Re: Session's woes stem from term limits

The citizens of Montana set term limits for a reason (CI-64). Remember that this is the place where it's not uncommon to hear the statement "thank god they (the legislature) only meet every two years.

for information on Montana term limits.

The problem is not in term limits, but in the need for term limits. It could be the real problem here is the constant power struggle between the two political parties at the expense of progressive politics - politics that should serve Lincoln's statement; "government of the people, by the people, for the people" - are subverted to become politics that serve the political party, Democrat or Republican. The entrenched two-party system in America and in Montana endangers the foundations of representative Democracy and government.

A contributing problem to legislative inefficiency might well be the "centuries old rules and parliamentary procedure". But we have Universities in Montana and knowledgeable citizens that could study and revise those rules and procedures, with a mind to improving the speed and efficiency of the legislative process. Do other states face the same legislative problems, have they found working solutions? Has anyone looked around to see, we might not have to reinvent the wheel to find needed improvement.

Term limits give someone else the opportunity to do a better job. In our world today, a lot of damage to the public can be done by a stagnant or ineffective, party line or personal agendas only driven representative or senator. Eight years in the house and eight years in the senate are enough. If the legislator cannot figure out how to get the job done in that length of time, in sixteen years, the job isn't going to get done by that person. And if the legislator is truly a public servant and is dedicated to serving beyond term limits, he or she will find a way to be available to contact for advice and to share their experience, without staining that help with lobbying motives. With today's technology, with email and cell phones, former legislators don't even have to be in Helena to answer questions on procedural or past historical actions.

Sorry, Senator Elliott and Representative Hendrick, but don't blame term limits. Term limits have accomplished what they set out to accomplish, to protect us from career politicians in the legislature and especially those politicians that fail to serve the citizens of Montana. Consider the legislature as a school and not a home…your job performance and the knowledge and experience you have gained there could be used to take you onward into new political careers, if you chose to continue to serve the people of Montana.