This won’t be my final column on term limits.

I’ve been writing a weekly column – mostly political — almost weekly, since before the current millennium. I write them on the weekends.

And as each weekend begins, I think out loud searching for column topics. Sometimes I have one before I ask, and many times, from Friday night to Sunday morning, I can be heard asking the ether, “What should I write my column on?”

And although there is rarely an answer from the beyond, when I do wonder out loud, “What should I write my column on?” Lil usually chimes in: “Not term limits!”

Term limits and the pathetic dysfunctional New York State legislature have been my most frequent topics since Not4Publication became the name of this column.

Since the calendar faced its Y2K catastrophe and the onset of the new term limit law was becoming a reality to the members of the City Council who would be prevented from running again in 2001, the self-serving term-limited Councilmembers have been plotting to overthrow the law passed twice by the people.

When the term-limited Council, in 2000, tried to hide their dirty little secret plot to overturn term limits, repealing on their own the law passed by referendum, this paper, this column, yelled loudly. We put the names and faces of the seven Queens members involved in the undemocratic cabal on a front page WANTED poster accusing them of “Crimes Against the People.”

Back then, subsequently, and with some regularity, we yelled out loud that the only way to change a law passed by a vote of the people is by another vote of the people. We went as far as asking Mayor Bloomberg to pose such a Charter Revision to a Commission requiring any law passed by referendum could only be changed by referendum. For the City Council members to be allowed to extend their own terms after the people limited them, was, is and always will be, nothing more than vile undemocratic rule of government – I care not the excuse.

To go back, have another refendum and have the Council try to convince the people to change the law would consume the Council from now until next November, cost a fortune and likely fail as the effort did in 1996.
Term limits have worked in New York City.

The first term-limited Council cried that the sky was going to fall.

It did not. On the contrary, three dozen newcomers marched into the Council and competently managed the legislative responsibilities of government. A new Mayor shined; we rested easier with the ethics and leadership of a new Comptroller; Public Advocate and Beep changes did not do the slightest harm to our city. As a matter of fact, six years later we are better off – a lot better off.

And when 2009 comes and term limits brings another wholesale change in City officials, you can bet bright, competent, energetic people will step forward to skillfully fill the void. It will be our collective job to make sure the right ones get into office.

After years of whispering about how they would overturn term limits, the present Council came face-to-face with reality last week.

Speaker Christine Quinn sounded the death knell for the overturn-term-limit-crusaders. The statement she released said in part:

“After careful consideration and discussions with my colleagues in the Council, I have decided not to pursue a change in New York City’s term limit law. I will neither support legislation nor will I seek or support a new referendum eliminating or altering term limits.

“Over the last two years, the City Council has pursued an agenda of reform and democratization. . . I believe that overruling the will of New Yorkers - who have voted twice in favor of term limits - would be anti-democratic and anti-reform.”

Bravo!

Now Quinn did the right thing and we applaud her. Any other move would have been the end to her dream of a successful run for Mayor. But whatever her motives, we applaud the Speaker’s crystal clear support in upholding the will of the people and democracy itself.

More of our City leaders should have weighed in on this one. But in politics doing what is right often takes a back seat to winning friends, support and money.

For the moment, the term limit overthrow effort is dead.

But as long as there are politicians who put themselves before the people, an informed and involved electorate is the best defense of democracy.
See you at the voting booth.
MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com