The Lehigh Valley Tea Party, or at least about 10 of them, invaded Allentown City Council last night. They were there to oppose Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski's attempt to reinstate a City ordinance that would require gun owners to report stolen or lost guns within 48 hours, or suffer sanctions. He was absent from the meeting himself, but a memo submitted in advance of the meeting argued that "[i]t is critical that the elected leaders of Pennsylvania’s third largest city demonstrate its commitment to curbing gun violence." The memo called this law a "priority" matter. Well, it's a priority matter that was tabled. Indefinitely.
Tom Campione, Chair of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party, called on Council to "stop bullying lawful gun owners," claiming it criminalizes lawful gun owners who themselves are victims of theft. He also argued that this bill is pre-empted by the Uniform Firearms Act, which gives state government the sole arbiter of firearms laws.
Campione could have stayed home. In fact, he probably hurt his cause. He had people cart in signs, which are OK at Trump rallies but are not permitted in City Council chambers. Roger MacLean, Allentown's former police chief, also made it clear that he resented being called a bully, especially since he was not on Council the first time this ordinance was adopted. But he also noted that Council has opinions from an assistant City Solicitor and DA Jim Martin, advising Council to reject the ordinance. So MacLean moved to table the ordinance.
"As far as I'm concerned, it can be tabled permanently," he said, to tea party applause.
Candida Affa, herself a gun owner, supports the bill. "I believe that our country is going downhill, and a lot of it has to do with [fire]arms." So she is willing to follow Fed Ed in defiance of her own Solicitor and the DA.
Daryl Hendricks, a former Allentown cop, prefers to follow the advice of the DA and City lawyers over that of someone who himself is the subject of a criminal investigation.
Henricks and MacLean voted to table over Affa's objection, and that ends the matter.
Easton Mayor Sal Panto has also vowed to introduce a similar law.
This is not an issue of lost or stolen anything,the problems are with people. Municipalities attract what they earn. Easton is much better now than 5 and 10 years ago . The bottom feeders will always work around any regulation and they way of the future is most likely in code and intelligence or data mining not brut work.
ReplyDeleteIf gun owners want to avoid useless laws designed to let blowhard politicians crow about doing something, they should move out of Democrat-controlled cities. If anyone wants to avoid gun violence, they should move out of Democrat-controlled cities. While gun violence has steadily declined for three decades, it's increased in Democrat-controlled cities. It's laughable when a burner-phone Democrat mayor says he knows how to address gun violence. He and his ilk have created the problem. And now they're coming to the rescue to solve a localized problem of their own making. You can't make this stuff up.
ReplyDeleteIf the fat man was so adamant about this bill, why wasn't he there to fight for it! We all know why. I can't believe this guy, who is dead in the water politically, except in his own mind, needs a pay check to pay his legal bills since the feds froze a majority of his campaign funds.
ReplyDeleteIt was a toothless political stunt the first time around, even more so now.
ReplyDeletePawlowski is a criminal, Affa is a joke.
So lawful gun owners would need to do inventory on their firearms every day. No one would be reasonably expected to that. If there is a breakin or other event that would cause concern, I would expect people would look to see what is missing. Of course this is all a lot of hyperbole because state law does not allow local communities to pass firearms law. This is for good reason, you could only imagine the laws that activist mayors and councils would do, and it would be ever changing regulation that would tap unsuspecting legal gun owners.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayor knew full well that the law would not pass. It made ZERO sense. Only criminals don't willingly report their guns stolen. If it did, it would have cost the City alot of money and without question be thrown out. Santo knows this also. They are either grandstanding or taking paybacks from attorneys they will have to hire to defend the laws.
ReplyDeleteNow he has given us, the second amendment supporters, a victory. I imagine Panto will also.
Jim West:
ReplyDeleteIt made zero sense the first time around, and City Council approved it.
Kudos to Maclean and Hendricks for having the common sense to stand against this, but it can still move forward if a majority of the full council want to resurrect it and pull it out of committee.
There's already one idiot on Council on the record as supporting it (Affa), which means they only have to find three (out of the four) others.
I'd like to think it's dead and common sense would prevail, but this is Allentown.
I don't think you know much about common sense, or you wouldn't insult a council that did exactly what you wanted.
ReplyDeleteGlad they (MacLean & Hendricks) did the right thing, but I think it's a bit early to be saying this is over.
ReplyDeletePawlowski quickly asked for this ordinance to be repealed when the NRA and other groups could challenge it, but wants it back now that they can't. He knows that the average citizen can't afford to take the city to court, and he's happy to bully city residents for his own political gain.
And I'm willing to bet that he's already bullying a few council members behind the scenes to resurrect this.
The Lehigh County District Attorney made it quite clear he won't enforce this political stunt the first time around.
ReplyDeleteIt was over before this nonsense was trotted out.
Pawlowski and Affa are pandering for the same constituancy.
Sal is looking to pretend this measure has some value for his own political gain.
As clear an example of political pandering as one can find. Affa and Fed Ed are playing to the same people and this is their attempt at pretending to address gun violence, which Affa should know is at a record 50 year low according to the FBI.
A cheap trick front to back.
