Getting the Message?
In Florida, the voters have begun whacking their representatives over the head. It’s about term limits. And it’s about time.
You know how it goes. Voters pass term limits, trying to curb the power and worst habits of career politicians. These politicians find they keep hating term limits. News reports appear about how career politicians are now “re-thinking” term limits, and maybe don’t like term limits after all. They try to weaken or kill the limits. The voters react. The attempts fail. A year or two later, same thing. And again. And again.
Well, Florida — where term limits passed, three to one — has been cursed with politicians who keep rinsing and repeating the same old strategy. Last session, these politicians passed an amendment to weaken term limits; it will go on the November 2006 ballot.
Meanwhile, Floridians have become quite upset. And some politicians are beginning to get the message. One such: State Senator Bill Posey, chairman of a subcommittee on, get this, Ethics and Elections. He was an original sponsor of a Senate bill to extend terms from the currently allowed eight years to twelve. Now he says he made a mistake.
“In my district,” he admitted, “many of my constituents have kind of taken this as an affront. They consider this a slap in the face.”
Gee! No kidding, Bill! Maybe you could share this insight with others in the legislature.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
