On Term Limits

A few months ago, after the speculation about Mayor Bloomberg being selected as a vice presidential nominee had died down, I started to hear more and more about a move to extend term limits.

The fact is, incumbents benefit from the extension of term limits. But the opinion of one elected official, or a handful for that matter, should be irrelevant.  The only thing that matters is that the people of this city have spoken twice on the issue, first voting for and then voting to uphold term limits.

The time to place it before the public in a third vote has expired. Moreover, a recent Quinnipiac poll suggests that the results wouldn't overturn the two previous votes: 56 percent of New Yorkers oppose extending the mayor’s term.

In the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk about extending term limits via a back room, closed door legislative deal. I think this is a terrible, undemocratic idea.

I cannot support extending term limits by anything other than a public vote.  Despite the popularity of our Mayor, I think it's up to the people of New York to decide how long they want their elected officials in office, and they've already told us twice.

What do you think? Post here.

Comments

[T]

Keep it a public vote, but if it isn't passing maybe leave it alone

[Michael Stewart]

Congratulations to the Public Advocate for taking a strong position against a legislative change on term limits. This is exactly the kind of issue we need the public advocate for -- to represent the people's voice! Please do everything you can to stop this power grab!

[michael schumacher]

Betsy Gotbaum is the best!

[Dan Jacoby]

The real question is, under what moral authority does the City Council overturn, by legislative fiat, the twice-expressed will of the people?

Clearly, there is no moral justification. Therefore, anyone who supports extending term limits by this method is rendered morally unfit to represent people in a democracy.

I oppose term limits, and voted against them both times. I would be happy to work for a new referendum on this issue. But legislating an extension smacks of the kind of corruption that led to term limits being imposed in the first place.

[Ellen Baer]

I was never a fan of term limits, but let's face it, the people have spoken - twice. The whole situation is remarkably self-serving and I give the Public Advocate (who also has a vested interest in overturning term limits) a lot of credit for her stand.

Now if we could only term limit away some of the reps in Albany, then we'd really have something!