repay at least some of this money, and that public employees statewide needed to be served notice that taxpayers would insist henceforth on a newly transparent day’s work for a day’s pay.
That sounds like some holy tea party scripture right there. And it would blow right through any blind partisanship.
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John Brummett is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock. His e-mail address is jbrummett@arkansasnews.com; his telephone number is (501) 374-0699.
October 18th, 2011 at 11:03 am
It’s been fun and a privilege to be able to read your work here and comment on it. I will miss seeing you in this space. I hope you do well back at the D-G. I’m probably not going to spring for the expense associated with a personal online account there. However, I expect to continue having access to your columns and will probably move my commenting over to twitter or elsewhere. Take care. You are an Arkansas treasure, and I am elated to know you will continue column writing for the foreseeable future!
October 18th, 2011 at 1:33 pm
thanks. and, no kidding, lefty, your comments always illuminated the discussion. just yesterday, you reminded me that romney has not, and presumably will not, apologize for romneycare in massachusetts. it would be wholly inappropriate for me to use the arkansas news bureau’s web site to encourage you to subscribe to another publication. and i, of course, do not wish to be inappropriate. i will say this: you have more to say, lefty, than any 140 characters will oblige.
October 18th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
If this is the last article by John on this news outlet then I will join the well wishers. You have a liberal bent and I come from the other direction. However, I have always enjoyed your articles because you know what issues interest Arkansans and you know how to present political insight into what is coming down the pike many times. Maybe it is because you have been observing politicians for so long.
Being assoicated with national stars like the Clintons and Mike Huckabee on a local level has proven that you know how the best of the best in the political world operate.
Thanks for being so dedicated to get out the number of articles that you have in the past. I know that bloggers like me really do appreciate it.
October 18th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
not the last. got one thursday and a fond farewell sunday.
October 18th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
This is the last week for this column in this space? That sucks!! I have a lot of fun posting here!!
The only drawback to this comments section has been the lack of passionate liberal posters . . . “Norgy” fell off the face of the planet long ago, and “Blake” disappeared after a promising start 2 weeks ago.
I assume the ArDemGaz also has a comments section?
October 18th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
When you move to the D-G…why not take the point you make in this column further? It’s well known that Beebe has “liaisons” on his staff who draw fat paychecks and do nothing measurable or meaningful… Charlie Daniels had family members on the payroll who didn’t work even semi-regular hours… Mark Martin…word at the Capitol is that he recently went on a trip to China or Turkey or somewhere…and nobody noticed…and he certainly hasn’t explained the benefit to the working citizens of Arkansas… You think there should be accountability and transparency? It ought to start at the top… Why don’t you check on it? Will be anxious to see what you find out… Then let’s see what the parties (both sides) have to say… Hmmm?
October 19th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Brummett leaving? Oh no! I just discovered you a few weeks ago and enjoyed your blog. Best of luck over there.
October 19th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
I have a subscription with ADG so I’ll keep reading and bugging you my tennis friend. Good Luck.
October 19th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
thanks. see you on the courts and in the woefully misguided but sincerely believed emails.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:27 am
Leaving? Darn, you skip a day or two of reading and the whole world is upsided down when you resume. You’ll be missed.
October 20th, 2011 at 8:41 am
story in dem-gaz friday a week ago about what was termed the return of the prodigal, effective monday 24 with first column tuesday 25.
October 20th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
@Drscherrey – what’s it like being friends with a man who, if he had his way, would regulate every facet of your life?
October 20th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
the captain strikes again — insightful one moment, zanily over the top the next. i can think of a lot of things i would not want to regulate.
October 20th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
the captain strikes again — insightful one moment, zanily over the top the next. i can think of a lot of things i would not want to regulate.
October 20th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
@Brummett- Just trying to keep things interesting. Good luck with your new gig over at the Dem-Gaz. That publication will definitely benefit from your writing/analysis. . .