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I have always favored term limits for executives but not for legislators. However, I do think that if the voters were in favor of it twice that it should stand. I voted against it last time for the above reason, but I have to admit I am glad to see my sleazy councilman out the door. Maybe we need them as long as the Dem party strong-arms challengers off the ballot.

Agreed with the above poster on the Atlantic Yards fiasco. Now it looks like Dresden. Nice going, guys.

Always term limits.

People default to the familiar by nature. Not having term limits means that once a person is elected, s/he is probably elected for life.

That's not American.

Of course there should be term limits. In fact there should be term limits for every important seat in government: president, mayor, represenatative, senator, etc. Your guest even provided the reason why: people can be fooled, especially by potential career politicians who have made their environments necessary for their best selfish best interests, i.e. Washington, DC.

Hi Brian,

4 more years of Bloomberg and NYC will be an open pit of half baked development ridden with rats.

Also, a correction, Marty Markowitz is NOT "very popular", he is deemed by most as a buffoon who has sold the borough out to Bruce Ratner.

Thank you

Lisa Badner
Brooklyn, NY

I am for term limits and voted likewise in the past, but we never got to vote on what that limit should be. Please put that to a vote. 8 years is just too short - by the time the council person, etc, begins to learn what to do, they have to start running for a different office (no one thinks term limits gets politicians out of politics, do they??? pu-lease! the worst ones just run for something else, and the good ones move out.) 3 terms is right, and i bet the voters would confirm that.

Steve (the other one) from Manhattan says that we're being nannied by the gov't, but isn't it nannying when the gov't limits our ability to elect (and re-elect, or not) the gov't we want?

Steve (the other one) from Manhattan says that we've been nannied by this administration. but having term limits is nannying in that the gov't is telling us we're not able and effective to elect the gov't we want on our own.

I think Bloomberg has NOT done an outstanding job. so THERE!!! That's the other side everyone likes to present nowadays.

Not to take anything away from the current Mayor, there are certain advantages to being an incumbent in an election that would create an unfair unadvantage over other candidates. This is a big city, full of talented people and I am sure that there are others who could do just as good a job as the current bunch.

Hey, this guy sounds like Phillip Seymour Hoffman!

I'm all for extending the limits, but not abolishing them entirely. The limits have their role, its that they are too short. I do want to reward good politicians with another term in office.

How does Bloomberg have a "developer constituency"? He could buy and sell Bruce Ratner, and runs on his own money.

Councilman Koppell is the poster boy(man?) of why it's good to have term limits.
He is arrogant and is currently insulting voters by claiming that they have been fooled by Lauder. That is partly true in that voters are never given a full view of what the candidates stand for and therefore do not make informed decisions.
If Lauder fooled the voters, isn't it also cleared that Mayor Bloomberg also fooled the voters during his reelection campaign because he bought the churches and many organizations and blanketed the airways with all his money.
During his reelection there was NO DISCUSSION on his take over of the education dept. and his lack of accountability and transparency; the establishment of illegal taxes on the working class and all of the other 'development' projects.

I don't live in New York City but I would like to see Mayor Bloomberg stay in office for another four years.

Robert - excellent point. In the old days their heads would be on pikes on the Manhattan Bridge.

Question on the table is if you were in city council would you vote to extend term limits.

If I was like most of the self serving dogs in city council I would definitely vote an extension for myself. And while I was at it, I would vote myself a fat raise too, even though its just a part time job.

In The Golden Bough, J. G. Frazier gives numerous examples of monarchs, priests, and Khazars who were killed at the end of their term of rule. I don't think term limits are so terrible.

I am against term limits and would vote to end them if it came up. However, the utter arrogance of your guest is apalling. His position seems to be that he knows better than the voters of New York, who were apparently too stupid to understand what they voted for not once but twice. Disgusting!

Term limits are there for a reason. To prevent one person from gaining to much power and abusing it. Like Bruno and Silver. Bruno's gone, now vote Silver out today!!!

Maybe i would be ok with three terms but thats it. Term limits protect Democracy.

Koppell go shove it!

The machine and their "the people are being denied democracy", what a bunch of crap.

How in the name of all logic is a referendum passed twice by significant majorities un-democratic? It reminds me of someone arguing that the US Senate is unconstitutional because it violates one man-one vote.

He doesn't want to insult us, but he just told us we were stupid enough to fall for a campaign for term limits ...

And can you imagine if we'd had 4 more years of Giuliani?

I think that Koppel and others who support the move, should get real jobs. They will have had 8 years to pass laws - now they should live with them like the rest of us.

Also, I wonder if Koppel would allow a tweak to his legislation - indeed pass the law to extend term limits to 12 years, but forbid any current candidates from running for re-election?

How can anyone who knows about/has had the displeasure of visiting the disastrous site of the Atlantic Yards fiasco still support Marty Markowitz [and/or Bloomberg]? It boggles the mind.

He just gave every crappy excuse to increase the term limits to 12 and what then? After that will he extend them again for another 4 years and on and on and...well you get it.
Why don't they amend the city charter then to have referendum on this OR change the charter to include the term limits. He's wrong.
Baloney! Violating the rights of voters.
WE VOTED WE DON'T WANT YOU ALL FOR MORE THAN 8 YEARS. He's insulting the voters.
And when they do change hands they go to a relative of the last member. pleeeeze, he is insulting us.

How self-serving and disingenuous! The voters HAVE voted twice--despite the council trying to muddy the waters with confusing wording the second time. No one is indispensible. We the people have already decided this issue. Move the pigs away from the trough.

No. No more Bloomberg, and no extension of term limits. He's done some good things, but he's also nannied us nearly to death. And let's not forget the hideous Republican National Convention where Bloomberg's thugs beat and jailed vegans, hippies, and other harmless people. Enough.

Brian, I totally disagree with changing term limits. In 2000 when then Mayor Gulliani wanted to change term limits with the excuse, that we needed him to stay in office longer, because of (911) Mayor Bloomberg would never have been elected. I say to Mayor Bloomberg control your ego and stop trying to hold on to power and your moment in the sun, and give some one else a chance. Not all new yorkers agree with all your policies.

Brian, I totally disagree with changing term limits. In 2000 when then Mayor Gulliani wanted to change term limits with the excuse, that we needed him to stay in office longer, because of (911) Mayor Bloomberg would never have been elected. I say to Mayor Bloomberg control your ego and stop trying to hold on to control and your moment in the sun, and give some one else a chance. Not all new yorkers agree with all your policies.

This is a shanda on the voters of NYC and it should be fought all the way to deffeat. We voted against this and iit slaps the voters right in the face along with government of, by and for the people. I hope there is a huge outcry against this garbage.