Term is Up!

Term limits for elected officials are a death knell for their way of life. They can no longer be re-elected as "career diplomats", party with rich, powerful, and special interest groups, direct funding to their special causes to avoid the radar screen filter for election contribution limits or ever hold sway over those who they think they govern. (Remember their job is to serve not govern -- big difference!)

No -- the power, the money, and the adulated position they hold would be gone and they'd be "just plain folks" like the rest of us.

On a more positive note, however, the rest of us benefit from term limits. New ideas from fresh faced views, a truely competitive elective process, dilution of special interest powers, more citizen engagement in a healthy democracy, and an end to the deals that can only last to the duration of their term.

Some might say that the loss of knowledge would be damaging. A distraction, maybe, but no loss. You only need common sense and a grounded moral background -- and an appreciation of individual freedom -- to be a Connecticut legislator. We have plenty of able willing citizens who commonly volunteer to provide facts, information, and interpretation if asked. We have seen a number of such efforts in recent times.

It is also fair to cite the state agencies' professional staff as a wealth of knowledge with practical familiarity with executing and operationalizing legislation.

This nirvana, however, can never happen. There will never be a chance to ever introduce this notion to this legislative body so resistant to such proven measures adopted elsewhere through referenda.

You need to have a voter-initiated referendum to put this idea to the electorate directly in order to achieve an up or down vote without legislative involvement. Otherwise their mischief continues.