My father is a wise man. I only hope to become as sage as time passes and life’s experience continues to mold me.
He and I disagree on a couple of issues however. One of them being term limits, the other I will save for another discussion. “Because of term limits, we have legislators running for the house leadership after only two years!” As usual I am paraphrasing, but his point is well made. Term limits appear to produce a confusing environment where little is done except at the last minute, and then done wrong. Perhaps if time were allowed for the legislators to “grow” into their jobs, they would have the institutional maturity to be able to properly plan and implement sound policy.
I could very easily ride the fence on this, except for the influence of special interest organizations which greatly rely on the long term relationships with those who create state law. Aside from the fact that there are those who would (if given the opportunity) be persuaded by excessive courting of lobbyists, the “ownership” of our legislators is lessened simply by a reduced exposure to them. Michigan voters recognized that the curve of real representation of their views is at it’s peak early in the terms of the newly elected. As time passes, it is too easy to fall into quid pro quo, and under other Lansing influences to properly represent those who have elected them.
The argument may be “which way would you prefer policy is created and acted upon?” Would the residents of Michigan prefer to have laws created and defined based on consensus and influence, or proper representation and common sense? The failure of the current batch of individuals representing us is more due to immaturity in the singular persons in leadership, not in that of the leadership positions.
So Dad? We disagree, but you are still the smartest man I know.