A case for term limits

The most common argument against term limits for politicians (often made by incumbent politicians) is that the voters can get rid of an elected officials every that person's term is up.

It doesn't work that way in the real world. Once in office, politicians will do whatever it takes to keep themselves in office. That includes using taxpayer dollars to promote themselves or for political purpuses (See "Bonusgate").

The letter writer below makes a strong case for why we need term limits. The letter was originally published in The Mercury.

Term limits needed to curb career politicians

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then I suppose most Americans must be insane.

Here we are again, deciding who will lead this nation. Again, we are looking to the same parties who have let us down time after time. For example, both parties have been promising a solution to our energy problems since the 70s. In all those years, this esteemed group of "leaders" has yet to come up with any solution.

The Democrats won the last Congressional elections promising that they had a plan. Where is the plan? Gas is skyrocketing and the solution was to produce ethanol. So now, the price of gas is still rising and so is the cost of food, in part, because farmers now produce corn for cars and not to feed livestock or people. Brilliant! They each blame the other, use race, class warfare, and prey upon the fears of the American people to keep us depending on them for help.

With their help we will surely lose our freedom and our way of life. They are not interested in preserving this great nation as much as they are interested in preserving their power. Each time they "help" us we lose more of our freedoms.

What we need is to have term limits for Congress just as we do for the presidency. It is obvious to me that they do much more harm than good. They haven't addressed Social Security, energy, the war, terrorism, or our borders. Are these the same people we are willing to trust with our health care? The Founding Fathers never envisioned that the Congress would become a career. They viewed it as a service and once one’s duty was fulfilled, they would return to their normal lives.

I truly believe that with term limits, we might have a chance to elect people who care about the nation and not their parties, egos, or power. Considering their approval rating, I think the American people might agree.

This nation became great because it promised freedom. The pull to freedom and to make one's own way without government interference in their daily lives is what brought our parents and grandparents here. Now all I hear from our elected officials is what can we give you? They vie with each other to see who will offer more in order to get votes. They can't "give" us anything. It isn't the government's money, it is our money, our children's money, our parent's and neighbor's money. They rely on class envy to keep their power base and we keep falling for the lies. It is time we got back to our roots and make our own way and stop selling our freedom to the highest bidder. It is too precious to leave in the hands of those in Washington.

Do we have enough people with the knowledge and fortitude to get a grass roots movement started to limit the term of congress?

MARY L. DEMENO
Limerick