No Uncertain Terms THE NEWSLETTER OF THE TERM LIMITS MOVEMENT • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • VOLUME 16 • No. 6 76%-24%, South Dakota Voters Rebuff Repeal of Legislative Term Limits “The people of our great state set these limits in the State Constitu- tion by a wide margin in 1992,” observed Rick Skorupski, chairman of the Don’t Touch Term Limits committee. “They had good rea- sons then and those reasons are still NoOnAmendmentJ.com gets the message across. valid today. Nobody wants career politicians like Ted Kennedy in four two-year terms. The group’s campaign slogan South Dakota.” On November 4, 76% of the elec- was NO WAY! VOTE NO ON J! A career-politician-backed refer- torate shot down the repeal effort. Lee Breard, executive director endum, Amendment J, would have During the campaign, Skorupski of the South Dakota Conservative chucked South Dakota’s 8-year had concluded that because vot- Action Council which also op- term limit on legislative service, ers needed to reject Amendment posed Amendment J, noted that if which passed with 64% of the vote J to keep term limits, polls were the measure had passed, it would in 1992 and took effect in 2000. showing some confusion about the have been a first. In several states, The law caps maximum tenure in measure among supporters of term legislative term limits have been the South Dakota senate at two limits. Don’t Touch Term Limits thrown out by either legislatures or four-year terms, in the house at was formed to help clarify matters. (Continued on Page 5) Ignoring Voters, Bloomberg and City Council Conspire to Trash NYC Term Limits; U.S. Term Limits Joins Lawsuit to Undo the Coup On November 3, 2008, with an vote on October 23 to lengthen dums to limit the tenure of city easy stroke of the pen and a hard the term limits law. The vote in officials to two terms in office. Vot- slap across the face of every New turn was the culmination of weeks ers first passed the two-term limit Yorker who believes in democracy, of public hand-wringing by city in 1993. A few years later, when the rule of law, and the right of council members—and private politicians asked voters to change citizen initiative, Mayor Michael arm-twisting by a mayor who had their minds, New Yorkers affirmed Bloomberg concluded a months- been plotting the coup d’electorate their support of the law in a second long campaign to weaken the city’s at least since April of 2008. referendum. term limits by signing legislation to Supporters of citizen initiative Those joining the lawsuit enable himself and 51 city council rights are suing to overturn the include council members Bill de members to run for a third term in politicians’ unilateral revision of Blasio, Letitia James, and Charles office. the city’s term limits law, which Barron; former Congressman Guy The mayor’s signature followed blatantly ignores the decision of Molinari; Public Advocate Betsy a controversial 29-22 city council voters in two city-wide referen- (Continued on Page 3) No Uncertain Terms 73 Spring Street • Suite 408 • New York, NY • 10012 President’s Corner BY Philip Blumel No matter which candidate you wanted to win America’s top job in the recent election, if you are a friend of term limits, you have much cheer about—most notably, the resounding defeat of an attempt to repeal state legislative term limits in South Dakota. But there are also victories to report in California, Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania (see page 4). Term limits have suffered a setback in New York City, but not because of any action of the electorate there. We can thank the shameless willingness of the “indispensable” incumbent mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in collusion with a supinely obliging city council, to undercut the city’s term limits unilaterally. As shown by our front-page story and the many impassioned statements anthologized on pages 6 and 7, however, New Yorkers have been far from supine in response to this brazen assault on their democracy. Many critics of term limits recognize that the right of citizen initiative is a fundamental bulwark of representative democracy, not to be destroyed to suit the convenience of politicians. If politicians may dispense at will with the valid results of initiatives, voters do not in fact enjoy the right of citizen initiative. Every election season confirms anew the continuing popularity of term limits with the public, as well as the continuing hostility toward term limits of career politicians. A recent Pulse Opinion Research poll finds that 83 percent of likely voters believe that elected officials should have their terms of office limited. It is not surprising. Voters believe that the reason government does not work is that career politicians maintain their clutches on power by catering to special interests. Americans are fed up with corruption, earmarks, kickbacks, favor-trading, and increasingly mammoth bailouts of failing enterprises. They think term limits can help. They are right. Term limits aren’t the only reform we need to shake things up—but where they are lacking, we sure could use them. For the latest developments on term November/December limits across America, visit our web “It is not the function of our 2008 site on the Internet at Government to keep the citizen www.ustermlimits.org A publication of from falling into error; it is the US TERM LIMITS No Uncertain Terms is published function of the citizen to keep FOUNDATION bimonthly. Third class postage paid, the Government from falling into Washington, D.C. error.” 