Thursday, July 19, 2018

"Term Limits" Letter to the editor Misha Harnick

Term Limits

I may have missed some, but I do not recall EVER in the 40 or so years of my reading the paper seeing a full-page ad (July 12th, page 3) -- especially a political one! -- in the New Paltz Times (and its various predecessors).

From what I have read, I believe that ReclaimNY has been founded – and is being funded – by the Mercer family, together with Steve Bannon. Their goal and aim is to create and support right-wing agendas, yet make them appear like the most proper and beneficial thing for New York State residents to support. True, we have freedom of speech, but because of the background and activities of its financial backers, it is a disruptive organization, one that we should not encourage to meddle in local politics

As far as the content of the ad itself. I think that if a mayor, a governor, a county or state legislator, a congressmen – in other words ANY ELECTED official – does a good job which constituents approve of: it is a good think to keep them on the job until they are ready to leave, on their own, or get voted out of office. After all, continuity promotes trust and can help bring useful initiatives to successful fruition.

However, I strongly believe that APPOINTED officials, such as court justices and ESPECIALLY Supreme court justices, ought to have a term limit. While a mayor may continue his team’s work and agenda over several years, the Supreme Court has not even remotely such mandate. It deals with individual legal cases, on a case-by-case basis, although it at times refers to older decisions, as its members’ political leanings dictate them. We would do well to start campaigning for the Justices’ term limits!


Publishing history:

New Paltz Times 7-19-18

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