Commissioner Aaronson joins Marcus in defiance of voters' term limit

Burt Aaronson told the Palm Beach Post he will 'definitely' run for his sixth term as a county commissioner if the current effort to overturn Palm Beach County's voter-approved 8-year term limits law is successful.

In doing so, the 83-year-old commissioner would be directly defying the will of the voters expressed in the overwhelming 2002 approval of the citizen-led term limits initiative at the ballot box and current expression of local support of term limits in polls. The voters called for a two-term limit for commissioners.

Aaronson joins Karen Marcus -- who hasn't faced a general election challenger in 20 years -- in clinging to the position. Four other commissioners who would otherwise have been term limited by the new law have been indicted for corruption and had to leave office, three of them for prison.

Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Susan Bucher said she would not accept paperwork from Marcus or Aaronson to run again in defiance of the law.

However, Marcus and Aaronson are pinning their hopes on a politician-led effort from Broward County that is making its way through the courts. In Broward County, where term limits passed with an astounding 80 percent of the vote, a friendly and politically active judge -- whose husband is the term-limited former mayor of Fort Lauderdale -- struck down Broward County commission term limits.

Broward is appealing to defend the people's law, but an adverse decision at the appellate level later this year could be used by Marcus and Aaronson for a basis for a legal challenge of the Palm Beach law. Broward is confident of success of their term limits law at the Supreme Court, but you can bet the politicians won't wait.

Be sure to answer the poll question at the top right of this page. The voters have made it clear as day they want term limits. Would you vote for a politician who so brazenly defies us?

(Pictured above, Karen Marcus and Burt Aaaronson in the commission chambers)

Are Palm Beach County voter-approved term limits in danger?

As detailed in the previous post, the politicians in Broward won round one against the voter approved county commission term limits law in that county. Broward is appealing the circuit court decision. The case may ultimately go to the Florida Supreme Court.

What does the Broward case mean to Palm Beach County, where 70 percent of voters here approved 8-year county commission term limits in 2002?

If Broward County wins the appeal, nothing will happen in Palm Beach. The position of the voter-approved Palm Beach County law will be strengthened.

If the Broward County loses its appeal, the county will ask for a Supreme Court review. The case at the Supreme Court level is very strong and ultimate victory likely.

However, in the meantime the appellate decision could be used as a basis for a suit by county commissioners and local special interests against Palm Beach County voters to overthrow the law.

You can bet that the local pols will not wait for the Supreme Court to act. If what is happening in Broward is any clue, county commissioners will find a patsy to file a suit against the voters immediately and then announce their re-election campaigns. They, of course, will pretend they are not involved in the suit.

County Commissioner Karen Marcus -- a 26-year veteran who hasn't faced a general election challenger in nearly 20 years -- has already said she plans on running again.

Voters continue to support term limits in overwhelming numbers. We should ask Karen Marcus and Burt Aaronsen, the two commissioners affected by the law in 2012, to respect the will of the voters. They should leave our term limits law alone and not run again without sitting out a term as the law provides. Please also answer the poll question at the top right of this page. Let them know how we feel.

The rumors are true: Marcus seeks to defy voter-approved term limits

The hubris!

26-year incumbent Karen Marcus told the Palm Beach Post she is considering a run for re-election to her seat in defiance of the voters' clearly expressed will to limit Palm Beach County commissioners' terms.

Karen was already a long-term incumbent when the voters approved eight-year term limits by 70% back in 2002. Now that the eight-year limit is upon her, she is seeking to get around the law and stay in office.

It is nearly impossible to beat an incumbent in Palm Beach County. With the cost of the races so high and the advantages of incumbency so great, nearly all the rotation in office that has occurred over the last decade or so has been via indictment, not elections. In fact, the key reason given by the Palm Beach County Term Limits Committee for enacting term limits was to revive regular, competitive elections.

The incumbency hurdle is so great that Marcus generally runs unopposed or faces only nominal opposition in a primary. Her name hasn't appeared on a general election ballot in nearly 20 years. But this year, because term limits are mandating an open, competitive election, serious candidates are lined up and ready to run.

So, just as workable local democracy is about to return to Palm Beach County, Commissioner -- or Queen? -- Marcus is plotting to undermine it.

Even the chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, Sid Dinerstein, believes his fellow Republican should step aside: "When 70 percent of the voters want term limits and you've been in office [26] years, maybe it's time to just say 'thank you' and move on."

Would you vote for someone who would so brazenly combat the people's will for her own personal benefit? Please answer that poll question at the top right corner of this page and forward this link to all your friends, family and coworkers in Palm Beach County.

The citizens of out county fought hard for change; don't let a self-interested politician toss all their hard work out the window!

"We don't need term limits, that's what elections are for!"

This is a cliche we often hear from term limits opponents who may mean well but clearly aren't paying close attention.

The fact is that the high cost of campaigns and the advantages of incumbency are so great that it is very rare that a sitting incumbent faces serious opposition -- if they face any at all! And keep in mind that if an incumbent runs unopposed, the election is simply cancelled.

Where there are no term limits to mandate open competitive elections at least once every eight years, it is quite likely no competitive elections are being held. The voters do not even get an opportunity to weigh in on their representatives.

Case in point: 26-year veteran commissioner Karen Marcus last faced a general election challenger in 1992, nearly 20 years ago. Yes, 20 years!

For the regular competitive elections and rotation in office that healthy democracy requires, elections need to be complemented by term limits.