Term limits are taking effect all over the country and the results have been more competitive elections with new people getting involved in the process.
That’s a very good thing, unless of course you’re a career politician who hopes to stay in office forever.
Let’s face it, the people and the politicians just disagree on term limits. The politicians want to hide from the term limits voters enacted and keep on running. In Florida, incumbents have so monopolized the field that in most races no one even runs against them, and thus, voters have no choice at all about who represents them in the state legislature.
Yet, this lack of competition didn’t stop the politicians from launching a desperate lawsuit to overturn the term limits, opposing the will of 77 percent of the voters. In California, a recent poll showed 73 percent support term limits more now after 9 years on the books than when the law was first proposed. But that hasn’t stopped legislators from writing bills to repeal or weaken term limits.
The same is true in Oregon. In Maine, legislators were all set to weaken term limits. A bill passed the House by a vote of 76 to 71. But then radio ads alerted the public to the legislature’s actions and with the public up in arms, members reversed themselves defeating the very same bill 94 to 52.
Here’s the message for career politicians in every state: you can’t run and you can’t hide either. The people are watching.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.