Coming to Terms With Term Limits

This week’s “Daily Journal” guest columnist is Melissa Mitchell, office manager for the John Locke Foundation.

RALEIGH — When the Contract with America was introduced back in 1994, I agreed with every proposal, except for term limits. The contract called for legislation that would limit senators to two terms and congressmen to four. At the time, I felt that elections could work better to limit the term of an ineffective elected official.

During the last several years, I have totally changed my mind. I am now wholly in favor of some form of term limits for Congress and the North Carolina General Assembly.

Many issues led to my change of heart, including scandals, out-of-control spending, tax increases, and broken election promises. However, it is the sheer arrogance of most elected officials that has solidified my belief that term limits are appropriate for all elected officials

Unfortunately, too many elected officials see their election or re-election as a coronation or an ordination. They become experts in all things governmental, and as their arrogance grows, their foresight shrinks. Elected officials seem unable to comprehend that the legislation they pass today may create a nightmare for future generations.

A perfect example of this lack of foresight was the 1970s decision that a life sentence in a North Carolina prison should be 40 years, rather than until the person dies in prison. North Carolinians are now faced with the possibility of dangerous criminals being released into their communities.

I wrote this back in 2005 about the John Roberts hearings and C-SPAN. When C-SPAN began broadcasting, I thought that it was one of the greatest examples of American ingenuity. Although the public has benefited from the knowledge gained in seeing our lawmakers in action, the public is also treated to lawmakers who constantly grandstand for the camera.

With cameras rolling, committee hearings have become an avenue for senators and congressman to offer long introductory statements that demean or attack a nominee or the person testifying before the committee and leave the committee member little or no time for appropriate questions. This remains true today.

We are seeing a lack of transparency in the Obama administration and Democratic Congress. Throughout the writing of the health care bill and the accompanying debate, Congress has avoided the C-SPAN cameras. The meetings are being held behind closed doors. Here is a bill that is close to 2,000 pages that lawmakers never laid eyes on until hours before voting on the bill. The congressmen who voted for the House bill certainly did not read the bill before voting.

My own congressman readily admits that he does not read the bills that he votes on. This same congressman admitted that he could not be expected to read the massive Clinton health care bill, so this is a continuing pattern that would be eliminated by term limits.

While Americans are advised to read the mice type on any document that they sign, arrogant elected officials do not read bills that are going to affect not only their constituents, but millions of Americans.

Both nationally and here in North Carolina, elected officials promise “transparency.” Nationally, I doubt that we will ever see a truly transparent government, but ridding ourselves of arrogant career politicians would help the process.

A look at the Locke Foundation’s NCTransparency.com Web page reveals that there is much to be desired when it comes to government becoming transparent.

The expression “the longest serving” senator, congressman, representative, or committee member is seen as a great compliment, rather than designating the person as a professional politician who spends most of his/her time running for re-election.

With each re-election a lawmaker gains seniority and more power. The recent death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., illustrates perfectly the power gained through repeatedly being re-elected. Kennedy was in the U. S. Senate for 47 years. During the election process to fill Kennedy’s seat, the seat became known as the Kennedy seat, and it was assumed that a Democrat should fill the unexpired term of the late senator. In his time in the Senate, I’m certain that Kennedy sponsored very little legislation that helped the people of North Carolina; in fact, much of his legislation may have hurt North Carolina.

In North Carolina the number of legislators involved in scandals is directly related to the ongoing power grab by lawmakers. I think John Hood’s Daily Journal about the Jim Black scandal provides an outstanding commentary about the grab for and the holding onto power.

Elected officials seem to lose their moral compass the longer they are in office. As Michael Decker notes in an interview with Don Carrington, it got “easier to lie,” which seems to be an ailment prevalent in the political world, especially when it comes to campaign promises.

R.C. Soles, touted as the longest-serving legislator in the state, was recently indicted by a Columbus County grand jury on a felony assault charge for a shooting that occurred at Soles’ home. For years, rumors of sexual misconduct have surrounded Soles, but his position in the General Assembly and the community seemed to protect him. Don Carrington’s excusive interview provides insight into controversy surrounding Soles.

Along with the arrogant, power-hungry lawmakers are the groupies who surround them. These individuals are often as bad as the lawmakers they support or work for. Certainly, Ruffin Poole, who was known as the “little governor” during the Easley administration, is a classic example of someone who exhibited this type of attitude. Fortunately, North Carolina’s law that restricts a governor to two consecutive terms protected North Carolinians from the types of misuse of power by Poole to only two terms.

Finally, I am concerned about the out-of-control spending both federally and by the state.

Federally we see an expanding debt that will burden generations of U.S. taxpayers. Many long-term members of Congress seem unconcerned about the rising national debt and continue to add personal earmarks to bills in order ensure re-election.

Here in North Carolina, rather than look at real spending cuts, Gov. Perdue and the General Assembly have raided numerous trust funds, including removing hundreds of millions of dollars from the Savings Reserve Account — the “rainy day fund” — in the 2008-09 budget year. They likely will have depleted the full $787 million by the end of this year. Hopefully, North Carolina will not need the money in the rainy day fund for a natural disaster. Perdue also took up to $88 million from the lottery.

As Joe Coletti points out, simple solutions will solve the spend-and-tax syndrome that permeates the General Assembly, and term limits would also help limit the terms of the spend-and-tax group.

These are just some of the issues that have precipitated my change of heart when it comes to term limits. Unfortunately, we will lose some very good elected officials in the process, but I still think the nation and the state would benefit from term limits. It might also end the total control of the North Carolina General Assembly by one party. It might also encourage elected officials to become scholars and read the bills they are voting for and consider the consequences of their actions.