Term limit goals

May 26, 1992

Though I applaud the news article "Term Limit Measures on the Rise," May 15, I must correct a quote in the story attributed to me. I did not say that the goal of term limitation is to "eliminate the playing field," but rather, "The goal of term limitation is to level the playing field and eliminate the advantages that incumbents have voted to bestow upon themselves."

Incumbent advantages - including free mailings, use of staff, campaign-finance advantages, and so on - are quite significant. These advantages distort the democratic process and cheat American voters of a real choice at the polls. Term limits leave the career politicians no escape hatch from the reality of citizen government. Paul Jacob, Washington Campaign Director, US Term Limits

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