I hate artificial term limits. The example posted in this thread, along with the Gardner, Latta, Wagoner, Sears references above, are among the growing number of examples of the mess created by these artificial limits. We’ve ALWAYS had term limits. It’s called vote for the opposition!!

Creating this game of political musical chairs is not the worst thing that artificial term limits manifests. There will always be power involved with politics and government. My concern is with who has that power. Artificial term limits transfers power from elected officials to appointed staff and lobbyists. Because of artificial term limits, there is a far greater turnover in members of the Ohio General Assembly than occurred before term limits.

Just about the time a member of the legislature is really learning the job, they’re out! But some people stay. Those who stay in Columbus are staff people with individual legislators and/or legislative committees, and lobbyists with various organizations with special interests in state laws and regulations. It is these appointed officials and private “guns for hire” who wield the real power in our state capital today. They know how the institution functions. They have the institutional memory to know why things happened and how things came to be. Almost all of the elected officials, have little or no background, so they rely upon these unelected folks for guidance.

Whether you like it or not, that’s what artificial term limits have created. The real power in Columbus is in the hands of unelected people. How’s that working? How well has Ohio been doing since the voters put these artificial term limits in place. People may not have liked Vern Riffe but he got a lot of things done for this state!

Let’s check back a year from now, and see how he’s done. My money is on the side of Ujvagi doing a superior job for the county that has been his home since he came here with his family as a young refugee during the 1956 Hungarian uprising against Soviet Communist domination!

In all fairness, I must reveal that I consider Peter Ujvagi a friend. We first met when we were undergraduate students at TU (as it was called then) over 40 years ago. I know of no one who loves the Toledo area more than does Peter Ujvagi!

Are you sure? I was perusing the want ads Monday or Tuesday, and I remember seeing the position listed somewhere. Maybe the Blade/Monster.com? I remember because for a nano-second I thought about applying, and then when I heard the Ujvagi announcement, I was glad I didn’t take the time.

Pam and someguy: NO ONE else was interviewed for the county administrator position. It wasn’t even posted. Ben called the other 2 commissioners on it, and called for a formal application process, but he was outvoted. Not that Ujvagi’s a bad choice, but the process doesn’t say much for open, good government.

I stand corrected bgdem.

House Republicans didn’t bother with a screening committee to consider other candidates to replace Mr. Wagoner in the 46th House District representing the western Toledo suburbs.

“She was the only one who filed for [election to] the seat…,” House Speaker Jon Husted (R., Kettering) said. “We didn’t have anyone else inquire, as far as I know.”

So, if anyone else was interested? They were not very vocal at all.