Across Country, New Challenges to Term Limits

New York Times ^ | September 9, 2008 | David W. Chen and Michael Barbaro

[reaganaut1]

A decade after communities around the country adopted term limits to force entrenched politicians from office, at least two dozen local governments are suffering from a case of buyer’s remorse, with legislative bodies from New York City to Tacoma, Wash., trying to overturn or tweak the laws.

The campaigns against term limits, should they succeed, would drastically change the process by which millions of Americans elect a variety of their leaders — and how much power those leaders can amass once in office.

The elected leaders, some of whom supported term limits when they were imposed, argue that the limits severely hamper government and leave the officials little time to figure out the mechanics of their office. That forces them to gravitate toward small-bore projects that can be done quickly, rather than anything visionary that would take years to achieve.

In what could be called the second-term itch, they are pushing to revise the laws so they can serve another term (New York City and Rowlett, Tex.) or to repeal them so they can seek re-election indefinitely (State College, Pa., and Daytona Beach Shores, Fla.).

“It has been an unmitigated disaster for the city,” said Phil Hardberger, the departing mayor of San Antonio, who supports a November referendum to lengthen term limits to four two-year terms from two.

“The learning curve of how city government works and how to get things done is steep, but when you keep putting people in, and throwing them out, there is very little accountability,” he added. “We do a lot of churning here, but we don’t produce a lot of butter.”

[reaganaut1]

The article does not mention that one reason incumbent politicians don't like term limits is simply that they want to stay in power. Term limits that were enacted by referendum should only be repealed by referendum.

At least some Republican politicians don't wish to make a career out of politics. I'm sure Senator Tom Coburn, for example, can imagine a life outside of politics. Quoting http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12477.html

"When Coburn was elected to the Senate — and was told that his existing arrangement violated Senate rules on outside income — he stopped collecting money altogether, delivering babies for free so that he could keep up his medical skills and return to private practice after leaving elected office. All of Coburn’s work is pro bono, and he pays malpractice premiums and administrative fees out of his own pocket."

[AT7Saluki]

I’d say if anything, term limits need to be EXPANDED: to include ALL federally elected officials. We’re so far from the representative form the Founding Fathers envisioned ...

[winner3000]

The NY Times is part of the government party. They have not one independent bone left.