I was wondering if any of my fellow New Yorkers were able to get out to the Term Limits rally on the steps of City Hall.
In 2008, despite days of testimony from a vast array of New Yorkers, the City Council passed a law extending term limits for elected officials.
This law virtually nullified a public referendum, passed directly by New York citizens in 1993, and again in 1996, to limit elected officials to two terms in office. There was one hope for the will of the people, however: the Mayor of New York, Republican Mike Bloomberg.
Bloomberg had been supportive of keeping the will of the people intact. In 2002, he vetoed a law easing term limit requirements. In his veto, Bloomberg wrote: "I believe it is simply inappropriate for those ... who were aware of the rules under which they were elected to seek to change those rules in a manner that may work to their own advantage."
In August 2008, Bloomberg denounced the growing effort of the City Council to extend term limits: "There is this technical imperfection in the existing law that was approved by the public," he said, "where in theory the City Council could go and override the wishes of the public. I think that should be taken away."
"The people themselves have twice explicitly voted for term limits. We cannot ignore their will. They want the openness new faces bring. And they will get it. We will not go back," Bloomberg said in 2002. Surely there was no way that he would allow such a travesty of the democratic process, right?
Wrong. He signed the bill, and explained it as a decision "to give the people of New York a fuller choice in the November, 2009 election, "although New Yorkers had already chosen on term limits twice.
When asked about extending the term limits in May, he tried to pass the blame on to the City Council. "The rationale for extending term limits is, the City Council passed it and the public's going to have a chance on Nov. 3 to say what they want," he said. "And I don't think we have to keep coming back to that."
Well, New Yorkers said something today.
On October 22, Bill will be giving a speech at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. I hope you can make it, and voice your support for the will of the people.
