Andrew Sorrell
Andrew Sorrell told ShoalsInsider.com he believes all Legislative offices in Alabama (State House and State Senate) should be limited to either two or three terms immediately.
Why are term limits so badly needed? Here are his top 10 reasons:
1. Authority must be circulated frequently in order to prevent corruption.
2. Politicians think less and less like normal people the longer they are in office.
3. Within hours of a successful election, the new politician immediately beings plotting his reelection. Even well-meaning and good people sometimes succumb to the allure of a lifetime job with a dose of power.
4. Rotating office holders brings innovation and fresh ideas.
5. It is virtually impossible to beat an incumbent…whether they are good or bad!
6. Politicians would be allowed to focus on passing legislation more than on campaigning for reelection.
7. Montgomery special interest money would be spread out more evenly instead of being used almost exclusively for incumbent re-election bids.
8. It forces a politician to stay active in their current line of work. For instance, a doctor will keep his practice up and remain a doctor because he knows at some point he will need that income again when he is ineligible to run for reelection. Politicians keeping their regular job is a good thing! It keeps them much more in touch with the community. Elected legislative offices were never meant to be full-time jobs!
9. Term limits reduce burnout. Think about it…after 30 years in office, is that politician really working as hard for his constituents as he/she was on day 1? Or have they gotten comfortable?
10. Committee assignment would be given by expertise and interest instead of length of service or (as in the case of Washington, D.C.) how much money you raise for your “team” during your term.