73 Spring Street, Suite 408 New York, NY 10012 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: -- U.S. Supreme Court in U.S. Term Limits Foundation, 73 (703) 383-0907 Spring Street, Suite 408, New York, American Communications [email protected] NY 10012 Association v. Douds No Uncertain Terms 2 73 Spring Street • Suite 408 • New York, NY • 10012 Term Limits Champion Poizner to Run for CA Governor California Insurance Commis- fund a successful campaign against sioner Steve Poizner has formed an Proposition 93, a deceptive ballot exploratory committee for a poten- measure to weaken California’s tial run for governor in 2010. state legislative term limits. On initiative that, if passed, would al- Poizner’s well-known sup- February 5, 2008, the measure was defeated 54% to 46%. low state legislators to serve an ad- port for an enduringly popular ditional term in office if they agree reform, term limits, can only be a Both Schwarzenegger and to give up campaign contributions plus in such a campaign. Unlike Bloomberg voiced vigorous sup- and junkets. other well-known (but now for- port for term limits early on in their mer) advocates of term limits—for political careers, but that support Politicians have resorted to example, on the west coast, cur- wilted when political push came to every sort of plausible and implau- rent California Governor Arnold political shove. sible gimmick in their efforts to weaken term limits—and they gen- Schwarzenegger (barred by term If Poizner does throw his hat limits from seeking reelection); erally don’t take the voters’ “No!” in the ring, he may get a chance for an answer, certainly not in the and on the east coast, New York to reaffirm his principled support City Mayor Michael Bloomberg— Golden State. So the McCauley of term limits in the 2009 election anti-term-limits gambit, or some Poizner has actively campaigned season. Accountant Paul McCau- for term limits. other, may well gain traction next ley has obtained the approval of year with the state’s political estab- In 2007-2008, the former California’s secretary of state to lishment. If it does, Poizner should Silicon Valley entrepreneur helped circulate a petition to post a ballot be clear and firm in his opposition. Bloomberg (Cont’d from page 1) Gotbaum; Comptroller William C. New York State Assemblymen for the ballot in time for the recent Thompson Jr.; New York Public Hakeem Jeffries and Jose Peralta election. Interest Research Group Inc.; and have announced that they will seek U.S. Term Limits. to amend the state election law to Even after it had become too late to post a term limits ques- The suit contends that by uni- require a referendum in New York tion on the November 2008 ballot, laterally acting to increase their City before the change in the city’s there was still plenty of time to maximum tenure from eight years term limits law becomes effective. hold a special election about term to 12 years, the mayor and city Meanwhile, voter Andre Calvert limits before November 2009. But council “brush[ed] aside the size- has established a Facebook Group, Bloomberg and his allies knew that able investments of personal, King Bloomberg III, as a meeting they would lose such a vote. political and financial capital that place for New Yorkers who want to the voters expended in connection electorally defeat Bloomberg and Opinion polls on the question, with referenda ratifying a two-term the 29 city councilmen who voted including one conducted by the limit...thereby rendering meaning- to ignore the voters. mayor’s own office, repeatedly less the votes cast by City voters in indicate that despite Bloomberg’s Early in 2008, Mayor connection with those referenda.” popularity most voters prefer to Bloomberg, who had often repu- keep term limits as they are. More- If Mayor Bloomberg expected diated the idea of any unilateral over, according to a recent Quin- to slip this assault on citizen initia- legislative jiggering with the term nipiac University survey, 89% of tive rights under the radar, he was limits law, began sending signals voters believe that any revision of rapidly disabused by the wide- that he wanted to stand for a third the term limits law should be de- spread and continuing public out- term.