Term limits won’t help; an educated electorate will

Susan J. Ward, Las Vegas

Monday, April 18, 2011 | 2:03 a.m.

I disagree with some of James O’Connor’s April 11 letter to the editor, headlined “Terms limits would combat lobbyist influence.”

Corporate influence is most pronounced on new members of Congress and state legislators. Term limits are not affected by the removal of the lobbyists’ corporate agendas. It is the responsibility of an informed citizenry to impose term limits on our elected officials. Imposing a law requiring term limits is inefficient and just an easy way out.

In Noam Chomsky’s book, “Failed States,” John Dewey, considered to be America’s leading 20th-century social philosopher, concludes that “politics is the shadow cast on society by big business.”

An informed citizenry is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of its elected representatives. This, in general, is not happening.

Interest in governmental affairs is at an all-time low. This must change if the American people are to have influence over who represents them in federal and state legislatures.

Legislators who meet the approval of the informed citizenry do not need to be term-limited. The removal of the influences of corporate lobbyists is the best remedy for the restoration of what is supposed to be a democracy of the people.

Term limits are not the panacea for the removal of big businesses’ corporate agendas. Voters should pay attention!