Off the Editor’s Desk – 3-3-2021
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Term Limits!
I have written before about term limits and the need for them. In a petition for term limits that, Texas Senator Ted Cruz is putting forth he indicates, “Career politicians are about to go ballistic.”
Cruz said that he has officially introduced legislation to add a Term Limit Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.
In his statement Cruz indicated, “If this Term Limit Amendment is enacted, members of the House and Senate could only serve a limited number of terms, and then they would have to leave DC and go back home to real jobs.
“This Amendment would be a huge step towards fixing Washington, which is broken because too many people are treating government as a money-making career instead of public service.”
He pointed out that Speaker of the House; Nancy Pelosi has been a DC politician for 34 years. Our own Ron Kind, congressman representing the Third Congressional District of Wisconsin was first elected to Congress in 1996. Not only do they get a great salary, but a lifetime pension.
I would limit terms to 12-years.
To make an amendment to the Constitution, it takes two-thirds of both houses, or 34 states to apply for a Convention to Act. But, Congress can’t get together even half of its membership to act; I don’t think that two-thirds of them will come together to pass a term limiting amendment that could remove present serving members of Congress from office.
Back in 1951, they did pass a term limiting the President to two terms. Other amendments passed in the last sixty years are: In 1961 the Twenty-third Amendment provided for appointment of electors for president from the seat of government, Washington D. C.
The Twenty-fourth Amendment outlaws poll taxes or other taxes at the polling place. It passed in 1964.
The 25th Amendment has to do with filling of the office of vice president, if it were open. The president nominates a person and Congress must confirm the appointment. It was passed in 1967. This Amendment has been used only once, when Spiro Agnew, Vice President in the Nixon Administration resigned and Nixon nominated Gerald Ford, who was confirmed by Congress and when Nixon resigned the Presidency, Ford became President. He is the only person, to serve as President, not having been elected to that office by the general population.
The 26th gives 18-year-olds the right to vote, it went into effect on July 1, 1971. Glenwood City may have the honor of having the first 18-year-old to vote. Judy Lindholm voted in a Special Bonding Issue election for the City on July 8, 1971.
The last amendment was passed in 1992 and it has to do with pay of Senators and Representative that their pay can’t be changed until after an election has been held.
So, the Constitution has been amended only five times in the last sixty-years. Cruz has about as much chance to getting a term limit issue passed as I do of winning the hundred million dollar power ball jackpot.
Thanks for reading! ~Carlton