Propositions for Term Limits
I would like to thank Jeffe for her timely article on term limitations and to echo her sentiments. Entrenched incumbency and power manipulators at various levels of American government present a very serious problem for our democracy, but term restrictions such as those in Proposition 140 are really not a solution because:
1) Americans are geniuses at circumventing rules and regulations of which they don’t approve, and American politicians are no different. The majority of the politicos will merely groom an electable replacement two years or so before leaving office and nothing will change.
2) It’s entirely possible that PR groups will either rise up or be created to provide the outgoing representative with a ready-made clone who could prove to be worse than the original.
3) Those in their last term will be do-nothing personalities whose main preoccupation will be searching for a “cushy job” after leaving office.
4) Contrary to popular belief, there are a few honest and dedicated representatives in government who are committed to serving the people and, in their cases, we will be throwing the baby out with the bath water.
RICHARD SEELEY
La Crescenta
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