Commissioner George “Jody” Sweeney represents the 5th District on Kent County Levy Court. He is a resident of Camden.
Well, we’re at that time of year again! It’s that time when people who have run for office on a number of occasions and can’t win start talking about term limits (“Time to end era of career politicians”).
Those calling for this don’t understand that we already have legislated term limits for nearly every position of power, except for judges. Some are terminal term limits, such as the president and vice president of the United States, and thank goodness for that! We do not want kings.
By now, many who are reading this are freaking out. Let me explain: The president and vice president are constitutionally limited to two terms. Period! So, those who are submitting bills to allow for a third presidential term, or more, don’t understand the Constitution of the United States and probably should read it. Other federal elected positions, such as senators and representatives, have term limits of six and two years, respectively. Here in Delaware, state senators are elected every four years — with exceptions around redistricting — and state representatives every two years. Those are constitutional term limits!
The drawbacks of terminal term limits are significant. Elected officials make decisions that will allure them to their voters. They listen to those who would support them, knowing they need their support for the next election. Imagine an elected official making decisions and not caring about how they impact his/her constituents or whether he/she needs to gain their votes. Taxes would increase. Decisions about regulation would be mostly negative. Abuse would be rampant, including among those seeking to better their after-elected positions.
So, what is the answer? The answer is voter education. Educate voters on who and what they are voting for. Educate voters on the voting history of those who are in office. This is going to require voters to regain their trust in elected officials, which is at an all-time low. They have to know that challengers are not just inflating poor decisions by those they are challenging, and they have to have the belief that they are not being lied to. That is probably years away.
One more thing: I do agree that we need term limits for judges, whether they are locally appointed judges or Supreme Court judges. Here in Delaware, local judges are appointed and serve for life. Many states have elected judges who face the same type of term limits and challengers I have described. But Delaware needs to have constitutionally limited judges, who face recertification after a number of years, be it five, 10, 15 or whatever. The same goes for U.S. Supreme Court justices.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
