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    Two Visions of America by Don Jans

    Oxnard Council Kills Term Limits

    The City Council did something dastardly — they adopted strict term limits in order to kill strict term limits.
    Yes, you read that correctly! Let me explain with a little background.
    As you know, we gathered signatures over the summer from Oxnard voters to qualify a term limits initiative for the November ballot … that would limit the Oxnard mayor and council members to two consecutive four-year terms. After a two-year break the officeholder would be eligible to run again.
    Knowing that we were about to qualify for the ballot, the City Council placed its own competing initiative (Measure B) on the March ballot that would also impose term limits, but their proposal allows for up to three consecutive four-year terms (and a two-year break before being able to serve again).
    But the City Council’s measure includes a loophole – if you switch from council to mayor (or vice versa) the clock starts all over again … so some can avoid term limits altogether. In other words, it’s a fake term limits proposal.
    Now here’s where it gets really interesting.
    The City Council met in closed session last night to discuss whether to sue to keep our measure off the November ballot.
    While they were behind closed doors – and the public was waiting in the council chambers for their decision – we suddenly heard raucous laughter from their back room.
    Soon afterward, the City Council emerged – acting quite giddy – and announced that they weren’t going to sue to stop term limits.
    Instead, what the council did next was a political maneuver that would make Machiavelli proud.
    Rather than submitting our REAL term limits measure for the November ballot, the City Council actually ADOPTED it to go into effect immediately. 
    Here’s why! 
    The City Council knows that people voting in March for Measure B (the Fake Term Limits measure) will unwittingly be voting to OVERRIDE real term limits.
    You see, the voters in the March election are about to be lied to in an official government publication.  Voters won’t be told that we ALREADY have strict term limits because of the council’s vote last night.  Instead the ballot argument for Measure B – already printed in the voter guide, but not yet mailed out – falsely states the following:
    “FACT: Measure B imposes real term limits on elected officials.”  
    … as if term limits don’t yet exist.
    In reality, because of the Oxnard City Council’s self-serving maneuver, voting for Measure B in March will now OVERTURN our stricter term limits and substitute the council’s FAKE TERM LIMITS scheme.
    Last night the City Council deprived you of the right to vote for real term limits in November.
    Now, in order to preserve real term limits, Oxnard voters need to vote AGAINST Measure B on March 3.
    Ballots are about to be mailed.
    Be sure to Vote No on Oxnard’s Measure B …
    … and share this message with everyone you know in Oxnard so that the City Council’s dirty maneuver is known to all.

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    Jeff Johnson
    Jeff Johnson
    4 years ago

    Mr. Starr’s comments are more than a little ironic. In a January 18, 2020 email blast to supporters, he stated:

    “California Elections Code Section 9215 ultimately gives the council only two options [regarding initiatives that qualify for the ballot]:

    Adopt the initiatives into law within 10 days, or
    Place the initiatives on the ballot for a public vote”.

    The City Council selected one of the two options that Mr. Starr indicated are legally required. They adopted the measure that Mr. Starr proposed. So that is now “something dastardly”?

    Nice try, but no, it is not.

    William Hicks
    William Hicks
    4 years ago

    SO, oxnard city council will have no new leadership. Sounds like something similar to Venezuela

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