A Lost Generation

In 1993, New York City voters first told the powers that be that two terms was enough for our council, borough presidents and citywide elected officials. We spoke again in 1998.

As a result, in 2001 most of the incumbents in City government lost their jobs.

In 2008, the Council and the Mayor stole that power back, granting themselves a third term, but promising to let the voters decide – again, in the future – if there should be two or three terms.

Well, that hasn’t quite happened. This week the Charter Revision Commission decided to ask the voters in this November’s ballot if there should be two-term limits – starting in 2021. That means that the Councilmen and others who just came into office last year will get to keep their three terms, and that that an entire generation of voters will have to wait for term limits to be in effect.

With 28 years lapsing between when New Yorkers first declared a need for a two-term limit and when the new law would go into effect, this is a mockery of justice and a further invalidation of the will of the people.

Whatever anyone’s stance on term limits is, it is up to the voters to decide. The previous sham of a decision to overturn that will leaves us with very little faith that, whatever the outcome of this November’s vote, the will of the people will be done. .

It’s just not democratic.