Maybe the issue isn’t term limits but the length of the term limits. Instead of 8 years maybe 12 is a better number.

For cases like Jane Cunningham and Ron Richard, I say “Thank God for term limits!!” Hallelujah!! Thank ya, Jesus!!!

Term limits are fine by me get ALL the bums out after a few years. Let a new crop milk taxpayer money.

The voters did make a mistake when implementing term limits, but limiting terms wasn’t it. –We should have started with a fresh slate.

I agree with Amazed. Throw ‘em all out, and start from scratch…That includes those in D.C.

Power corrupts. -That’s a fact. Everyone who acquires power will misuse that power…for personal gain, or personal causes. The question is; how soon after taking office?

Those that are close to, and those that have benefitted directly from, the representative who has acquired such power, will never see it. Those that are extremely partisan will never see it.–They don’t see it any more clearly than the children of those involved in organized crime. It becomes an accepted way of life.

For the benefit of all the citizens of this state and country who only see our problems as being liberal or conservative. -Wake up! Most of you are so worried about losing a seat to a person whose beliefs differ from your own, that you can’t see the natural cure for an ill administration is that of a change of men. -Replacing them with their sons and daughters will not bring about fresh ideas, and only serves to perpetuate the corruption that will consume every human being put in that position.

“If men of wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honor of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth; if men possessed of these other excellent qualities are chosen to fill the seats of government, we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation.” —Samuel Adams

Those that desire power are the worst. Find your friends and neighbors that possess these qualities, but have no desire to run for public office. Ask them to serve one term. One term should and will exhaust them; as it should. Replace them with those they are not acquainted with. -This will limit the deal making.

Blunt, Bond, Carnahan, Nixon, Kennedy; do you think the human desire for power has not managed to corrupt them after all these years? Do you think they don’t work the system for their own personal benefit? Are you naïve?

Major endeavors should be presented to the voters. Abortion, Gay Marriage, the Death Penalty, etc… should be placed in the hands of the people.

Necessity and expedience are the pleas of the tyrant; amendment, the dictate of the Constitution. By pursuing the former course, we trample upon the Constitution; by following the latter, we go back to the people, the original source of all power.

I agree that term limits need to be made longer (if they are kept at all)–up to 12 years in each chamber (3 Senate terms and 6 House terms). With the current system legislators are inexperienced, have no institutional memory, and do not work towards compromise. Outsiders, such as lobbyists, end up being more educated and knowledgable about the issues.

Looney….there aren’t any new crops.
The lobbyists stay and write the legislation for those who want another term.

Term limits do not make for better government. Term limits get rid of the bad and the good. Would America be better if true public servants like the late senators William Proxmire or Daniel Patrick Moynihan were term limited? No. A big problem is that people like to gripe gripe gripe but then just vote the same bums back anyway–if they vote at all.

The biggest problem is the obscene amount of bribery money in the political system, sometimes referred to as campaign funds. Gerald Ortbals tried to tell people that public financing of campaigns would save a lot more money than it cost, as the special interest lobbyists would have a lot less influence to push for dubious pork and giveaways from legislators.

The second biggest problem is that legislators get to select their own voters more than we get to select them–they draw their own districts. In the few states where independent panels draw districts–like Iowa–there is far more turnover regardless of term limits.

If Ron Richard wants to propose to end term limits while also setting up publically financed campaigns and independent commissions to draw districts, I’d say he was proposing better government. But if he only were hoping to end term limits, he’s the typical politician–a self-serving jerk.

WOW, so now the Repo’s think term limits are a bad thing? They were the ones pushing term limits years ago. My my my, how things have changed. Me thinks you Repo’s are talking out of both sides of their mouths.

I agree that term limits are a bad thing. The voters should be in charge of term limits at the voting booth. The problem now is that lobbyists and bureaucrats are in control in Jeff City. There is no need for civility anymore in Jeff City. Voter are getting tired of the endless partisanship in all level of politics. The voters, myself included want our elected official to work together to solve many of the proplems facing our state and our country

I thought it was amazing that former state rep Carl Bearden was speaking against term limits. He was one of the people supporting the term limits before he was elected to the Missouri House of Rep’s.

Just amazing, they are ballzy.

Guess that’s why the Speaker was pushing so hard to change the Missouri Court Plan - a movement funded by money flowing in from outside of Missouri. But then, the Speaker got a lot of campaign money from outside of Missouri. I’m sure there’s no connection….