Unfortunately, because Speaker Christine Quinn, along with 28 other councilmembers, voted to approve the extension of term limits, democracy failed in City Council.

Are 51 people now the arbiters of "what is good for the people?" As a voter in New York City, I am outraged that Mayor Bloomberg and his political flunkies have done an endrun around the Term Limits Law and the will of the voters. This is less than honorable; it is despicable. In the 1990's there were two public referenda that resulted in the voters overwhelmingly deciding to limit elected city officials to two terms. The extension legislation is "disenfranchisement" and an abrogation of the democratic process. Worse, with Speaker Quinn’s abiding concern appearing to be to ingratiate herself with the mayor to secure his support for a future mayoral run of her own, we have lost our “checks and balances” at City Hall. The voters must decide, not the 51 members of the City Council. And politicians wonder why voters are so cynical.