In light of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s pending retirement, Boston Public Radio initiated a dialogue regarding whether Bostonians thought that a term limit for the position of mayor of Boston should be instated.
The radio hosts, Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, debated the matter between themselves about a week ago, taking either side of the argument.
“The problem is, being a governing person, you’re a legislator, a member of congress, an executive like a governor or president. It takes time to figure out how to do what you do well.” Braude said.
Eagan said the reason many salient bills, such as those dealing with gun legislation, fail to pass or get significant support from politicians is because they are worried about reelection.
“If they were not worried about reelection and worried about their pensions and worried about their salary, and worried about their healthcare, they might vote their conscience every once in a while,” Eagan said. “I would argue one of the reasons we can’t get anything done in the USA anymore is because being elected to Congress — being elected to the United States Senate — has become a lifelong career.”
Boston community members who weighed in on the term limit debate had mixed thoughts on the topic.
David Palmer, a professor of international relations and political science at Boston University, said in an email interview that he still does not support having term limits.
“Term limits in practice are a bad idea,” he said. “They institutionalize a lame-duck office holder, reduce incentives to pursue longer-term programs and may force out dynamic and successful leaders at the peak of their powers. You might even make the argument they thwart the public will, and thus are, at some level, anti-democratic.”
Maria Payano, 25, who works in Allston, said she doesn’t believe term limits should be imposed because a mayor plays a different, more intimate role than other political figures.
“If there are other people running for mayor, and the people chose who they liked, no one can limit that. Mayors are closer to the community, and people like to be involved with them — they have a more fatherly role,” she said.
George Pelz, 64, a resident of Newton, said he fully supports the idea of term limits.
“I think they should have two-term limits, because power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he said.
“I won’t say Menino is corrupt, but the fact that it becomes very imperial after a long period of time is an issue with anybody, not with just mayor Menino. I don’t think there are any cons to having a term limit.”
Cary Crawford, a graduate student at Boston College who lives in Brighton, said it would be a good idea to create term limits in order to allow new ideas and points of view to work their way into government.
“You get to a point where there is just too much, there is only so much one person can do without getting stuck and not being able to make more advances for the city,” she said. “It is good to switch it and to get new blood in there.”
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