The Center for Worker Education runs a graduate program in Urban Policy and Public Administration, through the Department of Political Science at Brooklyn College. Last semester (Fall 2008), five graduate students from the course “Politics and Public Opinion Formation (#735x)” completed a poll on the term limits extension issue. It was conducted over a one month period and ended on December 13th, 2008.

There were nine questions asked to a total of 364 respondents. Ninety-three percent of the respondents were registered voters in NYC. Eighty-five percent of them were Democrats. The poll was authorized -as part of this course- by Dr. Joe Wilson; the program’s director. Professor Many Ness is his deputy. M. Pam Miller is the administrator of this program and also approved the survey. It just happens that I have been a lecturer here since last year. I also facilitated the students in this endeavor; this effort was primarily theirs; they deserve the credit: not me.

When asked whether or not they were in agreement with the idea or concept of term limits, 78.3% of the respondents said yes they were. The nays were 21.4%. Only 0.3% had no response/opinion. This finding is close to similar findings of other public opinion polls done on the topic. Most New Yorkers favor term-limits by a fairly wide margin. We can safely extrapolate that it is roughly four to one; some polls found it even higher than this.

Back to the poll: when asked how many four-year terms should be allowed to a NYC council-member, 71.1% of those who agreed with the term-limits concept said two terms. Interestingly enough 21.0% said three. This means that one in five New Yorkers may think that two terms are too short. Fewer still (7.2%) said four terms; while 0.7% offered no response to this question.

When asked what should be the mechanism for changing term limits (referendum, legislative action or charter revision), 46.4% said referendum; 18.1% said legislative action; and 2.7% said charter revision. A significant number of respondents (32.7%) answered that they were either unsure; suggested another way; or offered no response to this question. This was an interesting finding despite the small sample size of this poll. Readers can extrapolate whatever they wish from this one.

When directly asked about the temporary term-limits extension legislation that the mayor (Mike Bloomberg) introduced to the New York City Council a few months ago, this poll once again reflects the findings of earlier polls done on this issue. The council passed Bloomberg’s legislation by a 29 to 22 vote on October 23rd, 2008; after contentious public hearings. Seventy-one per cent of the respondents were against the extension to three terms this time around, and twenty eight percent were in favor. There was no response or opinion from only one percent of the respondents.
Maybe the reason you are seeing -via various media outlets- Mayor Michael Bloomberg “kissing so many babies” in public lately, is because he knows he is in trouble on this issue. Observe that his public-relations machine has been in over-drive since the controversial legislation extending term-limits passed through the council. Babies, children, students and senior citizens are now Bloomberg’s re-election campaign tools: they are being featured regularly in mainstream media. They are being used. They are being played like you can’t imagine. The inordinate number of Bloomberg pictures being showcased lately is nauseating. Bloomberg’s people don’t think that some of us are aware of this. They have hit local media outlets also; the billionaire’s money is spreading like a bad virus. His re-election campaign began last October.

For the skeptics who don’t believe me, go check for yourselves: look at the number of pictures, items or stories appearing in the mainstream media over the last two months, which feature Bloomberg with students, babies, children or seniors. Look at the type of events he focuses on by attending; look at his many public appearances lately; see the pattern? He is in re-election mode.

Remember that the editorial boards of near all the major newspapers in NYC went along with the mayor’s term-limits extension plan. They are already trying to help get him re-elected. We have to educate the public as to what’s going on.

The Center for Worker Education would like to thank the following students for their contributions in this effort: Fred Baptiste (captain), Shirley Paul, Trevor Cooper, Kourtney Boddie and Pamela Morgan. The center can be contacted by calling 1-212-966-4014.

Stay tuned-in folks.