What About Term Limits
From Tristate-Media

ATLANTA - Do we need term limits? Would you be surprised to know the average length of time a U.S. senator serves is 12.9 years? Or the average term served by a U.S. representative is 11 years? But too many of them seem to have been there forever. Those numbers are averages from the Congressional Research Service at the Library Of Congress.

The entire House is running for re-election this Fall and one-third of the Senate. Some people say their senators or congressmen are all right. "Good old what's-his-name is OK." All the others are political hacks.

Once upon a time, term limits didn't seem necessary to your writer. Elections were enough to ensure a little sanity might prevail in the ensuing two years, but I came to see this as a flawed premise.

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Councilmen consider term limits and an end to lifetime benefits

In a bold move demonstrating his commitment to the founding principles of a limited federal government, congressional candidate Mark DeVol has posted a $1 million bond to guarantee his belief in and support for term limits.

DeVol, running as an independent for Tennessee’s Third District seat posted a bond to insure he will never seek additional terms, DeVol issued this statement:

“True citizen representation will ensure the majority of those serving in the U.S. House will bring to the policy debate their experiences from the private sector that result in decisions that are truly in the public’s best interest.

“A three-term limit means that, every two years, one-third to one-half of the U.S. House will consist of first-term representatives. This is crucial in diminishing the excessive concentration of power via committee chairmanships.

“With a limited term of service, leadership will rise through experience instead of seniority, a process that reflects more effectively the public’s opinion.

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Councilmen consider term limits and an end to lifetime benefits

Members of the Hemet City Council will have no lifetime benefits at taxpayer expense and will not be able to serve indefinitely if Councilman Robert Youssef has his way.

Youssef joined Jerry Franchville in proposing that voters be given the option of imposing term limits on council members in a referendum on the November ballot.

He also proposed that benefits be eliminated from the compensation collected by council members.

City Attorney Eric Vail said Youssef’s desire to end benefits for the nine former city officials, some of them retired and some still working, with lifetime entitlement to medical and dental benefits is not so simple.

“Previous officials have a property right,” said Vail, and it cannot be taken away by the current council.

Youssef said one of the nine, Ken Nishino, is not a former official himself, but the survivor of a former member of the City Council.

The others who are receiving benefits years after they have left government include former council members Pat Herron, Marge Tandy, and Lori VanArsdale.

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LETTER: Term limits will help keep Congress equal

EDITOR: I read the recent article about Rep. Dave Obey's district director Doug Hill and feel it deserves a couple comments. Term limits need to be a part of the legislative agenda in the very next Congress!

I have read many books and items written by our founding fathers. These folks were very intelligent and had many good ideas as to how to keep this country free, creative, productive, innovative and a great place to live! They wrote checks and balances into the Constitution for a reason.

Todays legislators are ignoring these checks and balances and doing what they want not what the majority of the people want.

Term limits would level this playing field so that there would be no single person able to control what is happening in our government. There would be leaders making sound common sense decisions.

As Lord Acton presciently said about both popes and kings, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

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Letters: Term limits would reduce government inefficiency

Want to end the inefficiency and power of career politicians in the federal government? Want to reduce the cost of elections and the influence of big-money individuals, corporations and lobbyists? Here's a way — term limits.

Every representative gets two years, period. The elections would be held every two years for all, as is done now. Every senator gets one three-year term. Elections would be held every year for one third on the senators. As for the president, he or she gets one four-year term.

Elections would be held every four years in the current schedule. None of our federal legislators and the president would have to worry about raising millions of dollars for re-election during their tenure. There would be no one re-el

Letters: Term limits would reduce government inefficiency

Want to end the inefficiency and power of career politicians in the federal government? Want to reduce the cost of elections and the influence of big-money individuals, corporations and lobbyists? Here's a way — term limits.

Every representative gets two years, period. The elections would be held every two years for all, as is done now. Every senator gets one three-year term. Elections would be held every year for one third on the senators. As for the president, he or she gets one four-year term.

Elections would be held every four years in the current schedule. None of our federal legislators and the president would have to worry about raising millions of dollars for re-election during their tenure. There would be no one re-elected for consecutive terms.

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Naperville to consider term limits referendum

At the urging of a local citizens group, the Naperville City Council on Tuesday night will consider putting a measure on the November ballot that would limit the number of terms the mayor and council members could serve.

Under state law, voters must agree to any new term limits. The Naperville Voter Education League is hoping the council will agree to put the question to voters but is prepared to secure sufficient signatures — about 8,800 — on petitions to force the issue. The deadline to get a measure on the ballot through petitions is Aug. 16.

The group's proposal, which the council will consider, would limit officials to three terms, but petitions already being circulated set the limit at two terms.

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Voters are trying to make government work

Step by step, California voters are overhauling a state political system that produces hyper-partisanship and gridlock in Sacramento.

There's nothing to show for it yet but there will be, starting with the 2012 elections — assuming California government can survive that long.

It's also assuming that frightened defenders of the status quo — party leaders, ideological extremists — fail in their efforts to reverse the reforms.

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