Term Limits

won't ub my nabor

Just curious about people's thoughts about term limits. I'm:

Bloomberg: PRO

Term Limits (but 1 more term for Bloomberg): PRO

Term Limits (no more terms for Bloomberg): ANTI

Unlimited Terms: ANTI [but, not adamantly]

Referendum Vote: PRO

Legislative Vote: ANTI

carnivore

Bloomberg: ANTI (overall, but there are some things I like about him)

Term Limits (but 1 more term for Bloomberg): ANTI

Term Limits (no more terms for Bloomberg): ANTI

Unlimited Terms: PRO

Referendum Vote: PRO

Legislative Vote: PRO

yankeefan

I think if Mike Bloomberg wants to change the term limits for NYC Mayors, he should only be allowed to change it for future Mayors and not himself... Because Bloomberg became Mayor with such clear limitations of his terms, it would be an abuse of the power of authority if he was able to change those laws for his own personal benefit.

doctorj

Aw come on, just think how well it worked for Niyazov (Turkmenbashi) and Musharraf.

bohuma

I'm opposed to term limits for governors, federal senators and mayors because these elections are by statewide/citywide plebiscite. I absolutely favor term limits for federal representatives, state assembly persons, state senators and city councillors because they have fixed the district boundaries so that they are virtually guaranteed re-election. If they remove the gerrymandered districting I would favor eliminating all term limits. I also favor mandatory voter registration for eligible US citizens and requiring all able bodied voters to attend a polling place on polling day, or submit a pre-poll or absentee ballot. I wouldn't require them to vote, but would require them to attend. We require citizens to attend jury duty, I think we should require citizens to attend a polling place.

sweet tea

i'm anti all term limits*, and i think what bloomie is doing is reprehensible. if it's such a good idea, make it a referendum. i'm more angry about this than i ever was at the hijinks of mayor-for-life daley in chicago; he never claimed mayors shouldn't stay on.

but i am still against term limits. they constrain the will of the electorate. period.

i agree that gerrymandering is a huge problem, but i don't think term limits solve it; instead, when coupled with gerrymandered districts, they consolidate power in the hands of a single party. this to me contains all the problems associated with gerrymandering and none of the benefits of having a powerful incumbent -- maybe even one who has learned a thing or two since taking the job -- from your area.

i also agree that everyone should have to show up to vote. i think election day should be a holiday (as it used to be in many places) and that you should be able to vote from any polling place, not only your district.


*except president. i'm cool with that one. i don't think the commander and chief of the armed forces should have the option to stick around too long.

doctorj

bohuma wrote: I also favor mandatory voter registration for eligible US citizens and requiring all able bodied voters to attend a polling place on polling day, or submit a pre-poll or absentee ballot. I wouldn't require them to vote, but would require them to attend. We require citizens to attend jury duty, I think we should require citizens to attend a polling place.

I agree, that's how it works where I vote, and it works well. You don't even have to be able bodied (just of moderately sound mind and able to sign your name) because you can ask a carer to grab you a postal vote. (Actually it's easier with the infirm in hospital, retirement and nursing homes than it is to find everyone when they turn 18 ). They even make it easy with voting places in major cities all around the world. But if you don't attend or mail in a ballot (blank or otherwise) to get your name ticked off, you get a fine. And since you've had to turn up, you might as well fill out the ballot they hand you while you're there. It's the only way to ensure universal suffrage, get everyone used to the fact that voting is just something all adults do, and save a heap of effort and money on get-out-the-vote efforts.

meredithb

I'm for term limits. I think two terms is fine, you can run again after missing one term. Career politicians are not good for anyone.

alafairnadia

part of why I'm ditching NYC (if anyone cares) is because the only business being done by corporate law firms these days (the only people who can afford to pay me enough to care) is defending these asshats. I've been doing that since the shit started circling the drain for a few years now and let me just say that kind of work blows. you're generally on absurdly tight SEC or state AG deadlines that stupid lawyers agree to for some insane reason, dealing with reluctant banks who screwed up royally post-tech crash, and then tried to compensate for all of the stupid crap they'd instigated by creating subprime mortgages is totally obnoxious.

I mean really, can we just fine the shit out of them? do I really need to work 80-90 hours a week for the rest of the next decade in an attempt to save them $10k in fines or keep them from going bankrupt? or, god forbid, keeping the suits out of jail? blech. talk about fucking boring.

so, I'm pro-Bloomberg however it can be pulled off because

a) I wasn't here in the 90s when NYers "made this decision" since that's what my current reps (who I consider idiots) keep saying;
b) no one in the city counsel, mayor's office, or anyone else in gov't tried to say "hey banks, this is not the best way to revive the economy post-tech crash";
c) most of the folks I know who make enough money to impact the economy, shop at the high dollar stores, eat at the high dollar restaurants, etc. work in the financial or legal industry and are considering moves, if not out of the country, out of the city to somewhere cheaper;
d) now the hedge funds, previously the only folks doing business on the street to any significant degree, are about to go the way of the big banks; and
e) people are stupid.

carmen

Approved by city hall- he can run again. It was 29 favor, 22 against (26 needed to pass.)

new2hood

Bloomberg for president.

And everybody realizes that elections can lead to the same results at term limits, just more democratically, right? If you don't want him to be mayor again, vote that way.

Ditto goes for anyone else running for office. Problem is, we're just not engaged enough with the local political process as a society.

IMO....

alafairnadia

of course, I won't be here when he runs again. however, I will have money in fidelity and chase unless they go under. make the right decision, people! my retirement is on the line.