(Sat., Apr. 24) Term Limits a Devastating Bad Idea
Term limits originated from the idea that by continuously bringing in new freshmen legislators with fresh ideas for fixing state government they could make a difference in improving the way government functions. They replaced legislators who were continually elected over the years and thought to have ceased to represent their constituencies and instead represented Special Interests. What has happened is the exact opposite. The result has been to weaken legislatures with too many freshmen who on average require three years of training before they are capable of heading committees, creating good laws and have the ability to shepherd the law through the legislature. At times up to one third of the state legislature is composed of freshmen and others which are still in training. That leaves them with only five years of real service to the public too short to complete major necessary reforms. Term Limits weakened the power of the legislature in doing its job of controlling the state’s purse strings of the powerful bureaucracies allowing them to operate almost independently. Bureaucracies have avoided reforms by simply waiting until those proposing the reforms are thrown out office by Term Limits.
If you were a young person wanting to start a family and live in a nice suburban neighborhood with good schools why would you choose to be elected to government? When you examine the possible careers entering into private business in eight years you can be well established but in government you are thrown out into the street. The result is that only those who have some other source for income for example farmers or lawyers including the very wealthy can be elected along with those who run for office because for some reason no one will employ them. It is in our best interests to elect the best representatives that we can to manage our state’s business. And to make sure that it can control the budgets of the bureaucratic Agencies, Boards and Commissions where the taxes are spent. The bottom line Term Limits doesn’t discriminate it throws out the good with the bad and we all lose.
Term Limits in Missouri
As originally adopted, the amendment limited the service of individuals elected to the General Assembly to a maximum of eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives and eight years in the Missouri Senate. The amendment also excluded from term-limit calculations any legislative service initiated from elections held prior to the original term limits effective date of December 3, 1992.
Lawrence Rosier, Management Consultant, Rolla, Missouri
Term limits
Mr. Rosier has put together a well thought out position. The problem with his view is that while the breaking in period is unproductive, the long term attendance of most legislators make them almost always negligent in thinking for their constituents. After a lifetime of witnessing this happen, and with the fact that voters never vote out the bad seeds, I have to feel that term limits are the only way established self serving politicians are ever weeded out. What Mr. Rosier needs to study is the feasibility of simply making the state house a business run entity with employees making the laws, then when things go south they can be fired. Now that would be a responsible form of term limits. Dave Curtis
Career Politicians
I disagree with Mr. Rosier. Their are exceptions to every rule, but if you like the state of our present economy thank the career politicians, Rs and Ds. I know that it takes a while to 'know the ropes'; maybe that isn't good, to know the ropes. From where I stand, it appears that a lot of career politicians are more worried about making a nest for themselves than guiding the country and listening to the voters. I think the only time a politician should be confronted with term limits is when they are not voted out early and replaced with someone that doesn't 'know the ropes' as well.
Dave Strassner, Hermann, MO
Term Limits is doing just what it was intended to!
First off... Term Limits is doing what
it was intended to. Keeps anyone from staying in office too long,
getting too much power, and losing contact with the people whom they
are to represent. So far so good.
Your claim of a “weakened
Legislature”, I find a PLUS! As we've seen in the Federal
Legislature recently... haste is a BAD thing! The fact things are
slowed up a bit and “more thought out”... how do you find this a
bad thing??? I welcome the slower, lets look more carefully first
approach to be the RIGHT one! Too bad it doesn't happen more often!
As to “avoiding reforms”... this
is why we, at the State level, have the option of Initiative and
Referendum! If they don't do it, WE can! This “check” on
Legislative power isn't used enough! If it were, less “mischief”
might occur! The threat of the people taking charge is a powerful
motivator. Shame we don't have this at the Federal level! As to your
lamenting about less law... frankly sir, we have TOO MUCH law! I
would like to see a law passed, requiring that for every NEW law
passed , (lets start easy here) TEN old laws must be stricken from
the books! Clean out the old, arcane regulations. The same ones some
lawyers use as “loopholes” to get away with stuff! Remove them!
Then you lament about how some young
guy won't want to run for office, well to be honest with you sir, I
do not WANT that young man to run! Why not?? Because, as you said,
he's just “starting out” in life. He doesn't KNOW anything about
it yet! Let him go thru home buying and the contracts etc.. work
several jobs, fight with taxes, business and the laws involved with
it etc etc. Let him garner some EXPERIENCE in life! Then let him
choose to run for office! Now that he knows something! Too many
politicians of the past only knew about being a politician! Didn't
have a CLUE what you and I go through on a day to day basis!! So that
argument doesn't wash....
Granted, you will lose “some of
the good” with the bad, BUT, there is a saving grace here. If
Senator Joe did a good job, and was well liked, he can now run for
Representative! Or Lt,. Governor, or Governor, Sec of State etc. So
no, they are NOT gone for good.... a good public servant CAN
“recycle” through Missouri Government for a long time, if he/she
chooses to! So that argument is null also.
The law is working fine. And remember
the quote..
“Government that Governs LEAST,
Governs BEST”!!
So, if your claim that this slows down
the “lawmaking process”... is a GOOD thing then!
Hank Vonk
Sorting out the sheep from the goats?
The "system of state governments" is the problem, not neccessarily term limits of politicans. Let's make a voting rule, that if politicians want to extend their maximum terms, let there be a special proposition put to the voters in a special election.
Generally speaking most politicans pay lip service to their constituents, but maybe this would improve if their constituents had a say in the office terms?
.
Interesting Concept! Hmmmmm