Measure U is an effort by current City Council members to nullify a valid election’s law by supplanting it with one of their own. In 2000, 64 percent of Malibu voters passed a law limiting Malibu City Council members to two terms in office. That vigorous, grassroots campaign thoroughly debated each term limit argument.
However, my opposition to Measure U has nothing to do with term limits. I’m voting No on Measure U in defense of democracy: Democracy is abused when politicians cynically misuse taxpayer money to overturn a recent landslide election limiting these same politicians’ power. Measure U proponents who claim there is nothing more democratic than an election are wrong: history teaches an election means nothing when leaders fail to respect and obey election results. Democracy’s social contract is citizens voting and leaders carrying out the laws citizens vote for.
What about 64 percent of Malibu voters saying we want our leaders to serve only two terms did our current city council members not understand? They didn’t like the 2000 election results limiting their power, so they’re misusing our tax dollars to defy our decision. What’s to stop them from holding another election if we tell them, again, that we want them to serve only two terms?
Democracy dies at a local level when politicians abuse their offices and citizens let them do it, through apathy and/or fear of reprisal. I urge everyone who loves our country to stand up for democracy, for our election process, and for the Voice of the People by voting No on Measure U.
Deirdre Roney