I enjoy a good political stunt.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you hiding the Kathleen Kane story? Because she ids a Democrat?
ReplyDeleteDetroit - is the murder capital of the U.S. Almost no one that gets shot and kill there is minding their own business . Nobody that pulls triggers on the other guy, pays any taxes or owns a registered firearm . They are in a DEMOCRAT VENUE and the place IS generally out of control. Well ladies they asked for it. Ya I said this.
ReplyDeleteBERNIE , I have to tell you your off color image of what the greatest number of firearm owners look like is not this turd in your depiction . Also my observation on the range in real time of AR-15 owners are that the more crap they hang on that firearm is inverse to their ability to hit anything.HOWEVER- So I say your average mean of FIREARMS owners are tax paying citizens with JOBS that own their homes, and put braces on their kids teeth and love their 'STARTER WIVES',send a HIGHER proportion of kids to COLLEGE and don't own radar detectors or cheat the IRS and don't beat up their dogs. Go ahead make my day - debate me.
ReplyDeletethe average gun owner agrees with closing gun show loopholes and keeping guns out of the hands of lunatics.
ReplyDeletehopefully they can convince politicians to work on that
2:33, I have been highly critical of Kane for months, and called on her to resign long ago. I am also highly critical of Pawlowski, was the first to make the McCord connection, and have ripped Wolf and D legislators for not going after her sooner. Unlike you, I don't give a shit about her party. I flagged her criminal behavior long ago. Where were you?
ReplyDelete4.23
ReplyDeletetry
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/top-lists/highest-murder-rate-cities/
detroit is number five.
Alaska has high gun ownership and one of the highest gun deaths per 100k.
Alaska is a hotbed of Democrats?
who was the half term(quitter) gov of Alaska not so long ago?
6.30
ReplyDeleteso now you pivot to race.
gun deaths in Alaska is large and it tends to be a republican State.
St louis has a higher murder rate than Detroit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_murder_rate
so sliding the goalposts gets you nowhere.
but it will be interesting how you prove---
" Almost no one that gets shot and kill there is minding their own business . Nobody that pulls triggers on the other guy, pays any taxes or owns a registered firearm"
so all white guys in Detroit who use guns use only unregistered firearms and do not pay taxes?
sorry that dog don't hunt
Most gun deaths in Alaska are suicide. I'd probably kill myself if the sun didn't shine for months. Alaska ranks 24th in murders per 100k. You can't keep your goalposts erect. Nor can you address why 6.5% of the population commit 40% of murders - mostly on members of that 6.5% group. The dog is indeed hunting.
ReplyDelete4.23
ReplyDeletewhile talking about republicans
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_Act
"The Mulford Act was a 1967 California bill that repealed a law allowing public carrying of loaded firearms"
"Republicans in California supported increased gun control. Reagan was present when the protesters arrived and later commented that he saw "no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons"
so did saint Ronnie hate guns or black people with guns or both?
7.29
ReplyDeleteso white guys kill in Detroit with unregistered guns and do not pay taxes?
you did say "Nobody that pulls triggers on the other guy, pays any taxes or owns a registered firearm".
that dog not only don't hunt he doesn't fish either
again it would be interesting to see those statistics.
7.29
ReplyDeleteadded bonus
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/10/27/a-dog-shoots-a-person-almost-every-year-in-america/
"Florida appears to be home to several more of these accidents"--they have a republican gov.
"In 2011, a Utah hunter left his shotgun on a boat. His dog jumped on it, sending a blast of birdshot toward the man's buttocks."
another hotbed of republicans.
Anon 4;50 There is no gun show loophole . This statement is made up and repeated. Then printed by media. Here's one-'What difference does it make .' Who said that. The goalpost is total number of people not one year event. AND Look carefully I never put any distinction of race in my statement .That was your production. We shoot with lots of responsible 'minorities' at our club and they have been all very nice folks to date. We all get along respectfully. The rest of the general population should do so well.I'm personally happy to assist them as an equal, as I would an elderly 'WHITE LADY', with respect . Good day all.
ReplyDelete6.09
ReplyDelete"Detroit - is the murder capital of the U.S"
now means"total number of people not one year event."
somehow New York City having existed longer probably has had more murders.
talk about moving goalposts.
and "Nobody that pulls triggers on the other guy, pays any taxes or owns a registered firearm"
you offer no proof of that at all.
6.09
ReplyDelete"There is no gun show loophole"
try
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_show_loophole
"The term refers to the concept that a loophole in federal law exists, under which "[a]ny person may sell a firearm to an unlicensed resident of the State where he resides as long as he does not know or have reasonable cause to believe the person is prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms"
6;09 Great debate here your doing wonderfully. Lets look at N.Y. man arrested wile 'out of gas' Lower Saucon yesterday by an officer who is on the ball. Let's see what his tax history is and see if he applies and receives a free 'Defence Attorney'for his pathetic self.
ReplyDelete7.49
ReplyDeletewell for starters
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2016/08/out_of_gas_driver_caught_with.html
"A Philadelphia man was arrested on firearms and drug charges after he ran out of gas in Lower Saucon Township,"
sorry to tell you that Philadelphia is not N.Y.
but why would you let reality affect your views.