...Plus Killery. Term limit on her also, plus interdiction from seeking presidency at any time.
Posted on 04/18/2005 5:52:57 PM PDT by CHARLITE
Consider a young man or woman who has just graduated from medical school and wishes to become a brain surgeon.
Our young doctor will have to spend one year in a general surgical residency program, followed by six more years as a resident in neurosurgery.
To recap: brain surgeon, seven years.
And yet, the Florida Legislature this past week announced that its members cannot master the demands of their job within the measly eight years allowed by Florida's term limits.
Nope. A Florida legislator really needs at least 12 years to learn the ropes in Tallahassee, the Legislature declared. And so the voters of Florida will be asked to approve longer term limits in the 2006 election.
Now, maybe you do not like term limits. Maybe you think they have done more harm than good.
But make no mistake about one thing:
A 12-year term "limit" for the Florida Legislature will mean an automatic 12-year term for any legislator who chooses to stay that long.
That's because an incumbent member of the Legislature in this state simply cannot be defeated. None of the 160 members were defeated in the last election.
None. Zero.
They have rigged their own voting districts. They are wallowing in campaign money, which they use to buy their way out of any serious challenge.
It is downright sick.
I can't tell you how many incumbents need to be beaten each election for our democracy to be healthy, but it sure as heck is more than zero.
So, just remember, when they are asking for a 12-year term limit, they are asking for a 12-year term.
This is gonna be a fun fight.
* * *
It is impossible to turn around without reading another headline saying, "Legislature Votes To Do Whatever Utilities Tell It To."
You already know the most famous example of recent years, a bill to as much as double local telephone rates.
This year, there are bills to make sure electric and telephone companies can stick you with their hurricane costs.
Some Florida cities have thought about offering their own Internet services or other kinds of public utilities - so, of course, there are bills to punish them for "competing" with the for-profit utilities.
Now, just to rub a little salt in the wound . . .
You might remember that the Florida Public Service Commission, which supposedly (ha!) regulates utilities in this state, is in ethical hot water because its members like to hang out with utility folks at conferences and junkets.
Naturally, our Legislature is rushing into action. Is the Legislature siding with consumers for once, making sure the PSC acts like a fair judge?
What, are you nuts? Of course not. There's a bill in the Senate to make it legal for the regulators and the regulated to keep hanging out together. Of course.
* * *
This Monday, a panel in the state House will take up a bill to cut off alimony to an ex-spouse who moves in with a new partner of the opposite sex. The Senate has already passed it.
Aside from whatever fairness issues are involved, this bill also gives Tallahassee a chance to moralize a little bit about Living In Sin. As Gov. Jeb Bush puts it, the current law "basically increases an incentive for people to live together and not get married. That's wrong."
However, it turns out there is a fascinating loophole in this law, pointed out to me by a smart reader.
Ex-spouses are punished only for taking up with "the opposite sex."
But you can keep the alimony checks rolling as long as you switch teams, as it were, and you enter into a same-sex shack-up. I say this is truly progressive thinking by legislators, and hereby award them all little rainbow lapel pins.
I bet some legislator out of Boston is salivating over this disasterous idea.
Heck, let's just make them "legislators for life."
They will soon be as responsive to the needs of the common guy as our Federal judiciary.
About 8 years is how long it takes them to become completely corrupted and figure out ways around the system and that is when they should be thrown out.
In response to the article, I want to be King. I'm qualified...I don't "'ave any shit" on me.....right now, I mean.
R/
FMCDH(BITS)
I for one would like to see term limits for people like Kennedy, Byrd, Kerry, Boxer, Feinstien, Frank, and Jackson-Lee.
...Plus Killery. Term limit on her also, plus interdiction from seeking presidency at any time.
outta their minds...
ping
If they live in the district, they should be familiar with what's going on. I say two year limits and they're outta there!
I've already heard the rebuttal on that proposal: campaign funds!
[ thinking out loud...'wonder if we really need two parties'. ]
Term limits are an admission that we voters are too stupid to vote for anyone but the incumbent.
A crown, the cross, the Star of David and the sickle and hammer????? And they she's moving toward the middle....of what????
You want to be Jim KIng LOL?
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Yeah...I want to be "Jim KIng LOL?"
hahahaha!...(whatever...)
FMCDH(BITS)
For Sure, Florida voted IN all those who aided in the MURDER of an innocent disabled woman.
It's not an admission that we are stupid...It's an admission that I have no control over races outside of my district...I support term limits because I CAN'T vote for any house or senate election except for the ones in my own district. Yet, when the senator from another district is re-elected year after year after year, he accumulates more and more power, which he uses to benefit his district at the expense of mine. There is nothing I can do about it, because I can't vote against him. His constituents would be stupid to oppose him, because he is bringing home the bacon for his district. That's why we need term limits.
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