Lately there has been a lot of hue and cry over judges and other officials (normally elected) who were unfortunate enough to draw opponents. The hue and cry stems from the fact that these judges, county officials, and even a school board member were appointed to their position and therefore deserve that position for life, or their term limits, whatever comes first.
These judicials and others were never elected to positions by the people and in most cases, the people don't even know who they are. Yet, they and their entourages, feel entitled. They are mortified. How dare they be challenged.
Well, I personally feel that they should be challenged. An appointment by Jeb Bush or Charlie Crist is not, in my opinion, a mandate to keep an elected official. This is not to say that they are bad judges, or officials. I am simply saying that it is time the public had a say over their tenure in the position.
I see nothing wrong with an appointed judge having to prove himself to the public he or she serves. I see nothing wrong with an appointed school board member or county commissioner having to seek the validation of the population. I have a major problem with a judicial coming to me for support and explaining that they were appointed because they were the best for the job. We all know that isn't true. I think I also am totally insulted with that line.
There are some cases where the appointed judicial happens to be wonderful in that position and I am proud to be supporting that person. I will say, however, that it is not always the case. I truly resent the sense of entitlement that I am hearing from judges who were appointed to that position. They are sure they own the judicial role. I also feel that way with judicials who were elected many years ago and do not want to have to go through an election again.
My position on all this is that no one is elected to any position for life here in Broward County. We need our elected officials, all of them, to keep proving to us that they are the best for the job. They, above all, should understand this. The crying needs to stop!
