If you scratch your memory, you will distinctly recall that
backers of the Michigan term limit law promised that if you voted for
this thing you would be ending the careers of career politicians.
Promise made but NOT kept.
Like so many aspects of this law, there were unintended
consequences which are coming home to roast and bring unable to kill
off the career politician bred is one of them.
Twenty-nine former members of the Michigan House and Senate
are on the comeback trail hoping to reprise their previous jobs in this
town.
If you create a vacancy in the legislature, they will
come…back.
And the gang of twenty nine is from all over the state.
You've got Fran Amos, John Garfield, Laura Toy, John Pastor
from Oakland County along with Jack Brandenburg, Steve Bieda, Paul
Wojno and Frank Accavitti, Jr. from Macomb Counties. Next store in
Detroit, where winning the democratic primary assures you a victory in
November, there are all sorts of interesting folks on the comeback
trail.
Former Reps. Mo Hood III and Kenny Daniels are back in the
hunt along with one of the Lemar Lemmons family. (You can never tell
which one is running there are so many Lemmons out there.) Virgil
Smith, a former Motown House member seeks to move on up to the Senate
by climbing over the back of current Rep. George Cushingberry.
Frankly getting some experience back in the game from all
these guys is a pretty good thing unless, of course, you don't want
experienced lawmakers deciding how to spend your hard earned tax
dollars.
The senate is being dismantled by term limits. Out of 38
now serving, 30 will be asked to politely get out of town on January
first. It's that vacuum of thirty seats that has sucked some former
lawmakers back into the system.
And one of the current senators, who can't serve there
anymore is running for the house.
You get the point here. If career politicians want to be
career politicians, you can pass a term limit law and you can promise
the voters you've done away with them, but just like the Tigers, they
will come back.