It”™s time to grab the unwieldy, hissing hydra that is the state Legislature and force-feed it an idea whose time has not only come but is long overdue.
We are speaking of course of term limits.
Enough with career politicians and partisan politics.
Half of the state Legislature is in its death throes as egotistical politicians in the Senate damn the state, its businesses and taxpayers and go full-speed ahead with their self-serving motives.
The antics of these so-called public servants now serve as fodder for late-night talk shows.
Last week the Senate disintegrated into dueling sessions with lawmakers talking over each other. Some suggest that a duel at 20 paces would accomplish more.
For their part, the so-called “bipartisan coalition” enacted term limits during their mutinous actions on June 8. Specifically, the term limits imposed are on Senate leaders ”“ six years ”“ and committee chiefs ”“ eight years.
It”™s a start if in fact the reforms are legally binding. However, the Republicans failed to address the bigger picture ”“ that of career politicians.
From District 1 with Kenneth LaValle who joined the Legislature in 1976, through District 62, with George Maziarz, who was elected in 1995, the Senate is populated with career politicians, some so as bold to point it out in their biographies as if it were a good thing.
Here”™s a snapshot at some of the longtime residents of the Capitol, as well as some newcomers, and the year in which they were elected:
Frank Padavan, 1972
Dale Volker, 1972
Owen Johnson, 1972
Hugh Farley, 1976
Bill Larkin, 1979
Steven Saland, 1980
Thomas Morahan, 1980
William Stachowski, 1981
Dean Skelos, 1982
George Onorato, 1983
Suzi Oppenheimer, 1984
Velmanette Montgomery, 1984
Vincent Leibell, 1985
James Seward, 1987
Tom Libous, 1988
Kemp Hannon, 1989
John Bonacic, 1990
James Alesi 1992
John DeFrancisco, 1992
Michael Nozzolio, 1992
Pedro Espada, 1993
Jeffrey Klein, 1994
Carl Kruger, 1994
Betty Little, 1995
John Sampson, 1996
Neil Breslin, 1996
Charles Fuschillo, 1996
Thomas Duane, 1998
Malcolm Smith, 2000
Ruth Hassell-Thompson, 2000
Roy McDonald, 2002
Diane Savino, 2004
Catharine Young, 2005
Eric Adams, 2006
With Senate terms running two years, the only one who has not yet been re-elected is Darrel Aubertine, who won a special election in February 2008. A farmer, he is probably the only one that meets the definition of a citizen legislator.
Fresh blood is needed to get the state back on track.
So, how can we get term limits placed on career politicians who are continuously re-elected because of the amount of pork they bring back to their home districts?
Would the new “bipartisan coalition” in the state Senate be willing to go one step further and enact limits on their actual elected terms to office? Probably not.
One way would be to repeal gerrymandering, which has ostensibly resulted in the re-election of career politicians. Just take a look at a map of the state”™s Senate districts and you will see what we are talking about.
For the most creative districts, just take a look at the boundary lines running through New York City”™s boroughs. Hermann Rorschach and his inkblots couldn”™t have even created some of these gerrymandered beauties.
It”™s time to change these districts so that they are representative of the people and not a means to get re-elected.
Redraw these gerrymandered districts and candidates who will work on behalf of the voters have a better chance of being elected.
If our elected leaders won”™t change, maybe it”™s time for the people to create change, such as through a constitutional convention. Rudolph Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and a possible gubernatorial candidate, made the suggestion in an Op-Ed piece in The New York Times last week. Assemblyman Richard Brodsky sent out a press release also last week reminding us that he and other Assembly members support a convention via bill A4271.
It would require legislative approval and a public referendum. The issues of term limits could be brought up for a debate.
Perhaps the Tea Party coalition will get on board and push for change. It”™s one thing to complain about taxes and hold rallies; it”™s another to lobby for change.
What do you think? Let us know.
