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Term Limits; Good or Bad

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Yesterday, I wrote an article calling for term limits, and one reader responded, disagreeing. We went back and forth a bit. I think this is a good topic for a conversation. David started with his email subject heading reading: Term limits are STUPID, How could you endorse them?

He wrote:
Getting rid of Rich people only, now enforced because campaign contributions cannot be diverted to paying one's bills, so one MUST be independently wealthy to RUN for office is one thing.

Making the entire focus of a term of office JUST THAT TERM (or 2), and limiting the sense of history of the body to JUST ONE TERM(or 2) is STUPID.

Talk about Skewing the system to immediate gratification! Geeze Man? What did you do instead of thinking this through? Brush your teeth?

Please, get real about term limits!


I replied:


of course, term limits should be accompanied by total removal of money interests from the system. Equal funds for each qualified candidate.

History can be instilled through historians, consultants, advisors, in a lot of ways. Incumbents have too much power


He replied:

Do you want a dentist who has zero to two years of training, or ten?
A Boss?
Legal Council in a lawsuit?
Make your own list. Experience is not a bad thing. Being corrupt is.
My reply:
In sports, age eliminates players, sometimes after just a few years.
In politics, the power of incumbency ruins the honest election process. While of course, there is a big benefit to experience, there are other ways to deal with retaining it. We could literally pay the best legislative minds to be consultants to congress. But they would not vote. THey'd get respectable paychecks, maybe with the understanding that extra years of service to the government would supplement their pensions. This might be a lot better than the young kids who act as aides to some current legislators.

One thing I do know. It is no longer possible for challengers to have serious hopes of beating all but the worst incumbents. That does not make for building the best legislature.


What do you think?

 

Rob Kall is executive editor, publisher and site architect of OpEdNews.com, Host of the Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show (WNJC 1360 AM), President of Futurehealth, Inc, more...)
 

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I wasn't always in favor of, by Rachel Gladstone-Gelman on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 8:26:46 AM
Opposed by Jack Lohman on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 9:15:38 AM
NOTA by Rachel Gladstone-Gelman on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 9:32:32 AM
term limits by B York on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 10:02:02 AM
Term limits: BAD by Kenneth Briggs on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 10:14:43 AM
Term Limits = Good by C.Bid on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 10:16:37 AM
That's the limit! by amazin on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 11:07:35 AM
Rob Kall by pratliff94 on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 11:34:39 AM
Term limits by Ed Martin on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 11:42:18 AM
An option by Jack Lohman on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 11:54:08 AM
I am for term limits...sorry, folks....... by joanakelly on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 11:55:05 AM
Might be a good idea... by John R Moffett on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 11:56:14 AM
Term limits in California by Jim Arnold on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 1:40:20 PM
Term limits by Andris on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 3:54:49 PM
Term Limits as a Necessity by Tom Murphy on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 4:05:51 PM
Yo Tom by Andris on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 4:32:22 PM
I am against term limits by Anton Grambihler on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 5:06:22 PM
The public is already financing the elections.... by Jack Lohman on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 7:51:36 PM
Term Limits by Ty on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 6:34:15 PM
My guess is by Jim Freeman on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 7:17:43 PM
Mr. Freeman nailed it! by ardee D. on Friday, Oct 19, 2007 at 8:32:13 PM
Term Limits. Good Idea, Doesn't Work. by Sandy Sand on Saturday, Oct 20, 2007 at 9:28:32 AM