THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 31, 1995 TAG: 9510310288
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: ELECTION '95
You Asked
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
This is the final installment of ``You Asked'' before next week's election, and it seems appropriate to address a question directly related to elected office - term limits.
In recent years, term limits have become a popular issue, along with the general subject of campaign reform, as the public searches for ways to make elected officials more accountable.
Those who support term limits feel that it makes officeholders less subject to re-election politics, and that it brings new blood into government regularly.
Opponents of term limits argue that it would mean our government would be forever run by rookies, always learning the ropes. Also, they point out, it could make officials less accountable, if they don't have to worry about being re-elected.
This is not a new debate. The pros and cons of term limits have been hashed and rehashed going all the way back to the original constitutional convention. The different terms in Congress - two years in the House of Representatives, six years in the Senate - represent one compromise, since the membership of the House tends to turn over faster than the Senate.
Recently, the Supreme Court ruled against term limits for Congress under current law, but the idea's backers are not giving up.
Our reader this week, C.W. Carr of Virginia Beach, is interested in campaign reform in general, including limits on contributions and the influence of political action committees. We chose to use a specific question from Carr, ``How do you stand on term limits?''
His candidates are: in the 7th Senate race, Democratic Sen. Clancy Holland and Republican challenger Ed Schrock; and in the 83rd House, Republican Del. Leo Wardrup and Democratic challenger Phil Geib.
Holland: ``I oppose any measure which restricts the voters' right to choose who represents them in the Virginia state legislature because we already have term limits built into our system of government. They are called elections.
``There are more serious problems that should be addressed, such as unethical contributions to campaigns by companies under criminal investigation.''
Schrock: ``I support legislation that would limit the number of terms that someone could serve in the Virginia General Assembly or the U.S. Congress. The power of incumbency is very strong. Term limits guarantee that from time to time new ideas from new generations of leaders will be given a fair chance to succeed.''
Wardrup: ``I have sponsored a bill for term limits in the last two sessions. My bill called for three four-year terms for senators and a maximum of six two-year terms for the House of Delegates.
``Consequently, I am a strong supporter of term limits. We can train a brain surgeon in five years. If anyone is going to accomplish something in office, if they can't do it in 12 years, they need to step down.''
Geib: ``I generally do not support term limits. However, I do support the current term limits in Virginia for the office of governor. This should encourage leadership and nonpartisanship, as has been the case with past governors.'' MEMO: Staff writer Tony Wharton compiled this column.
``You Asked'' has been a regular feature of The Virginian-Pilot's
coverage of the 1995 General Assembly elections.
Past columns are available on Pilot Online's Virginia Voter Net at
the World Wide Web location http://www.infi.net/pilot/voter/
by CNB