Educated citizens, not term limits, is the way to improve government

In general, Maine citizens need a better understanding of how government works, and more involvement in choosing and monitoring their elected officials. Limiting by law the number of terms one person can serve consecutive and/or total terms in office (aka term limits) has the opposite effect on citizens. As such, I oppose mandatory term limits for our elected officials.

The operative word in the previous sentence is “mandatory.” I am fully in favor of elected officials choosing to serve limited terms, of voters preferring candidates who promise to serve limited terms, and of elected officials spending more time in their home states.

I am as much in favor of voters having the choice to re-elect the same person to serve in DC or Augusta as voters’ eyes and ears, when the voters believe that elected official is doing a great job.

Term limits are touted as an emergency exit through which voters can escort their bad politicians? What then is the purpose of elections?

From the outset, in both the US Constitution and the Maine Constitution, the qualifications for serving in Congress or the State House were, and still are, quite reasonable. Basically, you have to be a US citizen, live in the district you want to represent, and be of a certain age.

Originally, the term of office for members of the Maine Legislature and Maine Governor was one year. The Legislators term of office was lengthened in 1880 to two years. Maine enacted term limits for legislators (1996). The term of office for Maine Governor was expanded to two years (1879) and to four years (1957), when governors were also limited to serving two terms in office.

US Senators serve six-year terms and US Representatives serve two-year terms with no term limits.

Have Maine term limits kept the rascals out of the Legislature? Have Maine voters used term limits to usher in fresh political faces who keep the Legislature from going stale?

Not really.

The late Bangor Daily News reporter Christopher Cousins published a March 12, 2018 news story titled, “After 25 Years of Term Limits, Maine Still Has Plenty of Career Politicians.” Mr. Cousins found that, “By switching from one chamber to the other or taking a couple of years off before launching a new campaign, lawmakers have found ways to stick around longer than the eight consecutive years limit in the law. Furthermore, voters have supported them,” Cousins said.

So why so much enthusiasm, particularly from the political Right, for term limits as an alleged good government measure?

The foundation of a successful republican form of government, which is outlined in both the US and Maine Constitutions, is an educated citizenry. That means a citizenry — you, me, and every other US citizen — that, first of all, understands how government is designed to work. And an educated citizenry means we understand what it takes to be a responsible citizen and we do it.

In part, responsible citizens pay attention to people asking for votes, asking us to elect them to make decisions on our behalf in Augusta or DC. Candidates often, and accurately, refer to their campaigning as a job interview. Sticking with that analogy, if we citizens decided to hire (elect) a candidate, we should be prepared to follow the work they’re doing on our behalf, and to stay in touch.

Public campaign financing, ranked choice voting, term limits — these are all, at best, unnecessary, and, at worst, harmful to the body politic. How much wiser it is to refocus on making sure we have present and future generations of educated citizens.

An educated citizenry doesn’t need mandated term limits. They will be involved with their elected officials’ work, they will know his or her voting record. And the educated voters will decide who to keep in office and who to fire.

Scott K. Fish has served as a communications staffer for Maine Senate and House Republican caucuses, and was communications director for Senate President Kevin Raye. He founded and edited AsMaineGoes.com and served as director of communications/public relations for Maine’s Department of Corrections until 2015. He is now using his communications skills to serve clients in the private sector.