California may limit term of term limits

But political observers say the new measure is interesting because it doesn't really throw out term limits, it only extends them in certain cases. In any case, both sides are playing up the compromise to their own benefit.

"This could be viewed cynically as an end run around term limits for use in situations only where a particular candidate is extremely popular," says Mark DiCamillo, an analyst for the California Poll. "Or it can be viewed as just a tinkering or fine-tuning within the basic limitations of term limits that citizens want. Both sides are seeing what they want to."

Polls themselves show a bit of ambivalence by voters. In a recent California Public Policy Institute Poll, for instance, only 3 out of 10 voters said they felt their own legislators would be more effective if they were allowed to serve four more years. But polls by the Los Angeles Times, the Field Poll and others, show that voters are also open to the idea of extending the options of certain key politicians.

"The proponents of this are trying to sell it as a term-limit initiative, but it's a scam put on the ballot by a bunch of legislators and the powerful special-interest sponsors to undo the will of the voters," says Stacy Rumenap, president of US Term Limits. "You don't hear the voters themselves say term limits aren't working."

Others, however, say New York City's experience with term limits illustrates a downside of such laws. "Many people thought it was unfortunate that Giuliani had to be forced out at such a critical time for his city, and so you do see some sentiment that there ought to be some give in the system," says Mark Baldassare, an analyst for the California Public Policy Institute.

In recent years, more headline space has been devoted to the implementation of campaign-finance laws, rather than term limits, as a means of government reform. But detractors of Prop. 45 say that if the measure is passed then it could bring more so-called "soft money" into the political process. "Soft money" is money given to both parties but not earmarked for specific candidates, and thus not subject to contribution limits.

Observers say that potential donors to statewide elections here could give huge amounts to candidates to pay professional signature-gathering companies to extend their stays in office.

Proponents of Prop. 45 worry that those going to the polls March 5 will be slightly skewed to the conservative side since there is a three-way race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. "This is a primary race where more conservative Republicans will be going to the polls than Democrats," notes Trudy Schafer, program director for the League of Women Voters. "That could hurt the cause of Prop. 45."

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