Spano plans run for Governor

On: By: admin

The Yonkers Times reports:

“… sources tell Yonkers Rising that Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is contemplating his next step in New York politics and is moving forward with an exploratory campaign to run for Governor in 2022. Mayor Spano is in the middle of his third term in the City of Yonkers, which recently became the third largest City in New York State. Sources close to Mayor Spano confirmed that he is moving forward with plans to run for Governor, and that his candidacy for statewide office would depend on several factors, including how New Yorkers and NY Democrats view the job performance of Governor Kathy Hochul, and who else decides to get into the democratic race for Governor …”

As a general rule, never vote for anyone from Westchester with the last name Spano.

Despite having a pistol license, Spano has a history of gun control activism both while being Mayor and during his time in the Assembly.

Albany’s top lobbyists

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City & State’s, “New York State Top 50 Lobbyists 2021” is out.

Bloomberg/Everytown’s firm Ostroff Associates is #5.

NSSF’s firm Park Strategies is #7.

Lead ammo ban still percolating

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The bill to ban lead ammo for hunting A-5728/S-5058 stalled on 3rd Reading this past session. I expect the issue will come up again when the legislature reconvenes next year.

In the meantime, the DEC is putting together a group to study the issue. The link doesn’t mention who the “organized hunting and conservation groups” are, but most in the state are infested with Fudds who are too stupid to realize the purpose of this study is support the conclusions of the sponsors of the legislation to prohibit lead ammo.

Hochul’s pick for LG

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Our new Governor Kathy Hochul choose Senator Brian Benjamin to be her Lieutenant Governor.

Benjamin has not been supportive of 2A rights. He made a reference to “gun violence” during her announcement so I expect the duo will continue the attacks on our rights.

Community Engagement Power 50

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From City & State’s, “The Community Engagement Power 50“:

“… Since 2018, Kathleen Digan and her team at the government relations firm Ostroff Associates have played a key role assisting the anti-gun violence organization Everytown for Gun Safety, along with its advocacy arm, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and the groups’ local chapters. Digan supported the organizations’ advocacy for policies preventing gun violence in New York, which has helped build support for state legislation banning bump stocks and allowed courts to remove guns from people flagged as an “extreme risk.” …”

There’s no genuine public support for any of this.

Everytown is essentially funded by one person, Mike Bloomberg, and he’s been paying Ostroff $10,000 a month plus expenses to push his agenda in Albany. This is what his money has bought him (so far …).

Hochul’s changing position on gun control

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Cuomo is out and Hochul is in.

WBFO reports on her changing position on gun control:

“… In the past, Hochul has been a supporter of gun rights, even earning a favorable rating from the National Rifle Association while representing Western New York in Congress in 2012. But after a break following a losing bid for re-election, Hochul returned to the political scene to run for lieutenant governor with a far more liberal agenda …”

In 2012:

“… The Hochul campaign credited her tenure as Erie County clerk for building a pro-gun record. It pointed out she streamlined the government’s permit application process and provided gun shows with staff and technology to ensure quick and safe sales. The campaign also said that in Congress, she “fought to strengthen the rights of gun owners traveling from state to state and to open public lands to hunting and fishing.” “As a county clerk, I was a staunch advocate for sportsmen, and I have carried through on my commitment to protect their rights in Congress,” Hochul said Wednesday …”

In 2014:

“… During her 2014 campaign for lieutenant governor, Hochul called the failure of Congress to pass background check legislation a “disgrace” following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut that left 20 children dead. She also doubled down on support for the Cuomo Administration’s signature gun control law, the SAFE Act, passed in the wake of that shooting that killed 26 people. Speaking at a pro-gun control rally near New Paltz in 2018, Hochul celebrated the law’s passage and came out in strong support of other gun control measures, including so-called Red Flag Laws. “We’re talking about banning assault weapons, we did it here in New York,” Hochul said. “Background checks; what’s wrong with making sure people who shouldn’t have guns don’t have them?” …”

So, absent any strong ideological foundation, we can expect Hochul to do whatever she believes is the most politically advantageous at the time.

This isn’t a win

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Republicans are gloating at Gov. Cuomo’s upcoming resignation on Tuesday:

Cuomo resigns

Let’s be clear on this: Cuomo leaving office is a blessing. However, it is definitely not a win, especially for the Republicans who appear too stupid to recognize they didn’t beat Cuomo at anything.

Democrats got tired enough with his shit that he decided to resign on his terms rather than try and fight back even though he might have won. There was no rejection of his policies, just his personal behavior, and it in no ways suggests a political shift towards Republicans. If anything, leaving early allows Democrats to claim that they recognized there was a problem and dealt with it more than a year before the ’22 elections at which point people’s memories will have faded.

As for his record on the issues, the media is already beginning to gloss-over his early departure by writing, “… [Gov. Cuomo] notched some historic victories for New York, paving a path of social progress that will resound for years to come …” . This includes his signature SAFE Act, which despite the fact that it is blowing up in everyone’s face, not a single elected official will criticize in public.

The state legislature will return in January and the gun control agenda will move forward without Cuomo.

Latimer floated for Governor

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Some rumor-mongering at the Times Union:

“… A recent Times Union story about who might run for governor in 2022 included many possible entrants for the Democratic nomination. One name not included: Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Former state Sen. Terry Gipson, a Democrat who served in the Senate with Latimer, wrote in to say that Latimer should definitely be considered … Gipson, who has been encouraging Latimer to run for governor, noted Westchester County under Latimer passed several progressive measures before state government eventually acted on them …”

Latimer has a proven antigun record in the state legislature and in Westchester County.

That being said, the best opportunity for 2A activism may be during a Democrat primary and in that case it would be to push aside an even worse candidate as opposed to supporting a pro-gun one. That is the reality of gun politics in New York. Sitting by and doing nothing is not an option.