A Proposal For Term Limits in Delaware
Nov 5th, 2009 by thatsElbert
There are a number of reasons why I support term limits. First, it forces a change in leadership periodically, thus bringing fresh blood to the legislative bodies. It creates a large pool of leaders needed in any party, if that party wishes to easily find candidates to run for the many elected positions in the state, counties, cities, and towns.
There are some negatives to term limits. It may not eliminate the career politician, as it wouldn’t restrict those that wished to run for another office after their term in their current position expires. It may also force out those elected officials who do a good job, but in balance it would force out those that aren’t doing the job well.
Here is a proposal I have for term limits for state offices. There are some compromises built in that may make it appealing to a larger audience.
Across the board there would be a limit of three consecutive terms for every elected office, excluding the governor which would remain at the current two term limit. Partial terms brought about by special elections would not be a factor in the term limit count.
After serving in an office for three terms the candidate would be restricted from running for that office for one term, a “cooling off” period. After the cooling off period is satisfied, the candidate could again run for that office, being subject again to the three term limit. There would be no restriction on the candidate to run for any other office in the state during the cooling off period.
Once the term limit legislation was passed and signed into law, it would come into effect ten years after it became law. Any elected official serving at that time would have their term limit count set to “0″, giving the sitting candidate three terms to serve their district or state.
Most of us that support term limits would like to see them happen now. This proposal brings it to pass but requires some wait time. Of course it doesn’t mean that term limits can’t be applied at the polls, voting out those that have served for maybe too long.
I think an eight or ten year across the board would be better. there is no reason to limit house members to less than senate members.
I think this a more intelligent proposal than the life time ban proposal and would do less damage. I am not a fan of term limits because they are stop me before I vote again limits on the voters. The voters then proceed to elect the same type of voters.
The problem is not who is in office. It is the type of people we elect because we no longer value the constitution ourselves. CA has had term limits for two decades and things only got worse. Why? They replaced career socialist for revolving door socialist and got rid of some of the people who did put the breaks on it through senority. You can see the same would happen in Delaware.
When term limits came about, incumbents had a 95% reelect rate. Now days people change more often.
I am glad to see my proposal from my ’06 and ’08 campaigns for GA has found an audience outside my district.
In ’06 and ’08 I called it “Incumbency limits without term limits”, proposing that no citizen be eligible to serve more than 12 consecutive years in the General Assembly.
I also proposed that this ineligibility would last one year for every two consecutive years served (i.e. if you held a seat for 12 years, you would have to wait 6 years to run again for GA).
Tyler, I was unaware that you had proposed that. I wrote about this idea on my blog last summer when Rep Biff Lee was running (at that point) unopposed. A friend added in the “cooling off” or ineligibility period, saying that many church boards had a similar policy. It was in place to cut down on a “ruling class” and gave the members a break from the business of the church.
Regardless of where the ideas came from, they are good ideas.
I agree wholeheartedly, Elbert. I am glad to see the idea percolate up.
I had actually gone so far as to write a rough draft of the legislation in ’06. Obviously, those we need to pass such a measure had/have no interest in putting themselves out of office, so I included in a “grandfather” clause to exclude “members of the General Assembly serving at the time this Act becomes law”.
My approach to any of my campaign proposals has always been : “Please, steal this idea!”
You want term limits? Make legislators’ salary $1000. per-year, like it should be, eliminating the professional parasite.
You want term limits? Make legislators’ salary $1000. per-year
No, then we get a parliament of the rich.
Instead, make them quit their day jobs, put all their assets in a blind trust, and pay them a salary equal to the median.