Month: January 2016
A bunch of hot air
El Presidente issued his executive orders. As expected it’s mostly hot air:
… Require gun dealers, whether they sell in a store, at gun shows or over the internet, to conduct background checks on those wanting to purchase a firearm …
This is already law.
… The order will require people purchasing [NFA] weapons through trusts or other legal entities to undergo a background check …
Don’t know much about the NFA, but pretty sure this is already done.
… Attorney General Loretta Lynch has written a letter to states urging them to provide complete information, such as criminal history, to the federal database that’s used for background checks …
Why not send them a letter urging everyone to be awesome?
… To speed up and modernize NICS, the order directs the FBI to hire more than 230 staffers – a move that would double staff size – and complete technical updates to the database …
All this will likely do is speed up gun purchases which are way up under his administration.
… Dealers are required to report lost or stolen weapons from their inventory but the laws related to guns that go missing during transit aren’t as clear. Under the new order, the licensee shipping the gun will be responsible for reporting it missing or stolen …
I don’t think this does much of anything.
… The White House is proposing to spend $500 million for increased mental healthcare services. Other provisions include reporting of Social Security information to the background check system, a move designed to keep those with mental health issues or who receive disability payments due to mental impairment from purchasing firearms …
NRA covered this several months back. I suspect either legislative or legal action will kill this.
… The president is issuing a memorandum to … increase research into gun safety technology. The memo also directs the agencies to promote the use and acquisition of new firearm technology …
Isn’t much this already being done for government purchases when they replace/upgrade inventory? Any smart gun nonsense is not going to be funded by Congress.
… The White House said the president’s 2017 budget will include funding for 200 new Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm agents to enforce gun laws. Another $4 million will go towards enhancements to the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, which tracks evidence that can be used to link gun-related crimes …
This looks like a whole lot of nothing.
The antis are not happy about this. See this op-ed at the Huffington Post, “Obama’s Executive Actions On Gun Control May Not Do Much. But He’s Doing More Than Congress.“
Red meat
President Obama announced awhile back his intention to take executive action on gun control. We still don’t know what exactly his plans are, but given it won’t be coming through Congress I suspect it will be mostly symbolism and questionably legal decrees.
“… On gun control, word is that an executive order to expand background checks on certain gun sales will come this week. Look: This issue’s been before Congress for at least two years — and gone nowhere. Worse, Obama’s claim that he has the power to act here is legally … imaginative. So the action is nothing more than red meat for the culture warriors on both sides — plus provocation of the legislative branch …”
This plus I think he’s hoping Bloomberg will open his wallet for Democrats who promote the issue.
Dick’s prediction
Dick Nelson is the outdoors writer for Hudson-Catskill newspapers. He is far and away the best outdoor writer in the state. In his latest column he predicts that the Republicans will lose Dean Skelos’ old Senate seat in the special election, tentatively set for April 19.
No candidates come forth as of yet, but the Nassau GOP has some weapons-grade stupid on their side which lend credence to Dick’s prediction.
Examples:
- Joseph Mondello levels sharp criticism at GOP officials embroiled in corruption scandals:
“Nassau Republican Chairman Joseph Mondello on Wednesday leveled extraordinary criticism at GOP officials who are embroiled in public corruption scandals, saying he was “angry as hell,” and would do everything he can to “get them out of the party” if they are convicted …”
Dude, they’re part of the county committee which you are chairman of.
- New York’s next big corruption scandal:
“There was a stunning revelation in the corruption trial that convicted Dean Skelos … Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, planned to “assert Fifth Amendment privilege” if called to testify about the AbTech contract … and the feds were “not prepared to immunize” him …”
This doesn’t look good.
- Senate GOP blasts Kaminsky’s statement on Dean Skelos’ ‘gall’ to collect his pension:
“… “Self-professed reformer Todd Kaminsky is a fraud and a phony,” Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif said in an emailed statement Wednesday morning. “Either he doesn’t understand the legislative process or he is ok spinning lies to further his own political ambitions. It was Kaminsky and the New York City Democrats who failed to pass an agreed-upon measure this year to prohibit public officials convicted of felonies from receiving their pensions. While the Senate acted decisively, Kaminsky and his Assembly Democrats buried their heads in the sand. Todd Kaminsky should be ashamed of himself.” …”
Scott Reif should shut-up. Nobody believes this.
- Joseph Mondello, son of Nassau GOP chairman, accused in Virginia of taking hostage:
“Joseph Nestor Mondello, the son of Nassau Republican Party chairman Joseph Mondello, was arrested Tuesday in Arlington County, Virginia, for allegedly holding hostage, and threatening to kill, a technician who was repairing his computer …”
Bonus: Little Joe looks like Sloth from The Goonies.