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for larger version       Ads have a Patent Pending. Click Here for More Information Making Waves
New York City residents voted twice - in 1993 and 1996 - to restrict local elected officials to just two terms in office. Term limits are a guard against abuse of power by well-entrenched incumbents. It makes elected officials more responsive to the needs of the people they represent, and also diminishes the role that corrupt party bosses play in the decision making process. Despite this type of good government reform at the municipal level, most people are unaware that their state representatives, such as those in the Assembly and State Senate, have appeared on the ballot since President Ford occupied the Oval Office. Public support for adopting term limits at the state level is very strong. A December 2006 Quinnipiac poll showed New Yorkers wants term limits for state lawmakers by a margin of 67 to 27 percent. In June 2007, the New York State Senate passed legislation, and a State Constitutional Amendment that would impose term limits on statewide elected officials and limit the tenure of legislative leaders and committee chairs. However, the measure never became law due to opposition from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. In other words, by the time the bill reached the Assembly chamber, it was dead on arrival. Opponents of term limits commonly argue that elected officials are term limited every time they appear on the ballot and say that people can just simply vote them out of office. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Once someone gets in office, it is very hard to get him or her out. In fact, according to the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), only 34 incumbents have been defeated in the past 24 years. During that time, more than 2,500 general elections have taken place. The power of the incumbency cannot be underestimated. The State Assembly, for instance, has a 98% re-election rate, one that rivals the former Soviet Union.
The need for meaningful change in Albany is greater now more than ever. Imposing term limits on our state representatives may only be the first step in making elections fair and competitive, but perhaps more importantly it holds the key for a truly better government for the people of New York.
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