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Term limits do not result in cleaner government or greater political responsiveness. Instead, they encourage a steady stream of inexperienced legislators with short-term objectives and limited dedication. By the time our elected officials have gained valuable expertise in their jobs, they are forced out of office. This kind of turnover produces a negative effect on their accountability, representativeness, and effective performance.

The League contends that there are realistic and constructive ways to improve government, including campaign finance reform, strengthened codes of ethics, and regulations that undercut the influence of special interests. It should be left up to the voters to decide for how many terms their elected representatives will hold office. And it should be the voters who decide when it's time to turn them out.

Vote YES on Proposition E to eliminate term limits for the city's Mayor and Councilmembers.

BERYL L. FLOM, President, League of Women Voters

REVA S. LYNCH, Unit Chair, League of Women Voters of San Diego Chula Vista

IGNACIO VALDOVINOS, Past President, AARP

LOWELL BLANKFORT, Newspaper Publisher

Term limits have prevented Incumbents from becoming too entrenched. Since 1970, NO incumbent Chula Vista Mayor or member of the Council has been defeated for re-election.

Fortunately, they can only serve 2 consecutive terms. The existing term limits law has opened up the system and prevented professional politicians form become entrenched at City Hall.

Term limits mean clean government in Chula Vista. Chula Vista's term limits law has discouraged "career politicians" and enabled Chula Vista to be ably served by a many "citizen leaders" -both democrat republican. As a result, Chula Vista's city government is the best managed, most honestly run local government in the county. Our city does NOT have Charger ticket guarantees and insider trading scandals.

We need to defeat Proposition E in order to:

• Maintain a steady stream of fresh, new ideas from "citizen leaders" who reflect the thinking of the community and not of city hall insiders;
• Stop special interests from establishing long term relationships with elected officials;
• Keep Chula Vista city government clean, honest and run by ordinary citizens.

STEVE PADILLA, City Councilman

FREDERICK DUFRESNE, Small Businessman (Retired)

JACQUELINE WIGLE, Retired Teacher

EDMUND "PAT" LA PIERRE, Associate Manager, Golden StateMobilehome Owners League

EDWARD J. NAGORSKI, Committee Chairman for Citizens Against Career Politicians

Propositions E and F are part of a plan to repeal Chula Vista's term limit law.

• Proposition E will repeal term limits for Chula Vista Mayor and City Council. Chula Vista's strict term limit law (2 terms) has been on the books since 1973.
• Proposition F will repeal Chula Vista's current 2 term limit law by INCREASING the length of time the Mayor and City Council can serve in office from 8 years to 12. Proposition F pretends to impose term limits when, in fact, it permits politicians to run for extra terms.
• BOTH Proposition E and Proposition F are bad ideas. Our current term limit law has served Chula Vista well.

READ THE FINE PRINT.

Special Interests and Career Politicians are trying to slip the repeal of term limits past us. That's why they put Propositions E and F on the ballot.

Read the fine print. Propositions E and F say one thing but do the opposite. They sound like they are imposing term limits. In fact, they allow politicians to run for extra terms.

The Register said, "There's a tendency for people with political power to believe they are indispensable . . . People with such attitudes are precisely those who pose the most danger when they have positions of power."

TERM LIMITS WORK!

Chula Vista's term limit law has been copied nationwide. Our "Citizen Councilmembers", limited to serving for 8 years, make Chula Vista's city government a model for the region.

Two terms were enough for Washington, Jefferson, Truman, Eisenhower and Reagan. Two terms are enough for Chula Vista!

Save Term Limits! NO on Propositions E and F!

WILL T. HYDE, Former Mayor of Chula Vista

EDMUND "PAT" LA PIERRE, Associate Manager, Golden State Mobilhome Owners League

GEORGE B. GILLOW, Former City Councilman

NORMA A. CAZARES, President, South Bay Forum, City of Chula Vista

PETER J. WATRY, JR., Southwestern Economics Professor, Emeritus

The noblest good is the public good, Virgil said. Let us not denigrate this calling by summarily dismissing all elected city officials with a "2 or even 3 terms and you are out" type judgment.

Reelection pressure keeps elected officials in tune with their constituents. Those who cannot be reelected, no matter how good a job they do, will be inclined to seek favor with special interests that can reward them with a job after their stint in office.

Imposing term limits can increase special interest influence, rather than decrease it. The recent early resignation of a San Diego City Council member is an example of a post-term-limit career move. Politicians get business perks and stop looking out for the public's interest.

Long term needs of the whole community require attention by those who are elected to serve. Knowing that one can only serve a limited time does not further that attention.

