Author: admin

Difference between Democrats and Republicans

On: By: admin

Liz Krueger’s attempt to move her mandatory firearms storage bill S-2491 out of Senate Codes Committee failed yesterday.

Nothing unusual about this.  A couple Democrat Senators do this just about every year with the same results, the Notice of Committee Consideration is rejected on a party line vote.  Krueger knows this is going to happen but she does it anyway to promote the antigun agenda.

The Republicans never do this in the Assembly with pro-gun bills (or any of their agenda items).  They would fail the exact same way, but it would show people that they at least care about the issue and give voters a reason to support them, not to mention it being great fundraising material.  Instead, the Republicans make excuses about NYC being in control for not making any symbolic effort.  This is why they will remain a tiny minority in the lower chamber and will probably soon become a permanent minority in the upper chamber as well.

No leniency

On: By: admin

Convicted crook Dean Skelos on why he does not deserve a jail sentence:

“… As part of his bid for leniency, Gage pointed to Skelos’ “most notable legislative achievements” — including the SAFE Act, the politically contentious series of gun-control laws passed in 2013 … Gage’s sentencing memo included a quote from a letter written by Paul Weidenbaum, an attorney and Skelos ally who said the lawmaker was “instrumental” in passing the SAFE Act.” …”

I’m thinking an extended stay in federal prison is in order based on that statement alone.

Possible Orange Co. bill

On: By: admin

It has been brought to my attention that someone in the Orange County Legislature plans to introduce a local bill requiring premesis-only pistol licenses be issued by the county, no carry.

That would not be legal as the county does not have home-rule authority.  We’ll have to wait and see if any such bill is introduced at the next meeting of the county legislature set for April 8.

Who is registering?

On: By: admin

There has been a spike in voter registration in New York:

“… Between March 10 and March 20, MyDMV, the state’s online voter registration system, processed more than 40,883 voter registration applications, including 20,889 from first-time voters. MyDMV also set an all-time record on Friday, March 18 with 13,961 voter registration applications received, including 7,128 from first-time voters …”

Interesting, but it does not break the information down according to party affiliation or location.  I am not aware of any recent large scale effort by the parties to sign up new people.  I assume if either the Democrats or Republicans suddenly received a new block of registrations they would be crowing about it.

NYC Council’s gun control agenda

On: By: admin

The New York City Council is calling for the state legislature to enact one-gun-a-month A-7026/S-2243 and microstamping A-6192A/S-1113A legislation as part of their 2016 NYS Legislative Agenda package.

Here is a link to their full list (PDF) of items they would like Albany to pass.

2A covers stun guns

On: By: admin

The Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in the case of Caetano V. Massachusetts suggesting that the 2nd Amendment does not just include firearms available at the time of its writing.

This sounds like a good thing, although I do not know just how good as the case involved a stun gun, not modern AR-type firearms.  New York, like Massachusetts, prohibits stun gun possession except by police officers.  I assume someone will bring a stun gun lawsuit here which references the Caetano decision at which point we’ll get a better idea of the importance of the ruling.

That is not how it works

On: By: admin

According to The Donald:

“Donald Trump took his outsider presidential campaign to the nation’s capital Monday, urging the Republican Party to accept him as the nominee even if he falls short of the required amount of delegates. “If people want to be smart, they should embrace this movement,” he said at a news conference … “If they don’t want to be smart, they should do what they’re doing now.” …”

That is not how it works.

Candidates who try to intimidate the party apparatus should be widely popular and leading in the polls.  That is not what Trump is bringing to the table:

” … Trump is on the verge of two things once thought to be impossible: winning the Republican presidential nomination, and putting Republicans’ historically large House majority in danger … Trump’s remarkable rise in the GOP presidential race, and the backlash he has already provoked among the broader electorate, has suddenly raised the prospect of a large November wave against Trump and the Republicans who would share the ballot with him …”

Marvelous.

How can the New York Republicans not be aware of this?

Trump’s effect on State Senate race

On: By: admin

State of Politics reports that New York Republicans are unsure of what to do about Donald Trump:

“… as the national GOP establishment continues to find ways of denying him the nomination at their convention in Cleveland this summer, Republicans in New York are divided. Privately, some Republican operatives admit the party is in a bind over whether to embrace Trump and the new voters he’s brought to the polls or run away from him and his vulgar, racially charged rhetoric ahead of the general election … And yet, some Republicans see Trump’s potential for a big margin of victory in the presidential primary, to be held the very same day as the special election, as a potential boon for the GOP candidate in the race, attorney Chris McGrath …”

While there is still some debate about the merits of the former option, the latter scenario appears unlikely given these two things.

First, a lot of Trump’s support comes from Democrats and disenchanted voters. Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary so their only interest would be the special election.  There is no reason to assume any Trump Democrats would vote for McGrath simply because they both share Row B.  The latest poll shows Democrat Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky with a slight lead over McGrath.

Second, the effect Trump appears to be having on local congressional races has not been positive for Republican incumbents:

“… While a Donald Trump or Ted Cruz nomination “wouldn’t guarantee a down-ballot disaster,” Wasserman wrote, it would make congressional races much more difficult to predict, especially if Trump becomes the GOP standard bearer. Here are the 10 Cook ratings changes that favored Democrats: … Freshman Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) moves from Lean R to Toss Up … Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) moves from Likely R to Lean R … The ratings change in Reed’s upstate New York district came the same week that he endorsed Trump for president.” …”

That is not a good sign.

Pete King is wrong

On: By: admin

There are many reasons not to like Congressman Peter King.  Here is another one:

“Rep. Peter King said Senate Republicans should meet with and hold confirmation hearings on President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland — and then reject him in committee or in a floor vote …”

No.

All that will do is give the Democrats an opportunity to co-ordinate with their kook Left allies and put on a dog and pony show in front the media that will make the Republicans look bad.

There is no legal obligation for the Senate to hold hearings or take up the nomination and the GOP leadership needs to hold the line on that.

Gun control groups merging

On: By: admin

Two antigun groups are merging:

“Two of the most vocal gun control advocacy groups in the United States recently announced that they are joining forces. Americans for Responsible Solutions, founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and astronaut Mark Kelly, and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence announced on Wednesday that the two groups are merging to “create a bold new force for smart gun laws.” …”

Baloney.

They are merging in a effort to appear relevant.  Far Left astroturf groups do this all the time to keep their issue fresh before the public and sympathetic media.  The Brady Campaign did that with the Million Mom March and Mayor Bloomberg followed suit with MAIG and MDA.

“… Advocates say the merger also elevates the organization’s capability on a national scale, putting it on the same level as Everytown for Gun Safety, another gun control group that formed after a merger between Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America …”

No.

Michael Bloomberg has effectively unlimited personal resources to pour into his projects.  Everytown will continue to exist as long as it amuses him.  The others will have to beg for money from wealthy donors and foundations to keep their operations going and that will require them to produce some sort of results favorable to their cause.  If they were good at that they would not have to keep reshuffling their businesses.