The Downside to Having a Billionaire Supporter

News that Tom Golisano will oppose the change to term limits was, initially, seen as a boost to critics of the plan. But Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is suggesting a drawback to Golisano’s involvement.

Critics will lose their ability to push a populist argument if t they have their own billionaire supporter, he said.

Critics of Bloomberg's plan to extend term limits have seized on the fact that it hinges on a pact between two billionaires—Bloomberg and term-limits enthusiast Ron Lauder—.

Stringer, in his testimony, said that neither Lauder nor Golisano were elected to office, and therefore that their opinions on the matter shouldn’t carry as much weight as those already in office. Stringer also referred to Lauder’s earlier ads in favor of term limits, depicting lawmakers who opposed the plan as crying babies in dirty diapers. Stringer said the involvement of another billionaire will add more sound-bite-length arguments about the issue, and will detract from a serious discussion about the issue.