It effectively became a full time position in my state after they put term limits in. In just the 13 or 14 years we've had term limits they've tripled their pay, meet every year and usually there will be an additional special session or two (and the money they make in-session is tax-free), iirc really increased their per diem, all the while they term out by the time they start to learn how things work. They typically just sponsor whatever bills lobbyists give them now.
Yes, there's an issue when you don't have term limits, we see that at the federal level, but term limits ain't all they're cracked up to be either. I'd rather not have them after seeing how it's changed my state.
That could be a post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc rationalization. Lobbying has gotten worse everywhere, politicians have gotten lazier and more corrupt everywhere. It's entirely possible that the term limits are not causal here.
I don't know what the solution is other than for all of society to treat politicians with utter contempt by default. Assume that they are selfish, incompetent social ladder climbers that will stab their constituents in the back the second it benefits themselves to do so. Do not let them back into polite society.
Unfortunately, I think the time when that would have been possible is long gone. The people in charge of the west have no shame and have all of the money and power they could ever want and don't need the approval of anybody outside of their incestuous circles to lead comfortable lives.
It effectively became a full time position in my state after they put term limits in. In just the 13 or 14 years we've had term limits they've tripled their pay, meet every year and usually there will be an additional special session or two (and the money they make in-session is tax-free), iirc really increased their per diem, all the while they term out by the time they start to learn how things work. They typically just sponsor whatever bills lobbyists give them now.
Yes, there's an issue when you don't have term limits, we see that at the federal level, but term limits ain't all they're cracked up to be either. I'd rather not have them after seeing how it's changed my state.
That could be a post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc rationalization. Lobbying has gotten worse everywhere, politicians have gotten lazier and more corrupt everywhere. It's entirely possible that the term limits are not causal here.
I don't know what the solution is other than for all of society to treat politicians with utter contempt by default. Assume that they are selfish, incompetent social ladder climbers that will stab their constituents in the back the second it benefits themselves to do so. Do not let them back into polite society.
Unfortunately, I think the time when that would have been possible is long gone. The people in charge of the west have no shame and have all of the money and power they could ever want and don't need the approval of anybody outside of their incestuous circles to lead comfortable lives.