Kings "looks forward" to Post Office Redevelopment Project

I would say then that he was brave for bucking the cabal that considers it its right to pick leaders without opposition or input.

ramzzoinksus said:
I would say then that he was brave for bucking the cabal that considers it its right to pick leaders without opposition or input.

That cabal is elected by fellow Dems to do exactly this job.

With input.

tjohn said:
Greg Lembrich is still an unknown quantity, resume not withstanding. I hope he turns out to be an effective, long-serving councilman. We will most likely find out soon enough.

Of course I am all for having the most effective counsel people possible. I am also starting to think though that term limits would be an idea worth exploring.

we don't need term limits. we have plenty of turnover. This is a list of the TC members we've had in office in the 20 years I've lived in Maplewood. others should feel free to add anyone I've left out.

• Ellen Davenport
• Celia King
• Burt Liebman
• Jerry Ryan
• Vic DeLuca
• Ken Pettis
• Ian Grodman
• Fred Profeta
• David Huemer
• Kathy Leventhal
• Lester Lewis-Powder
• India Larrier
• Marlon Brownlee

Considering that their terms last 3 years, 13 different people holding those 5 offices is pretty decent turnover.

ETA: not to mention that this year we'll add 2 new names to that list

author said:

tjohn said:
Greg Lembrich is still an unknown quantity, resume not withstanding. I hope he turns out to be an effective, long-serving councilman. We will most likely find out soon enough.

Of course I am all for having the most effective counsel people possible. I am also starting to think though that term limits would be an idea worth exploring.

Terms limits are a lazy man's substitute for democracy. I have seen several occasions where incumbents were voted out because people were riled up about some issue. I wouldn't say that result of this process is particularly rational, but it is better than term limits.

tjohn said:

author said:

tjohn said:
Greg Lembrich is still an unknown quantity, resume not withstanding. I hope he turns out to be an effective, long-serving councilman. We will most likely find out soon enough.

Of course I am all for having the most effective counsel people possible. I am also starting to think though that term limits would be an idea worth exploring.

Terms limits are a lazy man's substitute for democracy. I have seen several occasions where incumbents were voted out because people were riled up about some issue. I wouldn't say that result of this process is particularly rational, but it is better than term limits.

I would be for some type of term limits...maybe so many terms and not consecutive...or some such combo...worth considering.

I do agree tho that the democratic process that can flush out incumbents is also quite important. but that can also happen within term limits as well.

maybe there should be a serious town wide discussion of these options. Do other towns have these restrictions? othr states?

No, we can't enact formal term limits on our own - State law prescribes the qualifications for holding office.

And, as others have mentioned, we have elections which turn out incumbents.

this is a microcosm of what tends to frustrate me about discussions here. I posted a list of 13 people (soon to be 15) who have held TC offices in 20 years. Instead of responding to it, someone chimes in, completely ignoring it, and then going on arguing as if incumbents in Maplewood stay in office forever. it's like Krugman's "zombie ideas" that keep shambling on, even if evidence to the contrary is presented.

ml1 said:
we don't need term limits. we have plenty of turnover. This is a list of the TC members we've had in office in the 20 years I've lived in Maplewood. others should feel free to add anyone I've left out.

• Ellen Davenport
• Celia King
• Burt Liebman
• Jerry Ryan
• Vic DeLuca
• Ken Pettis
• Ian Grodman
• Fred Profeta
• David Huemer
• Kathy Leventhal
• Lester Lewis-Powder
• India Larrier
• Marlon Brownlee

Considering that their terms last 3 years, 13 different people holding those 5 offices is pretty decent turnover.
ETA: not to mention that this year we'll add 2 new names to that list

Please add Susannah Gibbons and Mickey Stern.

Bob Grasmere was Mayor for 22 years and a Member of the TC for 30. Others have served long terms. Take a look at the portraits of former Mayors at Town Hall. It shows how long they served. I think one of them was Mayor for 30 years.

There was a Mayor of our neighboring Town of Union who held the office for 50 years.

Mayor Calabrese of Cliff Side Park served for 61 years.........he was succeeded by his son who was Vice Mayor

Frank Rodgers in Harrison from 1946 to 1995

as far as I'm concerned, none of that is relevant to Maplewood today. I've lived here for 20 years, and Grasmere's term was history then. We've had plenty of turnover on the TC. Even people like DeLuca and Ryan were voted out and spent a few years on the sidelines.

tomcarlson said:

ml1 said:
we don't need term limits. we have plenty of turnover. This is a list of the TC members we've had in office in the 20 years I've lived in Maplewood. others should feel free to add anyone I've left out.

• Ellen Davenport
• Celia King
• Burt Liebman
• Jerry Ryan
• Vic DeLuca
• Ken Pettis
• Ian Grodman
• Fred Profeta
• David Huemer
• Kathy Leventhal
• Lester Lewis-Powder
• India Larrier
• Marlon Brownlee

Considering that their terms last 3 years, 13 different people holding those 5 offices is pretty decent turnover.
ETA: not to mention that this year we'll add 2 new names to that list

Please add Susannah Gibbons and Mickey Stern.

so even more. figured I had to have left someone out.