Tampa Bay Times sees the light on Pinellas term limits

Last week's court decision out of Duval County has turned on the lights in Pinellas. All of a sudden the idea of enforcing Pinellas County terms limits is moving from dismissible to inevitable in the eyes of the county's politicos and opinion-makers.

As reported here, a Duval County judge on Friday ruled against the Duval County Clerk of Courts who was trying to run for a fourth term in spite of Duval's County voter-approved term limits law. The judge pointed to the Supreme Court's May ruling that county term limits are constitutional and -- in no uncertain terms -- declared Clerk Jim Fuller ineligible to run again.

Fuller's argument was the same one being used by Pinellas County politicians defying the Pinellas County term limits law. Click! The light bulb went off over the head of John Romano, columnist for the Tampa Bay Times.

From today's column:

"The county's attorneys are arguing that Pinellas has some unique circumstances and is not subject to the same rules and interpretations the rest of the state is facing.

"I do not pretend to understand the legal nuances involved, but I'm getting the feeling that the county's defense is about as potent as the Rays' offense.

"A ruling handed down by a Duval County judge last week seemed to shoot a lot of holes in the same kind of arguments Pinellas County folks have been raising in recent months.

"The judge said the term limits applied retroactively to Duval's clerk of courts, as opposed to the clock starting with the Supreme Court ruling in May. That doesn't bode well for Pinellas."

Actually, it bodes very well for the citizens of Pinellas, who overwhelmingly voted for term limits and continue to support them. One hopes the clinging commissioners will put the county ahead of their selfish interests and resign before the integrity of the upcoming elections become irredeemable.