READERS RESPOND

AT ISSUE: The idea of establishing term limits for the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District board of trustees.

Your front-page story regarding term limits for the Newport-Mesa Unified

school board begs a response of essay proportions (“Bond supporters

consider board term limits,” Feb. 2). Briefly, however, for the school

board or for any of our public leaders, we have “term limits” enough in

the form of limited terms and majority rule. If the majority of the

electorate want to limit a person’s term, they can vote for someone else

who is up for election. To get involved with educating the electorate,

join the League of Women Voters!

JUDITH M. GIELOW

Costa Mesa

I am calling regarding the consideration of term limits for school board

members. I would like to go on the side of opposition to term limits. It

is difficult to have people who are willing to serve on the school board.

It takes time to learn all of the intricacies of the school district. The

public has a responsibility to monitor the school board and to vote

against those people when they come up for reelection. That is what term

limits are. You limit their terms by voting them out of office.

SHARON BOUDREAU

Costa Mesa

Should there be term limits on our Newport-Mesa school board? I say yes.

And in saying yes, I am not necessarily judging the productivity of any

particular board member, past or present. Rather, I think the adding of

new blood every eight or so years is a good thing. Anemia happens to the

body politic, too.

The quotes in the Daily Pilot depict school board members turning

cartwheels, trying to justify their staying into their 12th, or even

their 22nd year. But the fact remains that no one is indispensable --

hard though that is to swallow. New minds, after a period of initiation,

always add a good bit to the mix. Suggesting that every election is an

opportunity to add new blood glosses over the absolute fact that the

mantle of incumbency is nearly invincible (unless the community knows

widely of an incumbent’s suspected misdeeds).

There’s very good reason why a U.S. president is limited to two terms,

plus a couple of years if he had to fill out the previous guy’s term.

I speak from the perspective of a termed-out city Library Board trustee

(eight years), who did indeed find it hard to leave; from the perspective

of a school board candidate who tried twice to unseat an incumbent; and

from the perspective of one who can attest that there truly is a life --

a good life -- when you take your achieved talents and go try to do good

elsewhere.

I am writing unofficially, and not as the president of the Newport Beach

Sister City Assn., nor as foreman pro tem of the Orange County Grand

Jury.

KAREN EVARTS

Newport Beach