Citizens Save Term Limits
Year in, year out, politicians struggle to undermine or repeal the state and local term limits that apply to them.
Sometimes they pull it off. But more often it’s the citizens who succeed in defeating their representatives’ often-dishonest efforts.
In Lansing, Illinois, a measure to repeal local term limits didn’t even include the words “term limits.†It just innocently inquired whether officials should be allowed to serve as long as voters keep electing them. Thanks in part to loud objections from local official Bob Ryan, Lansing voters saw through the ploy.
In Arkansas, recent attempts to weaken term limits died in committee. Politicians complained that TV ads criticizing their attempt continued to air after the bills had expired. I can only invite enemies of term limits to better coordinate their plans with the friends of term limits.
In Canyon Lake, California, Dawn Haggarty is fighting an attempt by Canyon Lake politicians to undo term limits. After recounting all the cronyism, misspending, bad faith and other corruption she fought when she was in local government, she notes that term limits law “doesn’t keep good people away. . . . [It] gives more people a chance to experience the position, and it is really the only way to assure being able to get rid of a bad Director.â€
More electoral competition. Less entrenched corruption. That’s why voters passed term limits to begin with. And why they’ll fight to keep them.
