80-20 issues

[Martin Eden]

5. Yep. Count me among the 12% who oppose term limits.

The problem isn't length of service or incumbency in and of itself. It's in the system of legalized bribery known as campaign finance, in the lack of knowledge & engagement among voters, and in how the media covers elections & governance.

Ideally, we want representatives devoted to and good at rendering public service. As in any profession, knowledge and skills are built up over time. It doesn't make sense to cut short their public service just as they're getting really good at it.

Choosing a career can be a difficult, and is a major life decision. Knowing that a career in elective office will be arbitrarily cut short may very dissuade good people from choosing that career path.

Do we really want a bunch of rookies doing this important work? Term limits could very well attract fast talkers who are in it for what they can get out of it, moving on to lucrative positions garnered by peddling influence.

The problem is in a dysfunctional corrupt system, which term limits will not solve.