League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Ventura County, CA November 6, 2012 Election
	Measure L Term Limits for City Council Members City of Thousand Oaks Ordinance - Majority Approval Required Pass: 42903 / 77.81% Yes votes ...... 12233 / 22.19% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure L

Arguments Against Measure L

Term limits create more competitive elections, encourage more people to run for office and give voters a wider choice of who they can select to represent them. This term limits measure allows Council members to serve a maximum of 12 years, or three consecutive four-year terms, and then wait a term before seeking election again. It is not a lifetime ban and it is not retroactive. Term limits will: 1. End the spiraling costs of local campaigns 2. Limit the amount of pension benefits paid out to Council members 3. Increase the ability for good people to run for office regardless of their income 4. Reduce special interest money that usually goes to those already in power 5. Encourage good government decisions versus governing to win the next election 6. Open the field to citizens with new ideas and fresh thinking Term limits are not a new concept. Dozens of California cities have instituted term limits to promote competitive elections. The term limits measure that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors placed on the ballot received 77% approval by voters in 2008. Over 12,000 people signed my Thousand Oaks Citizens for Term Limits Initiative that is now before you to approve. It has been argued that we can oust politicians whenever we go to the polls but incumbency has significant advantages especially in fundraising. Incumbents stay in the public eye at the public's expense which makes campaigning easier for them. It was our Founding Fathers' intent that government should consist of citizen legislators rotating in and out of office. Thomas Jefferson knew that term limitation was necessary to "prevent every danger which might arise to American freedom for continuing too long in office." Encourage good government! Vote Yes for Term Limits. Vote Yes for Measure L. Visit TOTermLimits.com s/Al Adam Author & City Council Candidate Rebuttal to Arguments For Voters already have term limits. It's called `the next election" and voters can exercise their vote and remove any councilmember they think isn't worthy of re-election. In the history of Thousand Oaks an average of 12 candidates run in each election. Voters did not need term limits to defeat incumbents 6 times since 1990. The average length of service of councilmembers in Thousand Oaks has been 7 years, far less than what Measure L would impose. In Thousand Oaks we have: 1. Public Safety unmatched by any other city in California 2. One of the four Best Cities in the nation in which to raise a family 3. Public Finances that have been managed successfully to protect vital governmental services while other cities are facing bankruptcy Measure L would change the local election process that has produced these outstanding results. Why would we want to even consider such a change? The answer is simple. A man who has run for city council twice and lost both times thinks he might do better under different rules. So, he wants to rip apart the fabric of the government that has made Thousand Oaks special. You'll notice he is the only one who was willing to sign the argument in favor of the measure. The Ventura County STAR Calls Measure L "a non-solution to a non-problem' and URGES VOTERS TO REJECT THE MEASURE". There's a saying: If it isn't broken, don't fix it. Thousand Oaks City Government isn't broken, VOTE NO on MEASURE L. s/Herbert E. Gooch III Professor of Political Science s/Jere Robings President + Alliance of Taxpayers + Retired s/Henry L. Lacayo State President Congress of CA Seniors s/Carol Freeman Senior/Healthcare Administrator

Thousand Oaks is one of the best governed cities in the nation. We are consistently one of the safest cities in the U.S. according to the FBI and we have been ranked among the four best cities in which to raise a family. With a record like that, it doesn't make sense to change the way we elect our city leaders. That's why the Ventura County Star took an early and strong position AGAINST Measure L. Measure L would change the rules and TAKE AWAY the RIGHTS of LOCAL VOTERS to re-elect City Councilmembers who they believe are doing a good job and are providing the leadership to keep our city great. Measure L was put on the ballot by a small group of residents who have tried to elect their friends to the City Council and been defeated by local voters. Apparently, they think they would have a better chance if they changed the rules. But it's a rules change that could hurt our city by depriving us of the leaders who have protected the city's finances during difficult economic times, led the successful efforts to protect our precious open space, and made Thousand Oaks a safe and wonderful place to raise a family. Please VOTE NO on Measure L to keep Thousand Oaks one of the best governed cities in the nation. s/Herbert E. Gooch III Professor of Political Science s/Jere Robings President + Alliance of Taxpayers + Retired s/Carol Freeman Senior/Healthcare Administrator s/Henry L. Lacayo State President Congress of CA Seniors Rebuttal to Arguments Against FACT: More than 12,000 Thousand Oaks voters signed the petition to put this term limits measure on the ballot. FACT: Term limits will not change the way we elect our City leaders but will change how long they can stay in office. FACT: Measure L is not retroactive and does not ban termedout officials from running again after sitting out a term. FACT: The Thousand Oaks City Council will have the same 12-year limit that applies to members of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and the California State Legislature with the approval of Measure L. FACT: If Measure L does not pass it will mean more taxpayer dollars will be spent on benefits for longtime councilmembers. FACT: The knowledge and experience of people who have spent their lives in the real world is every bit as valuable as that of career politicians. A 12-year term limit is reasonable and needed in Thousand Oaks. VOTE YES on Measure L for Term Limits! s/Al Adam Author & City Council Candidate