Vote Ourselves In

Room 8 raises a scary proposition. If the term limit controversy has shown that the mayor has too much control, then you might want to give more power to the city council. But given the council's recent actions, that's not a pretty option. Here is how nymaverick concludes the post "Vote Ourselves In":

Bloomberg's powers should be reduced through referendum in his third term. But the City Council, for having little responsibility, has become stocked with irresponsible people. The voters of New York should grant themselves greater ability to serve as a check against both of them.

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Larry Littlefield responded with this:

I've Got Bad News

We have had initiative and referendum since the 1989 charter. Only one referendum generated by initiative was ever introduced and passed -- term limits. That's how it got there.

And I'll bet that the City Council gets rid of it, without a referendum, after the 2009 election, so term limits cannot be voted back in. Then they will extend terms indefinately or, as the NY Times wants, get rid of it entirely. Public campaign financing will be eliminated before or after this. All this is merely a logical extension of what has already happened.

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