We”™ve heard it said that you can never count on people being good people. That”™s why there are rules. But rules are often broken and often by lawmakers themselves.
Self-policing does not work. This has been proved time and again.
What we need are term limits for elected officials in Westchester and other counties throughout the Hudson Valley. We need them to go into affect now, not 10 years from now.
Westchester does have “term limits.” The county Board of Legislators passed a bill in January, although County Executive Rob Astorino did not sign the legislation. The law limits county legislators to six two-year terms and the county executive to three four-year terms.
Of course, there”™s a catch. While the term limits go into effect Jan. 1, 2012, they are not retroactive.
What”™s the point?
To get a clearer picture of these “terms,” we asked the county executive”™s Chief of Staff George Oros.
“It will affect the county executive,” Oros explained. “He”™s got two more times left if he wants it.”
The legislators?
“Somebody who is there now, (who) could have been there for 10 years, could stay another 12 (years). That was one of the reasons I think Rob was reluctant to sign it and put his full imprimatur on it. He supports the concept, but the fact was, in that sense, it”™s not a real term limit” because it is not going to affect current legislators.
“In other words, if I”™ve already got six (years) in the bank, that doesn”™t mean I”™m limited to running only three more times.”
Precisely. Why must everything here be masked in gimmickry?
Why can”™t Westchester enact “real” term limits that apply to all current, past and future legislators?
Putnam County did. Lawmakers recently imposed term limits ”“ retroactive ”“ on themselves. Putnam legislators can serve four three-year terms and the county executive, two four-year terms.
What prompted the move, in part, was the corruption-conviction saga of Vincent Liebell, who in December ”“ his 16th year in the state Senate and 28th in the state Legislature ”“ pleaded guilty to tax evasion and obstruction of justice.
You can never count on people being good people.
And even good people make bad decisions. The years have a way of grinding down on some folks. And while politics does make strange bedfellows, it also creates sizeable egos and leaves some office-holders dangerously indebted. There are promises to be kept. Little political favors here and there.
Entrenched in partisanship. Endeared by patronage. Ensconced in the everyday armchair.
Career politicians can be a dangerous breed.
And the price tag of politicking is staggering. The amount of money that goes into campaigns today distorts the process and often packages candidates in ways that their mothers would not recognize them anymore.
There are many fine men and women doing good things for their constituents. Smart, diligent, capable, hard-working and honest people who are dedicated to the people being served and not just getting re-elected. In other words, what they were elected to do.
There are also many who are not. Many who have been in office at the state and local levels for far too long. This has to end.
Opponents of term limits argue there is already a measure in place to curb tenures: voting. Unfortunately, many people do not vote. A sad fact, but a fact nonetheless.
Voters have been feeling disenfranchised these days, as well. Others are downright jaded. Given the antics at all levels of government, who can blame them?
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is promising state ethics reform.
Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of Empire State Development Corp. and state economic development commissioner, was in White Plains recently to rally the business sector in support of the governor”™s legislative agenda. He alluded to the need to restore the people”™s confidence in government.
He, too, said self-policing does not work.
It”™s time we all come to terms with this fact.
Limit the time, limit the liability. And let lawmakers and other elected officials do what they were elected to do.
