Campaign notes

On: By: admin

Assorted reports on political campaigns where guns are mentioned.

Meet The Candidate: Jones For Congress In NY17:

“New Yorkers will choose their representatives to Congress Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election … Mondaire Jones is the Democratic candidate for Congress in New York’s 17th Congressional District … As long as our democracy remains rigged, real change — health care for everyone, environmental reforms, gun safety legislation, dismantling systemic racism, and strengthening reproductive justice — will remain out of reach. It’s time to take our democracy back from billionaires and special interests, and I am ready to lead that fight …”

Christine Pellegrino, 4th Senatorial District:

“… She will seek gun control measures that would stop criminals, terrorists and domestic abusers from easy access to firearms …”

Serino-Smythe race for NY Senate seat is rematch of 2018 election:

“Republican state Sen. Sue Serino and Democrat Karen Smythe are squaring off in a rematch of the 2018 election in New York’s 41st Senate District … Serino, on her website, says her priorities are: reducing taxes, creating jobs, “standing up for taxpayers,” fighting the heroin epidemic, repealing the New York gun-control legislation known as the SAFE Act, combating Lyme disease, urban revitalization, and “restoring faith in government.” ….. Serino said the SAFE Act, enacted in the wake of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, is “stripping law-abiding citizens of the rights that our founders and veterans fought to protect,” and she called for improved mental health services and “getting guns from criminals.” …”

Smythe v. Serino: NY’s 41st Senate district candidates on the issues:

“… Smythe supports the work of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and various other groups advocating for gun control measures. She believes that “protecting our kids from gun violence should not be a controversial or partisan issue” and claims that Serino continues to block “all” gun safety measures. Serino has co-sponsored legislation to repeal the 2013 SAFE Act, which the New York State Legislature passed after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting to increase penalties for illegal gun use and insists that the state should be focusing on mental health-related prevention. Serino also voted against S.8121, which ensures that convicted domestic abusers do not have access to firearms. In her most recent term, she opposed bills increasing penalties for improper gun storage, prohibiting firearms on school campuses and establishing 30-day waiting periods, while also voting to prohibit both bump stocks and 3D printed firearms and establish a firearm buyback program …”

Candidate Profile: Steve Stern For New York Assembly District 10:

“Election Day is right around the corner, and voters will choose between incumbent Democratic state Assemblyman Steve Stern and Republican challenger Jamie Silvestri in the general election Nov. 3 … “During my tenure in the Assembly, I have worked hard to: … Pass legislative initiatives that keep guns out of the wrong hands, secure our schools and keep our children and teachers safe …” …”

Candidate Profile: Burdick For New York State Assembly:

“Residents of northern and central Westchester will choose a new state Assembly representative Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election … Democrat Chris Burdick is seeking election to the State Assembly in District 93. His opponent, John Nuculovic, is running on the Republican and Conservative party lines … NYS currently has the most progressive state legislature in its history, and over the last year-and-a-half has achieved so much. However, there is still much more we can do on issues such as the environment, social justice, infrastructure and educational funding, health care, gun violence, and women’s rights …”

Shootings are up across the state

On: By: admin

Gov. Cuomo is forced to acknowledge shootings are way up:

“… Governor Cuomo stated that shootings are up 100% across the state. He also added that 86% of the shooting victims are people of color. “New Yorkers are not wrong, there is a crime problem,” Gov. Cuomo said …”

It is blindingly obvious that his SAFE Act is a policy failure.

In light of this, has any candidate or incumbent running for election called for 2A reforms including SAFE repeal?

No.

Unlikely, but ….

On: By: admin

The Times-Union reports:

“President Donald Trump said he will try to win New York in the November presidential election, citing support across upstate, on Long Island and with voters who have changed their minds about him. “I’m going to give New York a very good shot, because the same people that voted against me like me now,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham …”

With Democrats outnumbering Republicans about 2.2 to 2.3 to 1 in the state I would normally dismiss this out of hand.  Two reasons I’m not are:

  1. The level of anger directed at Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio over their mishandling of COVID.
  2. The large number of Biden/Harris signs I’ve seen in the Columbia, Dutchess and Ulster counties.  If Democrats are confidant of winning New York why are they spending money on all these signs here?  When you cross over the border into Berkshire County there’s hardly any signs for any races.

I know it’s a long shot, but it would be hilarious of Trump could pull it off.

Newsbits

On: By: admin

Saturday’s Newsbits:

The Town of Kingsbury will hold a public hearing on October 5 @ 7:00pm on whether to allow pistol license holders to carry on town property.  A vote on the issue will take place sometime thereafter.

Elections:

Gun Industry:

Jurisprudence:

Legislation:

Politics:

Northwell Health querying patients about guns

On: By: admin

According to Newsday:

“Starting later this month, Northwell staff at two Long Island hospitals and a third on Staten Island will add a question to their routine screening of emergency room patients: Do you have a gun in your house? The question is part of a new screening program designed to analyze patients’ risk for firearm injury. The program will be funded under a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health that Northwell received to study gun violence prevention …”

Fuck that.

“… As part of the Northwell study, clinicians in the three hospitals’ emergency departments will ask patients specific questions about having firearms in their homes and determine their risk of injury. Each response is scored and embedded into the patient’s electronic health record, which will help guide discussions and establish next steps for care. Motivational interviews, education and other resources will also be available …”

By that they mean re-education propaganda from gun control outfits. There is absolutely no medical reason to ask for this information, let alone include it in patient files.

“… Northwell’s NIH grant comes as gun violence remains the leading cause of premature death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …”

Bullshit. Heart disease is far an away the most common cause of death and much of that can be prevented. Suicide is #10 on the CDC list and not all of that is with a firearm.

