Harry,
Not a single problem you note in comment #19 would be solved by giving a governor two consecutive terms. (Note for non-Va. readers: An individual can serve two terms as governor, just not consecutively.) The issues you discuss could be solved by strong local representation in the state legislature.
One reason for the law is that in the second term, governors tend to lay back and do nothing but tax the people and line the pockets of their friends. Virginians understand that. We see it happen all the time at the national level (see Bush, George W.; Clinton, William J.). Virginia is a strong state economically and educationally and in just about every other way you could name; I believe that giving a governor just one term at a time forces him to actually do something, because he’ll be applying for another job at the end of four years. If he does nothing, he’ll have nothing on his resume. The law actually encourages better performance from our governors.
