Career Politician Michael Bloomberg
Kate Paik
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Opinions
Current New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is attempting to amend a current legislative mandate that restricts a mayor to only three terms. New Yorkers have shown through recent polls, that Bloomberg, with an approval rating of 75 percent, should be granted a third term. Bloomberg, in announcing his intentions stated, "this is not the time for fantasy…We are trapped in a national economic crisis and may well be on the verge of a meltdown." And that he was what the voters wanted in such a perilous time.
The fact stands however that if you raise the limits of one office, there is no reason why you could not or should not stop the expansion of other positions regardless of their held power, including the presidency. Moreover, since the economy runs on a business cycle of peaks and recessions that run independent of human events, citizens will always at one point find an inconsistent need for more and longer leadership in similar times of crisis.
Term limits were created to prevent political gridlock that occurs with the incumbent effect. For example without term limits, if voters wanted to get rid of an undesirable incumbents potential, voters would divide their votes among other candidates, still giving the incumbent the majority. Otherwise, voters will constantly vote for the incumbent through retrospective voting; by putting our blind trust in one politician every term, we lose sight of governmental accountability, and the democracy of having "choices" to vote for. Voters voted at one point for a two term limit; vying for a third is subverting the past wishes and votes of New Yorkers.
Bloomberg has also used the financial crisis as a reason for staying in council. It is not clear whether such a desire is out of greed or pure love and concern for the city of New York, but subtly invoking fear into the citizens of New York that he and only he has the capacity to aid the city through such times is blatant fear-mongering and misuse of political capital.
The fact stands however that if you raise the limits of one office, there is no reason why you could not or should not stop the expansion of other positions regardless of their held power, including the presidency. Moreover, since the economy runs on a business cycle of peaks and recessions that run independent of human events, citizens will always at one point find an inconsistent need for more and longer leadership in similar times of crisis.
Term limits were created to prevent political gridlock that occurs with the incumbent effect. For example without term limits, if voters wanted to get rid of an undesirable incumbents potential, voters would divide their votes among other candidates, still giving the incumbent the majority. Otherwise, voters will constantly vote for the incumbent through retrospective voting; by putting our blind trust in one politician every term, we lose sight of governmental accountability, and the democracy of having "choices" to vote for. Voters voted at one point for a two term limit; vying for a third is subverting the past wishes and votes of New Yorkers.
Bloomberg has also used the financial crisis as a reason for staying in council. It is not clear whether such a desire is out of greed or pure love and concern for the city of New York, but subtly invoking fear into the citizens of New York that he and only he has the capacity to aid the city through such times is blatant fear-mongering and misuse of political capital.
Be the first to comment on this story