Posted on 07/14/2006 8:35:44 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO — Hoping to resurrect an idea voters rejected in last year's special election, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to offer lawmakers a deal: He'll support an easing of term limits if they'll agree to change the way California draws voting districts.
Schwarzenegger said in an interview Thursday he does not believe term limits have improved Sacramento's political culture. Allowing legislators to stay in office longer would be worthwhile, he said, if it induced them to put a proposal on the ballot that would strip them of the power to carve political boundaries.
The governor reasons that lawmakers may not want to change voting districts, most of which favor incumbents, but they dislike term limits even more. One idea already under consideration in the Legislature would double the number of years members could serve in the Assembly — to 12 from six — provided they not run for the Senate when their term is up. Senators' maximum service could be extended to 12 years from eight.
In 1990, voters imposed limits of three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year terms in the Senate. ...
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Schwarzenegger says that he wants to make California elections more competitive, and that a new method of redistricting would help. He is backing a measure by Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) that would transfer political map-making powers to a panel of 11 citizens, chosen by a bipartisan group of lawmakers and judges, and take effect after the 2010 census.
--snip--
"I would like for them to really push forward with this whole idea," Schwarzenegger said in an interview Thursday. "It's very clear that people would like to see redistricting and to have a different system than the way it is now, with the gerrymandering, and to perfect the democracy."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
What we need all over the country is MORE term limits, not less.
What a fool.
We have term limits...it's called an election.
Having term limits just speeds up the process by which they have to steal their fortunes.
I actually think this is a good idea...if we have more competitive districts then it will be easier to vote the fools out.
Although I like term limits generally, this might be a good bargain. The Dems' gerrymandering of districts results in a Leftislature that's about 63% Democrat even though the statewide Dem vote is only about 55%. It'd be great to reduce that to 55% (or whatever the statewide Dem vote is), and perhaps in the process create a few competitive districts that previously leaned hard left.
Start by keeping illegals from the voting booths.
I disagree. There should be no such thing as "lifetime politicians" They start getting the "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" syndrome and then they get funding over and over to get re-elected.
Look at Ted Kennedy and John Kerry.
People have no one else to vote for because they have been doing this for too long.
I guess I see it differently. I think we do have a choice. It's just most are too lazy to want to work for it OR they are actually happy with the current system.
The real issue is in the way districts are drawn. If the districts were split in a fashion that made it possible for an incumbant to be defeated then they'd actually listen to their constituents. Right now they don't have to because they draw up districts that are nearly 100% Republican or Democrat. So even if they tick off their base they have nothing to loose (unless it's a primary vote). But in the case of a primary to lose it usually takes the party to go against the incumbent which very rarely happens.
I truly think Arnold is on to something here. Besides I'd rather a crook steal small amounts from me over 12 years instead of just raping me in 6 years.
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