You know what buyer’s remorse is, right? The New York Times doesn’t.
When you purchase something and then realize it wasn’t worth what you paid, that’s buyer’s remorse. The Times stretched the concept to enacting a public policy and then realizing the policy isn’t working.
David Chen and Michael Barbaro’s recent article on term limits led off by informing us that “A decade after communities around the country adopted term limits, at least two dozen city governments are suffering from a case of buyer’s remorse.”
But hold on. City governments [read: city politicians] didn’t bring us term limits. It was the voters, using the initiative process. Because politicians never “bought” the idea, they can’t have buyer’s remorse.
Politicians do complain about term limits. For instance, Tacoma, Washington, Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg fears that if she has to give up her seat a $2 million pedestrian and bike trail she’s been pushing might not be completed.
In Rowlett, Texas, a Dallas suburb, the mayor decries that term limits make it harder to land positions on national organizations like the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
New Yorkers have twice voted for term limits. Still no voter’s remorse. That’s why Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council are scheming to repeal the limits, without a vote of the people.
Many have talked about Bloomberg as a possible independent candidate for president. But it looks like he’ll go down as just another politician.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.