Editor:
Without a local, county, state, or federal mandate or amendment to the constitution no elected official is subject to term limits except the president and our Oregon state governor.
The Oregon people voted on term limits and overwhelming passed them on our state’s federal congressmen and senators, to have that law shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the state did not have the authority to make laws that overrule the constitution.
Well, there is another way around that problem: Do not vote for any elected official that has served two or more terms in that office they are running for. By doing that we can enforce term limits on our elected officials ourselves without the need to pass an amendment to the constitution.
This can work for all levels of any government whether it be city, county, state or federal.
I know we have some good, maybe even some great people, that have been in office for many terms that have done a good job.
The thing is in order to keep new ideas and life in any organization new blood needs to come in and let their energy and ideas be heard. Some may not be so good but some may very well be really great, but how will we know unless they get their chance doing the job.
Another thing is elected government jobs were never meant to be a career choice; you move in, get your job done and move out, go back to your home and your local work place whatever that is.
We have had some of our federal elected officials in the same office for over 30 years. They have completely moved out of Oregon and lost touch with Oregon and our way of life. They no longer represent us; they represent lobbies and big money donators so they can be re-elected again and again.
So I implore you not to vote for any elected official who has been in the same office for two or more terms no matter what party they are in or how good you think they may have been.
Please join me in imposing term limits on all elected officials.
Thanks.
James Morton
Sweet Home