Democracy allows voters the right to vote for their choice. Don't limit it. The League of Women Voters does not support term limits.

Vote YES on PROP E.

REVA S. LYNCH, Unit Chair, League of Women Voters

IGNACIO VALDOVINOS, Past President, AARP Chula Vista

Sec. 300. Members, Eligibility and Terms.

A. There shall be a City Council of five members, consisting of four Councilmembers and a Mayor, elected from the City at large at the times and in the manner provided in this Charter.

B. No person shall be eligible to hold office as members of the City Council unless they are residents of the City of Chula Vista, and at the time of their election or appointment, qualified electors of the City or of territory annexed thereto.

C. The term of each member of the City Council shall be for a nominal term of four years and shall commence on the first Tuesday of December of the year of the election and shall continue until a successor qualifies. The term for the Mayoral seat and Council seats numbers one (1) and two (2) shall be deemed to commence on every fourth anniversary of the first Tuesday of December of 1990 and the term for Council seats numbers three (3) and four (4) shall be deemed to commence on every fourth anniversary of the first Tuesday of December 1988.

D. No person shall be eligible for nomination and election to the office of City Councilmember or Mayor for more than two (2) consecutive terms, and no person who has held a Council office for a period of two (2) consecutive terms or the office of Mayor for two (2) consecutive terms, may again seek nomination and election to said offices of Council or Mayor respectively until a period of (I) year from the termination of the second term for Councilmember or Mayor has elapsed; provided, however, that any person who is appointed by the Council to fill the office of Council or Mayor or elected in a special election for the balance of a regular term of Mayor and/ or Council for a period of two (2) years or less may seek nomination and election for two (2) full terms thereafter. The Mayor and Councilmembers shall serve without restriction as to number of terms.

E. Each Council seat shall be numbered one (1) through four (4) respectively. Persons seeking election to the City Council shall at the time of filing nomination papers, select one of said seats as the Council position for which they seek election.

F. Persons running for a Council office shall designate one of the two numbered Council seats as memorialized by resolution of the Chula Vista City Council on file in the office of the City Clerk.

Should a vacancy occur at any time in a Council seat or seats, if said vacancy is to be filled by a special election as provided in Section 303 of the Charter, candidates for said vacancy shall similarly designate the appropriate numbered seat on their nominating paper.

G. Any person to be elected at a general municipal election for any numbered Council seat 1 through 4 or the office of Mayor for which nomination papers have been filed shall be deemed elected upon receipt of a majority of the votes cast for the particular seat or the Office of Mayor at the election. If no candidate at such general municipal election receives a majority of the votes cast, there shall be a special runoff election, to be held on the same date as the statewide election date in November immediately following the general municipal election (if no statewide election is conducted, then on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of each even-numbered year), between the two candidates receiving the highest and second highest number of votes in the general municipal election for said seat or the Office of Mayor, in order to determine the winner. By way of clarification, ties among the candidates receiving the two highest number of votes at the general municipal election shall be resolved by a special runoff election.

H. Any person to be elected at a special municipal election called to fill a vacancy pursuant to the provision of Section 303 for any numbered Council seats one through four or the Office of Mayor, for which nomination papers have been filed, shall be deemed elected upon receipt of a majority of the votes cast for the particular seat or the Office of Mayor at the election. If no candidate at such special election receives a majority of the votes cast, there shall be a special run-off election to be held on a date set by Council as soon after such special election as practical between the two candidates receiving the highest and second highest number of votes in such special election for said seat or the Office of Mayor in order to determine the winner and shall be seated upon certification of the results of the election. By way of clarification, ties among the candidates receiving the two highest number of votes at such special election shall be resolved by a special run-off election.

I. If one of the two eligible candidates dies on or before the ninetieth day prior to the special run-off election, his or her name shall not be placed on the ballot. The candidate receiving the third highest number of votes in the general municipal election for said seat or the Office of Mayor shall be offered by the City Clerk, the opportunity to be placed on the ballot in lieu of the deceased. The City Clerk shall make the offer in writing immediately upon notification of the death. The candidate shall accept or reject in writing to the Clerk within five calendar days of receipt of the City Clerk's offer. If accepted, the special run-off election between the remaining candidate and the candidate receiving the third highest number shall be held. If rejected, there shall be no run-off election, and the remaining candidate shall be deemed elected as of the date of such death.

J. Any person to be elected at a special run-off election required under the provision of this section, shall be deemed elected upon receipt of the highest number of votes for the particular seat or the Office of Mayor and shall be seated upon certification of the results of the election. Ties at such special run-off election shall be resolved by lot.