As the World Terms

The Republican revolution of 1994 brought a lot of crappy ideas to the forefront. Flag burning amendments, gay marriage amendments, tax cuts for the rich amendments. But another idea that came out of that conservative wave of icky-ness was term limits. Worst. Idea. Ever.

When we first heard about term limits we cried from the mountaintop, “NOOOO! We already HAVE term limits. It’s called your VOTE!” And the unwashed masses stared blankly back at us as if we were speaking a foreign language. They’d been told that term limits would break the back of old-time cronyism, get the fat-cats out of office and get some new blood in there. The people spoke and term limits passed.

Now it looks like a couple of buzz-kills are trying to hang on to the last vestiges of public life by suing to save their term-limited J.O.B.s. We know why they’re doing it…it’s just that we wish they’d come clean to us about why they’re doing it.

You see, they’ll tell you that Nevada will lose valuable experience and decades of political knowledge with the loss of term-limited legislators. They’ll tell you that they love Nevada and her people and that they only think of those needs. They’d say that to you…and they’d be lying.

See the recent state our State is in? They’re cuttin’ programs like a Mohel cuttin’ Bris. Who’s been in charge? The same folks who wanna stay in charge. Reality is, when you’re in the last years of a political career, you’re more likely to set yourself up with a future lobbying job than to do the people’s business. How do we know? They’re spending an awful lot of money defending a shitty-paying job. Now we don’t like mandatory term limits. But that’s what the election was for. The law’s the law. So pack your bags folks…and get the hell outta Dodge.

(8.-)

DANGER: Politician Crossing

Way back in the Stone Age (1994 to be exact) a tsunami of conservatism swept quite a few righties into positions of power. It’s called the Republican Revolution. Among those who rode the wave were notables such as Bill Frist, Nevada’s own John Ensign and WPE GWB. Leading up to the ’94 elections the right-wing jihadists used a very clever visual aid. After all, Americans are so stupid, without a cheat sheet most of y’all wouldn’t know which hole to pee out of. The prop we’re talkin’ ‘bout, of course, was the Contract With America.

Analogous to a sixth grader running for class president and promising less homework, longer recesses and better cafeteria food, the Contract With America included all sorts of go-nowhere ideas. Thinking they were smarter than Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson republicans wanted a Constitutional Amendment to ban flag burning. After all, at the time, flag burning hippies were ruining America.

Thinking they were smarter than John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, republicans wanted a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage. After all, why should homos get to enjoy all the perks of marriage (and divorce) when the Bible says marriage (and divorce) is only for heterosexuals?

Thinking they were smarter than George Washington and Gouverneur Morris, republicans wanted a Constitutional Amendment requiring a balanced budget. After all, everyone knows you can’t live outside your means and countries that run on deficits are fiscally irresponsible.

We knew at the time the CWA was nothing but smoke and mirrors. It was a pathetic circus trick designed to get republicans elected. It worked. Problem is, only one thing in the CWA actually got passed was term limits. Horrible. Idea.

We said it back then and we’ll say it now…America already HAD term limits…it was called the VOTE! Don’t like the guy? Vote him the hell out. We didn’t need a law that takes the vote away from the people. Alas…it passed and the right-wing jihadists were ecstatic. The operative word there is “WERE.” Now, it seems the very same politicians who were all droppin’ trow to hook up with the CWA are coming out against term limits. Seems the skeevers just wanna save their jobs. Here’s the crux of our biscuit:

Nevadan’s voted twice to enact term limit laws. So serve your time, get the hell outta Dodge and let someone else rattle around the halls of government. You wanna get rid of term limits? Let the people decide. Put it to another vote. But next time, leave your visual aids at home.

(8.-)