Where’s his base of support?

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From the Post, “Cuomo takes key step toward launching presidential campaign“:

“Gov. Cuomo has hired two Florida fundraisers, a sign he’s building a national network to launch a presidential bid, sources told The Post … The governor has been expanding his national profile since the Democrats’ dreadful showing in November …”

Oh my God, where to even begin with this?

How on earth can Cuomo build a national network of support when I cannot think of a single elected Democrat who has come out in public and said they like him let alone encouraged him to run for president? I cannot even think of one who said he should run for a third term as governor in ’18.

Expanding his profile will only expand the number of people who despise him.

“… “When Hillary Clinton was running he never wanted to have anyone speculate he’s running, but now the strategy is pretty different,” said Karen Hinton, a former Cuomo aide. “He is positioning himself to be seen as a liberal who can speak to a national audience.” …”

Speaking is not the problem. What comes out of his mouth is the problem. If Cuomo actually tries running expect non-stop ads based upon this statement:

“… You’re seeing that play out in New York. … The Republican Party candidates are running against the SAFE Act — it was voted for by moderate Republicans who run the Senate! Their problem is not me and the Democrats; their problem is themselves. Who are they? Are they these extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault-weapon, anti-gay? Is that who they are? Because if that’s who they are and they’re the extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York, because that’s not who New Yorkers are …”

Political Theatre, Act II

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Follow-up to last week’s post about the Republican’s making partial SAFE Act repeal a partisan issue.

Rensselaer Co.:

“… During its monthly meeting last week, the legislature approved two resolutions supporting the Second Amendment, advocating for repeal of the SAFE Act and cancellation of the required recertification by pistol owners by votes along party lines. The resolution requesting an appeal of the SAFE Act was approved after a 10-5 vote. The decision was split between Republicans and Democrats on the Legislature with all Republicans present during the meeting voting in favor of the resolution and all Democrats present voted in opposition …”

Onondaga Co.:

“… The Onondaga County Legislature voted Tuesday to support a State Senate bill that would limit application of the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act to the five counties of New York City … The county legislature’s resolution passed 13 to four, with support from all the body’s Republicans and opposition from the Democrats …”

Erie Co.:

“… Voted 7-4 in favor of a resolution, sponsored by Legislator Edward Rath III, R-Amherst, in support of state legislation to eliminate some gun control provisions in the state’s SAFE Act. The legislation would apply to areas outside of New York City …”

It is nice having these legislative bodies on record (again) opposing SAFE, but going about it this way is unhelpful.

Remington layoffs

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Remington has laid-off 122 people at the Ilion plant.

Despite what Bob Owens says, it is probably not due to the SAFE Act. The gun industry has been slowing down since the election.

The war against fun

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Attorney General Eric Schniederman fires another shot in the war against children having fun:

“Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that he has obtained seven settlements with online third-party sellers from across the country who used Amazon to sell prohibited toy guns to New Yorkers … “We have seen all too often the tragic consequences that can arise when toy guns are mistaken for real ones,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “The toy gun law exists to protect New York’s children and our brave law enforcement officers, and we will continue our commitment to enforcing this law and holding accountable any retailers who violate it.” …”

The only good thing about Schneiderman wasting his time on stupidity like this is that he could be spending his time doing a whole lot worse.

What Chuck has been up to

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Chuck Schumer has been relatively quiet in public, but sure enough, him and his mini-me have not been idle:

“Senate Democrats on Monday introduced a bill that would mandate all 3D printed guns have at least one primary component made from metal. The bill, S. 533, would update the 25-year-old Undetectable Firearms Act, which requires all firearms to be detectable by a metal detector, by requiring at least one main component such as the frame or barrel be made of metal …”

This is unenforceable.

At some point, home metal printing will become affordable and that is when the antis heads will start exploding.

Tenney co-sponsors H.R. 367

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Claudia Tenney has signed on as co-sponsor to The Hearing Protection Act of 2017, H.R. 367.  She is the third local Representative to do so.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro brings on the crazy with an op-ed in the New Haven Register, “Gun lobby’s latest trick is to use ‘hearing loss’ to bring more silencers into the market“:

“… this bill is the latest attempt by the gun lobby to sneak in massive and potentially dangerous rollbacks to gun violence prevention through misleading legislation … The gun lobby wants you to believe that this proposal is about protecting hearing — but the dangers of more easily accessible silencers far outweigh any purported benefits … To push this “Hearing Protection Act” is a bold-faced attempt to mislead the American people. According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, there is no evidence of a public health issue associated with hearing loss from gun fire …”

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association does not agree with that statement:

“… People who use firearms are more likely to develop hearing loss than those who do not …”

Neither does the American Hearing Research Foundation:

“… Every gunshot produces a noise that could damage the ears of anyone in close hearing range. Large bore guns and artillery are the worst because they are the loudest. But even cap guns and firecrackers can damage your hearing if the explosion is close to your ear. Anyone who uses firearms without some form of ear protection risks hearing loss …”

Candidates for Mayor of Rochester

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Incumbent Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren announced her re-election bid yesterday.

She is the most vocal advocate for gun control outside the NYC metro area. Some examples:

There will likely be a Democrat primary for the nomination. Other declared candidates include:

  • Monroe County Legislator and former police chief James Sheppard. Sheppard is antigun and has associated with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence in the past. See this endorsement letter for (former) Senator Ted O’Brien. Sheppard is quoted by the Times Union in an article on the SAFE Act:

    “… Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard says guns like the AR-15 are just deadlier, period, and should be banned for the same reason that a kitchen knife is legal but a switchblade is not. “These rifles are basically replicas of military armament, and they are designed to efficiently kill people,” Sheppard said. “In civilian life, that’s not something you need or want.” …”

  • TV journalist Rachel Barnhart. She has this position statement on her campaign website:

    “… Stolen guns are often used in crimes in the city. The administration will secure funds for a public service campaign focused on educating the public about the need to secure their weapons. A possible slogan is, “Don’t be a victim that leads to another victim.” Proactively retrieve guns when people with pistol permits die and there is not a surviving family member with a permit …”

  • Green Party activist Alex White. Not much on him other than this article in the D&C which addresses violence without more gun control.

White has run and lost several times for public office before and probably won’t accomplish much this time around either. That leaves Barnhart as the best of the bunch.

Zeldin continues to set a good example

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Lee Zeldin continues to set an example of how downstate Republicans (and Democrats) should handle gun issues when they come up.

From his latest telephone townhall meeting:

“… A caller asked about the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017; Mr. Zeldin is one of its many co-sponsors. That proposed bill would compel states to recognize out-of-state permits allowing the concealed carry of handguns, overriding their own laws. It would also allow concealed handguns in school zones and on federally owned public lands. “I’m just curious how this is possibly something you could support,” the caller said. Mr. Zeldin referred to his opposition to the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013, known as the NY SAFE Act, which he said improperly labeled certain firearms as assault weapons because a feature, such as a flash suppressor or a thumb grip, had been added to it and consequently “it looked scary.” Existing laws are not enforced, he said, “so it’s not just about creating a new law that might feel good, or might sound good.” …”

Good.  No mealy-mouthed crap, no talk about hunting, no preemptive surrendering.

Lalor and Butler discuss A-6140

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Assemblymen Kieran Lalor and Marc Butler discuss the bill A-6140 to partially repeal the SAFE Act outside New York City.

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