Petition for Clarity From State Legislature

Re “Officeholders Back Move to Extend Tenure,” July 10: While shopping last week, I was stopped by a woman who asked me to sign a petition to adopt term limits. Knowing we already have term limits on state officials, I looked over the petition. Sure enough, it was to put an initiative on the ballot allowing voters to elect legislators to an additional term beyond the current limits. I tried to explain this to the woman, but she wasn’t interested. I’m sure she continued to seek signatures based on her completely backward view of the petition.

Regardless of the merits of this or any other initiative, is this really the way we want our legislative process to work? Having people who are distracted by their business and chores being stopped by signature-gatherers who are paid by politicians and big business, with no one really knowing what the petition is for? There must be a better way.

Lisa Berger

Pasadena