A common man with common sense

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The Chenango County Democratic Committee announced their endorsement for AD-122:

“… Rick Shaw of Downsville was endorsed in the NYS 122nd NYS Assembly district race. “A common man with common sense,” he was born and raised in Delaware County, was a Health and Safety Coordinator for DCMO BOCES for 25 years, and still works as a consultant since his retirement. Rick supports common sense revisions the NYS SAFE Act and Bail Reform Act, supporting mental illness treatment initiatives, supporting agricultural business initiatives, repairing deteriorating infrastructure and reducing taxes …”

What exactly those “common sense revisions” he supports are is a mystery, but I would guess it involves sucking up to the Fudds.  On his campaign website he has this:

“… An avid outdoorsman, Rick enjoys spending time on his property that has been in his family for 4 generations. Making sure property owners’ rights are preserved, Rick will fight for hunters’ rights …”

131st Assembly candidates on 2A

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The Daily Messenger has some information on the candidates running in AD-131:

“… Another controversial issue — gun laws — sets the candidates apart. The SAFE Act, passed in 2013 in the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, prevents criminals and the dangerously mentally ill from buying guns, cracks down on illegal guns and bans the most dangerous assault weapons. Additional gun-control measures were passed last year that ban bump stocks, allow people to seek a court order to ban dangerous people from having guns, and bar school districts from letting teachers be armed. [Republican Jeff Gallahan] thinks the gun laws go too far and threaten law-abiding citizens. [Democrat Matt Miller], who gained experience with firearms in the military, sees gun reform measures addressing public safety and not infringing on Second Amendment rights. In stressing their key issues and strengths, Gallahan says he will fight to end bail reform, support the Second Amendment, and use his leadership and business skills to advocate for the district …”

FWIW, NRA endorsed Gallahn and he has the support of the local SCOPE chapter as well.

The district has a roughly 35K to 28K Republican enrollment advantage.

S-8926A amended

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Senator Zellnor Myrie’s bill targeting gun dealers and manufactures S-8926A has been amended and resubmitted to Rules.

The new language is a total rewrite of the original bill. It targets firearms specifically.

No Assembly companion (yet).

Timber Vaults’ concealment shelves

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Timber Vaults sent me one of their concealment shelves for review.  With guns sales booming I thought this was timely move on their part.

What it is a modern looking shelf with a hidden compartment for one or more firearms. It is free floating with no brackets holding it up. It attaches to the wall though a metal bar which gets screwed to the wall. The shelf goes over this bar.

Here is a picture of this assembly:

The company makes three sizes: small, medium and large. They sent me a small one meant for handguns. Here is what a PPK looks like for comparison:

Their medium and large units look big enough for a short-barreled gat like the Shockwave and possibly some extras. It has an RFID lock and comes with a key fob and battery backup. All necessary hardware, except 4 AAA batteries, are included.  You need a screw driver, stud finder and possibly a level to mount it.

My observations:

  • It is solidly built from the wood, to the piston arm, to the wall bracket. It doesn’t feel at all flimsy.
  • It is attractive. It has a matte finish of some sort on the wood. It’s not a stain and doesn’t look like paint.
  • It absolutely needs at least one screw into a wall stud. I would stress this more in the instructions.
  • From a few feet away it does look like a regular shelf. If you look closer you can see the little plug hole on top for the battery backup which is a giveaway, but that can be hidden by putting some chachkies on it.
  • The RFID provides a reasonable level of security from children and guests. It is definitely not a gun safe and does not pretend to be.
  • It’s styling isn’t for everyone.  If you like modern decor it will blend in nicely.  Others, not so much.

All in all I think it is a quality product.

Bet on Chicago

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The Long Island Press reports:

“A bar in Patchogue is drawing ire after critics say it invited patrons to bet on whether more shootings will occur in New York City or Chicago over Labor Day weekend. The Cliffton, a self-described dive bar on Main Street in the village’s downtown, devised a box pool — similar to Super Bowl score gambling pools — so customers could place their bets on which of the two cities will suffer more shootings amid a recent crime wave …”

I’ll wager 50 quatloos on Chicago.

“… “This is the kind of place that needs to be boycotted,” said the Long Island chapter of the nonprofit Brady: United Against Gun Violence gun control advocacy group that called for an investigation into the bar …”

The only thing they’re upset over it this highlights the failure of both New York’s and Chicago’s notorious gun control laws.

INT 2038-2020

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INT 2038-2020 was introduced by Councilman Daniel Dromm to the Criminal Justice Committee.

According to the bill:

“… The council finds that it should be the policy of this city to promote the dignified and fair treatment of persons in the criminal justice system and in other institutions of confinement. The council declares that the use of outmoded terms, including “inmate” and “prisoner,” to refer to persons in custody in the criminal justice system and other institutions, is dehumanizing and demeaning to such persons, and that such terms should be eliminated from use in local law and replaced with terms that emphasize persons first, and not their circumstances …”

Idiocy like this is why people are leaving the City en masse.

Newsbits

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Thursday’s Newsbits:

I was sent a copy of American Druthers. I haven’t looked at it yet, but since the publisher took the time to mail it to me I’ll give him a free plug for it.

Election:

Jurisprudence:

Legislation:

NRA:

Politics:

Syracuse sues ATF over “ghost guns”

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The New York Times reports that the City of Syracuse is suing the ATF over “ghost guns”:

“Chicago and three other cities on Wednesday sued the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), demanding it correct how it interprets what is a firearm and halt the sale of untraceable “ghost gun” kits increasingly used in crimes. The lawsuit is the first of its kind filed against the ATF, according to lawyers for the cities of Chicago, San Jose, Columbia, South Carolina, and Syracuse, New York. It was filed in the Southern District of New York state … The lawsuit argues the ATF and the Department of Justice “refuse to apply the clear terms of the Gun Control Act” which the suit says defines regulated firearms as not only working weapons “but also their core building blocks – frames for pistols, and receivers for long guns.” …”

According to Mayor Ben Walsh:

“… “Like cities across the nation, Syracuse is suffering from the proliferation of ghost guns. Through the end of July, our City has experienced a 30% increase in recovered ghost guns,” said Mayor Ben Walsh of Syracuse, NY. “In December of last year, a six-year-old boy in Syracuse was seriously injured by gunfire from one of these untraceable weapons. The Syracuse Police Department is working hard to address the threat locally. The ATF is in a position to address the flow of ghost guns upstream. Every day that it doesn’t is another day these guns continue to wash into American cities, leaving local communities less safe.” …”

This isn’t the first time Walsh has advocated for more gun control:

“Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Syracuse Monday pushing gun safety legislation meant to address school shootings. The bill, which would prevent individuals from buying or possessing guns who are believed to be a severe threat to themselves or others, is still tied up in the state legislature. Hochul was joined by Nottingham High School students and Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh in support of the bill that would allow a teacher or administrator to petition a judge, when they see warning signs from someone …”

Walsh is up for re-election next year.

Bills signed by Governor

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A-8078C, Permits 4-H certified shooting sports instructors to supervise and instruct persons under sixteen years of age at shooting ranges, and A-8666A, Relates to authorizing hunting big game by rifle in the County of Tompkins, have been signed into law by the Governor.