By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

Desperation!

The term-limited members of the City Council have lost all reason.

They plan to betray the public by disregarding two votes by the people and overturn term limits so that they may run for office again.

By repealing term limits, some of these self-serving jokers feel that no matter how small they look, no matter how they violate the public trust, they still have a chance, however slim, of keeping their coveted jobs.

Without repealing term limits, they’re unemployed and have nothing.

"To hell with the people," they say.

Remember their faces. Remember their names: Helen Marshall, John Sabini, Julia Harrison, Walter McCaffrey, Alfonso Stabile, Juanita Watkins and Tom White.

They are truly enemies of the people.

These seven City Council members from Queens, along with 13 other named members throughout the city and other silent members, have fired the first shot of what they hope will be a bloodless coup. They – a couple of dozen members – plan to overturn a law passed by referendum in 1993 and upheld by referendum when the Council brought it back to the people in 1996.

The law limits the number of consecutive terms Councilmembers (and other City elected officials) can serve. These seven and their compatriots plan to repeal the part that affects Councilmember terms.

These people are not to be taken lightly. They will sell out the public for a shot at another two years in the sun. They will lie, and cheat and steal.

One argument they will tell you is "Oh, my district didn’t want term limits!" "The minorities/black districts didn’t vote for term limits."

Lies!

Queens Councilmembers Tom White and Juanita Watkins said their districts didn’t vote for term limits. We checked; Tom and Juanita, your districts both voted for the term limit referendum. Your claim just ain’t true.

Borough President wannabe Helen Marshall says the minorities are against it. Wrong, Helen! In the 1993 referendum 55.45% of the votes cast in the five black Assembly Districts were for term limits. As a matter of fact every minority district, every majority district, every district in Queens voted in favor of the referendum.

Cheat! We believe that playing the race card when the issue is self-interest is the greatest deception one could attempt on minority voters. For our friend Helen Marshall, the black candidate for Borough President, to play the race card in this case, discredits her, her candidacy and is counterproductive to the best interest of the people of color in this city.

Sure, sitting minority members of the Council may have to go out and work next year. But other minority members will replace them. Helen, your minority district voted for it. So did every other minority district in Queens.

Race is not the issue. The race for Council is!

Steal? Yes, this is clearly a vile theft of the rights of the people. They have spoken – twice.

The term limit bill, Council Bill Int. No. 880, sponsored by these "magnificent seven," presents their case.

Okay, I’ve read it. There’s not much that can be said to convince me that a referendum voted upon by the people should be thrown out by two or three dozen councilmembers — especially when it directly affects their terms in office. However, I have read the bill and have tried to identify and present each of the arguments in favor of the repeal of term limits. The italicized comment after each argument, just seemed to appear as my fingers magically pressed the keyboard. It doesn’t take great thought to understand the motivation of the people behind this bill.

Their arguments (in quotes) are:

"Voters in up to 35 council districts would be denied the right to vote for the incumbent members." Good! That was the purpose of the term limit referendum passed by the people.

"As a result of this scheme, a significant number of senior members including the Speaker and all committee chairs would be arbitrarily removed from office at the same time." Scheme? No, this is no scheme, this is the voters’ will and intent – to get rid of permanent government.

"The impact of this forced exodus falls heavily on ‘minority’ voters and the ‘minority’ communities of the City." The voters in those "minority" districts also voted in favor of term limits and will likely again elect new "minority" councilmembers, duh!

"Term limits for legislators would serve no useful purpose since elections themselves provide the voters with a full opportunity to reject or retain officeholders." Yeah, it would. The people think so. It would get rid of the 20 jokers who introduced this bill to override the will of the people.

"Term limit provisions would cause the wholesale dumping of the ‘institutional memory’ and long-term perspective of the City Council." And the wholesale dumping of the "institutional corruption" and "special interest perspective" of the City Council. That’s what the people had in mind.

"The fundamental right of the individual voter cannot and should not be limited by the will of the majority." Then challenge the law in the courts; the courts, not the Council, interpret the Constitution.

"The Council finds that term limits for executive branch elected officials are less offensive to fundamental democratic standards since they serve a historically recognized purpose in the United States of curbing executive powers." But these "magnificent seven" wouldn’t dream that the people be allowed to curb their powers.

"Are likely to produce irrational and inappropriate results." Irrational and inappropriate? You mean, you won’t be in office?

"New York City’s highly regarded campaign finance laws, which provide significant public funds for candidates, level the playing field with respect to the cost of running for office." Yeah, right!

"This local law shall take effect immediately." So all of the self-serving hypocrites can run again.

The more I research term limits, the more sense they seem to make. But the more I watch the desperate actions of the term limited Councilmem-bers, the more I am pushed to favor term limits and rid government of individuals like these who back this vile act to overturn the will of the people.

Colorado voters passed a term-limits initiative in 1990, and in 1992 and 1994, voters in over 20 states approved various state and federal term-limit laws. Some 20-plus states — more than 3,000 municipalities — have imposed some form of term limits on their legislators. And not one governmental structure has crumbled. But our members believe they are indispensable.

Democracy is rooted in a citizen legislature. Perpetuating a permanent government gives rise to the type of representatives that will unilaterally throw out a vote of the people.

The main objective of term limits is to guarantee a steady stream of fresh lawmakers and prevent the rise of career politicians who cater to special interest groups and contributors, and may grow complacent and lose touch with their constituents.

While City Campaign Finance Regs may reduce the influence of special interests, incumbent candidates will always have a competitive advantage over insurgents. Office perks, government-paid staffs, constituent mailings, free media coverage, and the authority to help constituents with such everyday bureaucratic matters can all translate into a considerable advantage election-after-election if they are intelligently managed by an office holder.

In 1787, as our nation was in its formative years, George Mason, signer of the Declaration of Independence observed, "Elected representatives should be subject to periodical rotation. For nothing so strongly impels a man to regard the interest of his constituents as the certainty of returning to the general masses of the people from whence he was taken and where he must participate in their burdens."

We have already reaped the benefits of new ideas and an increase in the number of people seeking office as a result of term limits. We are watching as the self-serving, special interest controlled, money influenced old-timers face removal. Their reaction doesn’t surprise us.

Let them know what you think. Use your middle finger!

These people are not to be taken lightly. They will sell out the public for a shot at another two years in the sun. They will lie, and cheat, and steal.

Not 4 Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

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Richard Schack contributed to this column.

Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

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