Term limits responses

Most of the comments I've received about Saturday's column were pretty supportive.

There are, however, some who think it's a bit naive to count on "an engaged, informed citizenry." Even, perhaps, a bit dangerous.

Term limits, they say, are the only way to limit the tenure of crooked politicians -- voters are too often disengaged and discombobulated to figure it out on a consistent basis.

These folks have a point of sorts, as incumbency is as powerful a force in politics as any I've heard of. Despite that power, they're counting on widespread voter discontent with government in general, and an overall dislike of career politicians (ironic, then how they keep getting voted in, no?) to give the Tracy City Council and mayor term limits initiative to sweep by with a wide margin.

Such measures have proved popular in the past, so I won't bet against the term limits crowd. But I would hope that they'd adopt a more hopeful picture of the average voter.