[Dialogue] Emailing: Editorial - The Limits of Term Limits - Editorial - NYTimes.com.htm

Wed Oct 1 13:39:40 EDT 2008

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October 1, 2008
Editorial

The Limits of Term Limits 

The bedrock of American democracy is the voters' right to choose. Though
well intentioned, New York City's term limits law severely limits that
right, which is why this page has opposed term limits from the outset. The
law is particularly unappealing now because it is structured in a way that
would deny New Yorkers - at a time when the city's economy is under great
stress - the right to decide for themselves whether an effective and popular
mayor should stay in office.

Partly for this reason, and partly to extend their own political careers, a
majority of City Council members are thinking about amending the city law to
allow elected officials to serve three consecutive terms instead of two.
That would permit Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run again in 2009 and could
also prolong the service of council members and other senior elected
officials. Mr. Bloomberg, who is expected to announce on Thursday that he
will seek a third term if he can, likes the idea a lot. 

We do, too. But we would go further and ask the Council to abolish term
limits altogether - not to serve any individual's political career but to
serve the larger cause of democracy.

It makes a lot of people uncomfortable to legislatively rewrite a law that
voters have twice approved at the ballot box - in 1993 and 1996. It makes us
uncomfortable, too, and we previously took the position that any change
should be left to the voters. But we have concluded now that changing the
law legislatively does not make us nearly as uncomfortable as keeping it. It
is within the rights of the Council, itself an elected body, to do so.

Term limits are seductive, promising relief from mediocre, self-perpetuating
incumbents and gridlocked legislatures. They are also profoundly
undemocratic, arbitrarily denying voters the ability to choose between good
politicians and bad, especially in a city like New York with a strong public
campaign-financing system, while automatically removing public servants of
proven ability who are at a productive point in their careers.

The City Council members who want to change the law are not alone. A survey
in The Times last month found that at least two dozen local governments are
suffering buyer's remorse about the term limits they adopted, mostly in the
1990s. One common complaint is that they force politicians to focus on
small-bore projects that can be achieved quickly rather than visionary
ideas. The constant churning also diminishes accountability in governmental
institutions like the City Council. 

Most places that are trying to relax term limits are likely to do so via the
ballot box, with several referendums due in November. There is a chance that
a vote on the issue could be organized early next year in New York in
conjunction with special elections to the City Council. But such elections
do not attract many voters. In the end, a vote by the Council is probably
the most democratic way to address the matter. 

It is worth repeating: This is a rule that needs to be abolished. If the
voters don't like the result, they can register their views at the polls.

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