[ilbegone]

Term limits got rid of the Willie Brown political machine in California, but greatly contributed to the problems we have now.

"Legislators" who won't talk to each other and shaft one another at every opportunity, are deaf to the populace and are happy to "solve" the budget crisis by allowing California to nosedive into irreparable financial doom, and waste time on insignificant pet legislation which harms employment when we need jobs most.

Maybe term limits would work every half generation to clean out the rats and snakes, but having career politicians on permanent lame duck status in every elected position they temporarily occupy is hardly productive.

And I'm not really wild about our new open primary as it has been created, I'm sure it can be manipulated to our collective harm.

There may be merit in being registered as "voters" rather than as party members. At least twice to my recollection my Independent registration has been changed to another party - once from independent to Republican and most recently I have been changed from independent to Democrat.

This last primary I wasted no time in paying back the Democrats for fraudulently changing my registration by placing a vote for every loser on the democratic ticket I could, and wrote in a few like Francis the Talking Mule and Mr. Ed as part of the "minority" ticket.

Friggin' Jackasses.