Extending Term Limits? 35 Members Of The Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Say No!

photo credit: CarbonNYC on Flickr

The letter below was just sent to the New York City Council as well as to Mayor Bloomberg. Amongst the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Members to The New York City Council who signed the letter are Morgan Pehme of The Optimist, as well as my husband, Glenn Kelly.

An Open Letter from 35 Members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee to the New York City Council Opposing the Extension of Term Limits

cc: Mayor Mike Bloomberg

Council Speaker Christine Quinn

Ronald Lauder

Dear Council Members:

What if President Bush had decided to amend the Constitution so that he could run for a third term? Surely, since 47 out of 51 of you are Democrats, this notion must be pretty frightening. Yet it is this concern that best sums up why we oppose the proposal before you to extend term limits.

Whether term limits are good for New York City is not an issue we care to argue. In the past 15 years, the voters of our City have twice decided that philosophical debate for themselves. In fact, it is as a result of their decision that most of you owe your current jobs. But now that you are on the verge of having to relinquish your power to a new generation of leaders, many of you are having second thoughts.

Surely, you can't expect voters to interpret your motivations to extend term limits as anything but a self-serving power grab. Every dictator in world history faced with term limits has argued at the last minute of their reign that the political climate is so serious the people must keep them in power or else fear ruin. Well, New York City didn't buckle when Mayor Giuliani tried to stay in office after 9/11. Now, we ask you to show the same courage and stand up to Mayor Bloomberg.

The people of New York need your help as City Council Members to protect our vote. The major newspapers, so many of our elected officials, and even Ron Lauder, once the foremost champion of term limits, have all abandoned us or cut backroom deals. You're the last hope of the little guy. If you really think that New Yorkers want this change, then put Mayor Bloomberg's proposal back on the ballot for referendum and let us decide.

We 35 members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee ran for office to be the voice of our neighbors and our communities. We thought you ran for office for the same reason. Here's your chance to prove us right.

Sincerely,

Llewellyn Armstrong, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Alice Backer, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Martin J. Bernstein, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Evan Burr, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Vallie Copeland, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Craig Czarnecki, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Christopher Diamond, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Esteban Duran, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Ellen Enders, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Hal Friedman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Sabrina Gates, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

David Greenson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Jen Halbert, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

MacGregor Harp, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Jamila Jabulani, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Cyril Joseph, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Steven Juskowicz, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Glenn T. Kelly, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Jeff S. Merritt, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

David Michaelson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Gilford T. Monrose, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Ethan Nichtern, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Chris Owens, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Morgan Pehme, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Colin Phillips, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Mireyda Reyes, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Sam Ritchie, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Joy Romanski, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Bill Salzman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Josh Skaller, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Andrew Stengel, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Eva Talmadge, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Kelly L. Thompson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Theodore Wright, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

James Zika, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

For further info go to:

The Optimist


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