When Emil Jones stepped down from the Illinois Senate and his heavy-handed role as Senate president, we hoped for better times ahead.

His successor, John Cullerton, said he wanted to bring both parties together and "attempt to unravel the gridlock." He said, "The atmosphere here has deteriorated and we have lost a sense of camaraderie that we can and must restore."

But he also said to Republicans, "You're not going to outvote us and, with all due respect, it's not as if you're on the verge of regaining control of this place."

It seems like old times.

Consider a bill passed in May by the House to "fumigate" the Quinn administration by ousting appointees held over from former Govs. George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich.

The bill passed 116-0 in the House. But Cullerton has told The Associated Press that he is not going to call the bill for a vote in the Senate because he is satisfied with Quinn's efforts to rid the executive branch of those who aren't doing their jobs.

Well, we aren't satisfied with Cullerton's efforts, especially when it comes to changing the my-way-or-the-highway attitude that prevailed under his predecessor.

Although we're not convinced that the "fumigation bill" is a good idea, having one leader decide whether it is worthy of coming to a vote is an even worse idea.

Senate Bill 1333 initially passed in the Senate as a "shell" bill. Once it arrived in the House, the original language was removed, substituting House Speaker Mike Madigan's proposed "Officials and Employees Termination Act."

That measure would affect about 750 people - from agency heads and assistant heads to members of executive boards and commissions appointed by the governor and requiring the "advice and consent" of the Senate.

It would cover anyone nominated from Jan. 11, 1999, to Jan. 29, 2009.

In essence, they would lose their positions within 90 days after the law takes effect unless the governor puts them on a list to be retained.

Some limiting language was included that pared down the impact to about 750 people instead of the 3,000 people who could have been affected by Madigan's original proposal. Still, going back a decade to "fumigate" the executive branch is excessive.

Nonetheless, whether to approve the measure is something for the full Senate to decide, not one person - Cullerton - acting like a king, turning his thumb up or down.

If one person knows what's best for all of us, why are we spending money on all the other lawmakers in Springfield?

Thanks for giving us another reminder of why we need a law limiting the terms of legislative leaders.