In the absence of mandated term limits for elected officers, only voters can send the message that government by career politicians is neither the form of government designed for our nation nor the kind of representation that serves the nation best.
It is the politicians themselves who tell us two things. First, Washington, D.C., culture changes people, even those idealistic representatives who arrive after their first winning campaign. Second, once elected, re-election becomes the first order of business demanding attention, time and money. Everyone likes positive strokes; re-election is a positive stroke politicians strive for, time and time again.
Important legislative decisions are viewed through the political prism of re-election, not simply what is best for the country. Some career politicians have never done anything other than public service. Scams from inattention to congressional oversight of government agencies is one of the by-products presently in evidence.
Is there a better example of the failure of term limits in the creation of a career politician than Sen. Orrin Hatch? No one born after 1958 has had an opportunity to elect another Republican contesting his seat.
Now at age 78, re-election is his first concern on a platform that his seniority serves Utah best and keeps him too busy to discuss current issues with the people of Utah and engage public debates with a challenger. The upcoming Republican primary election presents an opportunity for voters to express their sentiments about term limits.
George Gee Jackson
Salt Lake City