Vallone Sr.’s Attempt To Extend The Office Of Present Councilmembers Is Misguided
The City Is Rich In Talent And The Term Limit Experiment Has Produced Positive Change


Here we go again.

City Council term limits are under attack.

And you can bet your bottom dollar that some of those Councilmembers are the folks behind the move.

Former Council Speaker, present lobbyist/attorney Peter Vallone Sr. is leading the effort. A longtime opponent of term limits, Vallone made an unsuccessful run for Mayor in 2001, when he was forced from the Council as Speaker of the first class of Councilmembers term limited from office by a law passed by a referendum of the people. Prior to that, Vallone led an unsuccessful effort to extend term limits by referendum.



The Overturn Effort

But every time Councilmem-bers see their careers ending, someone comes along and tries to overturn, tweak or extend term limits. We’d bet that Vallone Sr. is the stalking horse here for current Speaker Christine Quinn. Quinn, like Vallone, when faced with the end of her Council career, set her sights on the Mayoralty. However, Quinn was caught hiding millions of dollars of discretionary funds in the name of phony or phantom groups and along with the scandal, went her viability as a candidate for citywide office.

We doubt that Quinn is ready to go gently into retirement from elective office. And what better way is there to extend her stay and perhaps heal the wounds of scandal but to remain in the Council and continue to lead as Speaker. And who is more likely to support such an effort but the lobbyists who have been earning their living by cozying up to the councilmembers and the Speaker.

Now we have no proof of connection between Quinn and Vallone’s effort to change term limits so that she and some three dozen other Councilmembers can remain in office. But c’mon, this effort is going to require their cooperation, action and support. Funds will be needed for the Vallone Sr. sell job. Take a look at the source of those funds – folks doing business with the present Council? Peter Vallone Sr. is too smart. He would not have embarked on this publically unpopular crusade without the “encouragement” of the present Speaker.

Stop it! This is another attempt to pave the way for Councilmembers to extend their own terms in office. If it were a true principled, good government effort, it would not apply to anyone presently term limited. It could take effect four or even eight years later. But we know that too many members fear losing their pension — they only have eight years of service -- not ten; while others fear they may have to go out and earn an honest living not on the public’s buck. There are present Council-members who would even attempt to legislatively override the referendum passed by the people in order to extend their own terms.

Peter Vallone Sr. is an honorable guy and when faced with an effort to overturn term limits legislatively by his Council eight years ago, he stopped the effort. We assume he would never lend support to any effort that did not include a referendum where the people decided.



The Sky Is Falling

Vallone has cited the present fiscal crisis as the need to extend Council terms. He thinks that those in office are the only ones who can effectively deal with budgetary restraints.

Let me remind Vallone Sr. that whatever crisis he thinks this city is facing now warranting a change in term limits, none could be as overwhelming or as daunting as the crisis faced by our city in the post 9-11 period when his Council was replaced by a new one and Rudy Giuliani gave way to Mike Bloomberg.

Vallone’s cry is the same cry as last time. They told us the sky would fall if there was a wholesale change in the Council and Citywide elected officials. The old Councilmembers sang tales of doom and gloom that the City would suffer greatly if they were, as a group, forced from office along with the Mayor and others. Yes, we were told that we’d be robbed of the institutional knowledge essential to run government and the sky would fall.

Sorry Chicken Little, the sky did not fall. The old Council which was term limited left and was replaced by a new, younger more energized Council whose members knew they had eight years to make a difference and leave their mark. The old tired Council was not missed. The old tired relationships and deals with special interest groups and lobbyists ended and it took years to reestablish them.

Wonderful talented new blood became part of the Council: John Liu, Eric Gioia, Joe Addabbo Jr., and Peter Vallone Jr., the outstanding son of the man who wants to fix what is not broken, were given the opportunity to serve because of term limits. Melinda Katz, Leroy Comrie, Helen Sears, David Weprin, Jim Gennaro brought the Council years of governmental experience with their new energy and new vision. Even independents Tony Avella, Hiram Monserrate and James Sanders brought new insight, and ways of getting it done. Queens had a marvelous class of new Councilmem-bers elected and so did the rest of the City.

And my friends, the sky did not fall. As a matter of fact, a new progressive light shone through the clouds and change and progress highlighted much of the work of the new Council since term limits brought us new blood. The change came because Councilmembers were new. There were bright, energetic, driven people who now eight years later, must make way for the new class of bright, energetic, driven people.



Term Limit Experiment

Term limits was a great New York experiment. And I’ll grant Vallone Sr. one thing – the results are not all in. We have seen one complete Council turnover as a result of term limits and the answer is a resounding yes, it worked.

An old tired Council was replaced by a new energized one. An old, divisive but accomplished Mayor was term limited out of office and replaced by the best Mayor I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Change my friend was for the good – the very, very good.

And now the bold experiment of term limits will face its second test. Another Council class and citywide officials will be gone and replaced by new blood. And we’re betting that like the previous class, they will come with fresh ideas, an abundance of energy and some wonderful visions of good government and public service. Hopefully, their eight years won’t rob them of that sterling exuberance.



Yes, There Is A Downside

And sadly, term limits will also end the Mayoralty of Mike Bloomberg, the gifted and independent visionary who showed us that government is more important than politics, business management principles work in government and doing the right thing, is always the right thing.

And it is for that last reason that we are confident that the Vallone Sr. crusade will fail.

The only person who perhaps could lend real credibility to the effort is Mike Bloomberg. He had previously commissioned a poll and found that the people support term limits as they are. With that knowledge, the Mayor abandoned any effort to modify term limits. He understands that the bold term limit experiment must be allowed to continue and that no man is bigger than the government.

While like so many others, we hope Mike Bloomberg continues in public service. While he said his future is in philanthropy, we believe there is a Governorship in Albany or a Cabinet position in DC where this unique individual can continue to serve the people.



The Future

We have a rich, diverse and wonderful city. It is filled with an infinite number of talented, dedicate people ready to serve. We’ve met many; we know many. We believe in New York City.

And in spite of the loss of Mike Bloomberg and many talented Councilmembers, other New Yorkers will come forward. It happened in 2001 and it will happen in 2009.

Anyone who believes that only those in office are able to run this city, sadly doesn’t understand the marvelous people of New York.

Anyone who believes that term limits will cause the sky to fall, just doesn’t get it.

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.