[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 7031]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JOHN TAYLOR

 Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, last week, at an event of the 
Delaware Chapter of Common Cause, I had the pleasure of introducing the 
recipient of their prestigious Open Government Award, John Taylor.
  It is hard to believe that it has been 40 years since I saw John 
Taylor on TV and signed up as an original member of Common Cause. It 
has been a great ride for Common Cause and especially for its Delaware 
chapter.
  My home State's chapter of Common Cause is known for its efforts to 
hold the government accountable and make sure that it is as ethical and 
transparent as possible. Admittedly, I am biased, but I know that the 
group is doing a great job. From tackling campaign finance reform to 
election reform, the members are working on the tough but important 
issues.
  From the beginning they have had excellent people on board who know 
how to get the job done. I am not the only one who thinks this. In a 
February 2010 article in the News Journal, their group was termed the 
``Who's Who of academia, business and government.'' John Taylor truly 
belongs on the ``Who's Who'' list for Delaware, and Common Cause's 
selection of him for its Open Government Award could not have been more 
appropriate.
  Most Delawareans know John from his 22-year stint as editorial page 
editor at the News Journal. It was obligatory in Delaware to see what 
John Taylor had to say each week--and he did it in 700 words or fewer.
  John is a traditional journalist in many ways, starting his career as 
a freshman reporter in 1966. He fought to get to the bottom of the 
story, paid close attention to the details, and possessed that sixth 
sense to know where the real stories lie. But he also took time away 
from the newsroom to pursue his other passion of education.
  From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, he served as assistant to the 
superintendent of the Wilmington Public Schools. Before joining the 
newspaper business, he taught English and history at St. Mary's 
Secondary School in Tilbury, England.
  His awards and honors are too many to name here, but he has received 
the Helen Wise Friend of Education Award from the Delaware State 
Education Association and four Mark Twain Awards for column writing 
from the Associated Press. He was also the 1999 recipient of the 
Chairman's Award from the United Way of Delaware.
  After a triumphant and successful career in the news business, John 
found another calling in the realm of public policy and government. 
Today, he is a senior vice president of the Delaware State Chamber of 
Commerce and executive director of the Delaware Public Policy 
Institute. He is the driving force behind Vision 2015, and the children 
of Delaware will have increased opportunities because of his efforts.
  It only makes sense that, after decades of writing and following 
politics, he would pick up a thing or two. I am pleased to see that his 
skills are being well used at a center that promotes the discussion of 
policies, programs, and issues affecting the State of Delaware.
  The entire Delaware community has profited from John's efforts. From 
his serving on the Delaware Community Foundation Board of Directors and 
the Christiana Care Board of Trustees, to the boards of environmental, 
health, community, and educational groups, John has been an advocate 
for some of the most important issues of our day. He did not just write 
about what was or wasn't happening, although that is important: he has 
also pitched in to create positive headlines on his own terms.
  John Taylor undoubtedly deserves his most recent honor of the Open 
Government Award. In his long and distinguished career, he has written 
about those in government, held their feet to the fire, and followed up 
to make sure that they were held accountable. He has taught tomorrow's 
leaders, interviewed the movers and shakers of yesterday, and now 
informs the policy makers in our day.
  I extend my congratulations to the national Common Cause organization 
on the occasion of its 40th anniversary and to John Taylor for his 
achievement.

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