For too long, the American people have been demanding term limits for Congress, to no avail. The job approval rating for Congress has consistently been under 20 percent for many years, yet the incumbency rate has been well over 95 percent during that same period.

If elections truly were term limits, the incumbency rate would be much lower, but in reality, it is virtually impossible to vote out career politicians because of the advantages they hold over challengers, such as name recognition, mailings sent to their constituents at taxpayers’ expense, millions of dollars in campaign contributions from PACs/corporations, and lobbyists, etc. Those incumbent advantages prohibit many good and qualified people from even trying to run for office.

For many in Washington, D.C., being elected to Congress has become a fast track to becoming wealthy and powerful — at the expense of the American people.

It is high time that American voters do something about it. Congress will never propose term limits on themselves, so it is now up to the public, through state legislators, to join other states in the national effort to propose a term limits amendment for Congress under Article V of the U.S. Constitution.

The American people deserve to have this national discussion because it is probably the one issue that can bring all sides together, which is desperately needed right now. The time for talk is over. People need to take action.

Kenneth Quinn, Bridgton