Thirty-five active members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee have, under the leadership of Morgan Pehme of the Brooklyn Optimist, signed an open letter to the City Council opposing the Bloomberg Putsch to reverse behind the scenes the term limits that were put in place by two referendums approved by the voters. Let me make two comments: first, my wife and I are among these 35 County Committee members who have signed on. Second, not everyone who has signed this letter believes in term limits. We all simply oppose an arbitrary mayoral and legislative reversal of the clear will of the voters of NYC. Here is the open letter we have signed:

An Open Letter from 35 Members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee to the New York City Council Opposing the Extension of Term Limits cc: Mayor Mike Bloomberg Council Speaker Christine Quinn Ronald Lauder Dear Council Members. What if President Bush had decided to amend the Constitution so that he could run for a third term? Surely, since 47 out of 51 of you are Democrats, this notion must be pretty frightening. Yet it is this concern that best sums up why we oppose the proposal before you to extend term limits. Whether term limits are good for New York City is not an issue we care to argue. In the past 15 years, the voters of our City have twice decided that philosophical debate for themselves. In fact, it is as a result of their decision that most of you owe your current jobs. But now that you are on the verge of having to relinquish your power to a new generation of leaders, many of you are having second thoughts. Surely, you can't expect voters to interpret your motivations to extend term limits as anything but a self-serving power grab. Every dictator in world history faced with term limits has argued at the last minute of their reign that the political climate is so serious the people must keep them in power or else fear ruin. Well, New York City didn't buckle when Mayor Giuliani tried to stay in office after 9/11. Now, we ask you to show the same courage and stand up to Mayor Bloomberg. The people of New York need your help as City Council Members to protect our vote. The major newspapers, so many of our elected officials, and even Ron Lauder, once the foremost champion of term limits, have all abandoned us or cut backroom deals. You're the last hope of the little guy. If you really think that New Yorkers want this change, then put Mayor Bloomberg's proposal back on the ballot for referendum and let us decide. We 35 members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee ran for office to be the voice of our neighbors and our communities. We thought you ran for office for the same reason. Here's your chance to prove us right. Sincerely, Llewellyn Armstrong, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Alice Backer, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Martin J. Bernstein, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Evan Burr, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Vallie Copeland, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Craig Czarnecki, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Christopher Diamond, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Esteban Duran, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Ellen Enders, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Hal Friedman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Sabrina Gates, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member David Greenson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Jen Halbert, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member MacGregor Harp, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Jamila Jabulani, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Cyril Joseph, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Steven Juskowicz, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Glenn T. Kelly, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Jeff S. Merritt, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member David Michaelson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Gilford T. Monrose, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Ethan Nichtern, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Chris Owens, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Morgan Pehme, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Colin Phillips, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Mireyda Reyes, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Sam Ritchie, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Joy Romanski, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Bill Salzman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Josh Skaller, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Andrew Stengel, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Eva Talmadge, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Kelly L. Thompson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member Theodore Wright, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member James Zika, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

If I may give my personal viewpoint: 1.) the vote of the people in a referendum should take precedence 2.) I do not in general support term limits 3.) Term limits make more sense for an executive like President, governor or mayor than for a legislative office 4.) If Bloomberg has not succeeded in accomplishing what he wanted to in 8 years, then what is his problem? Why should we want someone for four more years if he has failed to accomplish his goals in 8 years as one of the most powerful mayors in the nation. 5.) I have never seen so much power concentrated in a mayor as I have in NYC...most city councils have far more power vis a vis the mayor compared with NYC's near dictatorial mayor. Strengthening the mayor's hand is NOT the direction NYC should be going.