Term limits don’t make sense locally
Should Hamtramck impose term limits for the mayor and city council?
That question will be going forward to Hamtramck voters in the near future.
We think that is a terrible idea. The elected officials would be limited to no more than three terms.
It seems to us that it is hard enough to find qualified candidates, and removing an experienced person just because they are termed out is a wasted opportunity. Besides, most Hamtramck elected officials really don’t hold office for terribly long.
The only person who has remained in office for a good length of time is Mayor Karen Majewski, who is in her 15th year.
She has been challenged by a number of candidates in the past, and has managed to remain in office.
Seems to us that a number of voters still support her.
And why shouldn’t they? Majewski has a wealth of knowledge, and has been an excellent ambassador for Hamtramck.
Ultimately, it’s up for voters to decide who remains in office.
Term limits are an artificial invention that serve no purpose at the local level.
If it were up to us, we would also get rid of term limits in the state legislature. All that has accomplished is to create a revolving door of candidates who have no experience, and are susceptible to the influence of lobbyists.
There is no problem with Hamtramck’s political structure – so why “fix” something that isn’t broken?
Posted June 4, 2021
4 Responses to Term limits don’t make sense locally
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Get overit
June 5, 2021 at 12:09 pm
It’s remarkable that a “news site” and “newspaper” posts opinion pieces anonymously. This is a one-way street forum. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are better platforms than this garbage.
If you’re going to vouch for a candidate, come out right and do it. Not some trash like this. Its weak and cowardly
Mark M Koroi
June 5, 2021 at 2:17 pm
“Term limits are an artificial invention that serve no purpose at the local level.”
A key reason for imposition of term limits is that incumbents build up a donor base for their re-election committees that is typically formidable and sometimes impossible to overcome. Many of these donors are non-residents and/or business owners, and are often comprised of city vendors or their principals who have a stake in the outcome of the election that may not dovetail with the public interest as it relates to city residents.
When Judge Alexis Krot ran for election to retain her seat after initially being appointed by Governor Snyder, she outspent her opponent by a margin of 10-1. Many, if not most, of her campaign funding came from persons residing outside of the City of Hamtramck. These donors included several Allen Bros. PLLC law firm attorneys who did not reside within the City of Hamtramck. Allen Bros. PLLC is a city vendor providing city attorney services for the City of Hamtramck and who regularly appears via its attorneys before Judge Krot representing the city in ordinance violation matters, traffic tickets, and various other legal proceedings in which the City of Hamtramck may be a party.
Karen Majewski has developed substantial political connections over the years as mayor and stands in a position to be able to raise large amounts of campaign contributions in any re-election bid to defeat any potential opponent. Majewski – much like Krot – could be difficult to defeat in 2021 due to this phenomenon.
Nasr Hussain
June 5, 2021 at 5:48 pm
I assume that all this newspaper opinions are written by our mayor. They exactly mirror her position and sentiments at the time of writing. A price the Review has to pay for keeping city funds flowing.
Fatema Hossain
June 9, 2021 at 11:58 am
Karen Majewski in 2017 was a beneficiary of the Michigan State Police investigation of ALLEGED voter fraud.
Absent the MSP raids and intimidation of Bangladeshi and Yemeni-American voters Mohammed Hassan would likely have beat Majewski in the November general election.