Term limits
 

I've been meaning to post this for some time now, but keep forgetting. Just so a post that reminded me. (thanks joeaksa)

So, what's the deal? Why don't we have them. What are the cons to term limits?

- Skip

I think all politicians should serve 2 terms

one in office and a second, at least equal in duration, in prison;)

Bill,

Would hope that the second term would not be at the tax payers expense! :)

Skip, totally agree and feel that every elected politician should serve a max of two terms, then step down.

As well I feel that they should have no special perks, like the cush retirement system that they have now, while we peons who pay for their special retirement keep pushing our retirement date back futher.

Joe A

Agree, and on that retirement thing, what's up with that? How can you have a retirement program for someone who's supposed to be re-elected?

California has term limits and it has a lot of institutional memory issues in terms of turnover and lack of commitment by those who are there. They pass stupid short term fixes and oh well, they're gone.

Joe- You think we need two terms for both Reps & Senators?

I think I'd like normal people, business men, people from the community, etc in congress.

I'm not sure I can explain why... But, I've always had a real distrust of anyone who desires to be a career politician.

It would seem to me that if members were not always worried about re-election they would focus more on doing the right thing - vs. trying to win a popularity contest while in office.

- Skip

Skip, My only reason for saying two terms is that every time I hear a quote about Congress and Senate they say that the new people take most of their first term to learn the way things work and how to go about things in Washington DC.

Totally agree, we need more regular people making the rules and such.

JoeA

Isn't the solution to that to make it operate in a way less alien to most people?

Probably unrealistic - I wouldn't expect to be up to speed for at least a year or two if I changed to a completely different job/industry etc, so why should it be any different for politicians?

In fact, it gets worse, it would probably encourage the appointment of political mouthpieces with the "real" "work" being done behind the scenes by career politician handlers.

We've had term limits here in Missouri for 8 years now. What happens is that yes we do get some new people, but what mostly has happened is the career politicians either just run for the senate/house depending on what they termed out of or there political buddies just find them appointed jobs in government. Can't seem to get rid of them.

What I love is all the politicians that got elected promising to work for term limits and swearing they would only serve for two or three terms. Amazing how they have mostly stayed in office and failed to get term limits passed.

Kurt,

Thats my real issue is that once someone figures out that they can do this they latch on and never hold a "real" job for the rest of their life. It needs to be two terms then out you are, no more elected jobs unless you want to run for governor or president.

JoeA