“… [Dr. Chethan Sathya] added that the grant will “fully support We Ask Everyone. Firearm Safety is a Health Issue and allow us to expand upon the limited clinical studies that have primarily focused on outpatient settings or used targeted vs. universal screening, which can exclude at-risk patients.” …”

That’s part of a lobbying agenda and not at all health related.

Mimi walks in

On: By: admin

Bad news out of Westchester: The long shot Republican candidate for District Attorney Bruce Bendish dropped out of the race.

This means Mimi Rocah, who won the Democrat primary over incumbent Anthony Scarpino, will walk into office unopposed in January where I predict she will be one of the loudest voices in the state for more gun control:

“… “Not having an opponent does not change the fact that we have a lot of work to do to ensure conviction integrity, accountability, prevent gun violence, secure justice for domestic violence victims and sexual assault survivors and implement my revolutionary transparency plan at the Westchester County DA’s office,” she said …”

Learn from this

On: By: admin

I have long advocated gun owners be involved in Democrat party politics, particularly in NYC.  This article in the Post offers some insight:

“… [Socialists aim] to exploit the large number of City Council seats open in the 2021 elections (at least 35 of the 51 seats) by having DSA-compliant candidates win the low-turnout Democratic primaries — and so have long odds of winning the general in the Dem-supermajority town. If the socialists can win enough primary races, they figure, even Democrats who didn’t embrace their radical agenda will fear to oppose it, lest they lose the next time out … The silver lining in all this is that it will force the non-insane wing of the Democratic Party to finally stop appeasing the far left with ever-more-crime-friendly policies and other corrosive nonsense …”

Replace “socialists” with “2A activists” and you have a roadmap towards a gun rights reformation in the state.  It does not require having solid pro-gun candidates.  Make a choice in Democrat primaries, even if it is “When in doubt, throw the incumbent out”, so that being openly antigun costs even a few of them their jobs, and slowly move them all away from the gun control agenda.

Record gun sales in New York

On: By: admin

Gun sales are way up in New York in large part due to rioting:

“Area gun shop owners say that since they’ve been allowed to reopen, many have seen a spike in sales, while at the same time they can’t keep up their stock. It’s fueled by fears of socioeconomic uncertainty and the idea that civil unrest seen elsewhere in the state and the nation will soon come to their towns … Federal background checks for gun purchases in New York state totaled 61,324 in June, the biggest monthly tallies since 2000, according to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, run by the FBI. Jimmy Cosenza, owner of Cosenza’s Gun Shop in Monroe, said his business reopened in June starting with curbside pick up only. Normally, he serves 20-30 customers a week. But the number surged to 50-100 a week after the reopening … many customers say they want to buy a gun at this time for personal defense. “With everything going on, they’re afraid the riots may come up here,” Cosenza said …”

This matches what has been going on nationwide:

“… Firearms sales rose 94% for the March-to-July period from a year earlier, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry’s trade group. About 40% of those sales went to first-time gun owners. One of the nation’s largest gun makers, Smith & Wesson, said it will boost production after record-breaking sales. The company reported a 140% increase in gun sales from the beginning of May through the end of July …”

S&W stock is booming:

“… Smith & Wesson Brands reported 1Q earnings of $0.97, better than analysts’ estimates of $0.48 per share. Its revenue came in at $278 million, higher than the Street estimates of $195.03 million. Despite posting upbeat 1Q results (ending on July 31) Smith & Wesson stock fell 3.5% on Friday due to the broader market sell-off …”

Of course, the antis aren’t happy:

“… Scott Pappalardo of Middletown, who works as a volunteer leader for Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, said owning a firearm is a personal decision but weapons need to be stored properly and purchasers must go through legal procedures. “During the pandemic, we have millions of school children and teenagers home from school that could access these firearms either for suicide or unintentional shooting,” said Pappalardo … “This ready access to guns is concerning given that nearly three in four firearm suicides by young people take place in or around a home, and over 80% of firearm suicides by children involve a gun belonging to a family member,” the report read. “The other concern is with the increase of gun sales, the background check system is being burdened,” Pappalardo said. “If the system isn’t working properly and domestic abusers get firearms and bring it home where they’re in quarantine with a loved one who is being abused, that could put them in a tremendous risk.” …”

That is complete bullshit:

“… “I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ve been involved in hundreds of homicide investigations here in the city of Rochester,” the captain said. “Do you know how many of those homicide investigations involved individuals that owned legally-registered handguns? Honestly, I can’t remember one that wasn’t justified or ruled as justified by a grand jury in which a suspect committed a murder with a legally owned handgun.” “So again, if these politicians want to get up and spew that we need more gun laws, they’re just lying, they don’t want to answer the real questions that need to be answered,” [Rochester Police Department Captain Frank] Umbrino said …”

Manhattan D.A. candidate on “ghost guns”

On: By: admin

Getting a jump on the 2021 City elections, Manhattan District Attorney candidate Tali Farhadian Weinstein released her gun control plan:

“The Manhattan district attorney’s office would prioritize gun trafficking and crack down on “ghost guns,” among other steps proposed Monday by candidate Tali Farhadian Weinstein … She also targeted “ghost guns,” or weapons such as homemade guns that lack serial numbers, saying she would coordinate with other DAs and the NYPD to develop best practices for dealing with the growing problem …”

It’s not a problem, it’s a phony non-issue.

What this means is she’s going to use the office to push antigun advocates political agenda.

As of now there are nine declared candidates running in next year’s race.