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Old May 21, 2012, 10:31 AM   #1
Bartholomew Roberts
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Orlando: Bloomberg and Joyce using YOUR tax dollars to pay for campaign against guns.

No way, you say.... I am not a resident of New York City, so Bloomberg can't get his grubby hands on my tax dollars, right? Wrong, as it turns out. Bloomberg and the Joyce Foundation are creating grants in cities around the country to fund a "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" regional coordinator. Unfortunately, the grants don't cover the full cost of salary in most cities. The shortfall is made up with local money and is used to hire Bloomberg-approved anti-gun lobbyists for these positions. Not only is Bloomberg using your tax money to fund anti-gun iniaitives, he is getting his anti-gun people hired as your city employees to boot.

This plan is covered in great detail in this thread from AR15.com:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/132...employees.html

So far, the following cities have "Regional Coordinators":

Orlando, FL
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Columbus, OH
Lewiston, ME
Seattle, WA
Reading, PA

Also, a congratulations to Mayor Brown (D) of Jacksonville, FL, who fired the MAIG coordinator when he succeeded the former Republican mayor of that city in 2010.

And for those who forget what the MAIG agenda is, here is straight from the horse's mouth: http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns....ral_action.pdf

Safety locks, no-private sales, registration, bans on "especially dangerous firearms" - there is a whole long laundry list of projects that have nothing to do with illegal guns - but a whole damn lot to do with making guns illegal.

Last edited by Bartholomew Roberts; May 21, 2012 at 12:12 PM. Reason: Correct spelling of Mayor Brown's name
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Old May 21, 2012, 10:39 AM   #2
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Now, Bart - how can you object to trying to control Stinger Pen Guns?

Quote:
In fact, the Air Force Office of Special Operations
refers to the Stinger as an “easily concealable firearm.”
This is a serious problem given the number of crimes committed with Stinger Pen Guns over the past few years.

I applaud the combined forces of the Mayors in combatting the use of the easily conceable Stinger Pen gun.

Why perhaps people might even buy totally invisible ceramic Glocks, next?
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Old May 21, 2012, 11:47 AM   #3
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How could you possibly be upset over this perfectly valid use of tax payer money?

(for those who missed it, that's sarcasm )
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Old May 21, 2012, 12:11 PM   #4
Bartholomew Roberts
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Meyer
Now, Bart - how can you object to trying to control Stinger Pen Guns?
As I am fond of saying, if you are going to shoot at me, then by all means please do it with a single shot .22LR/.25ACP/.380ACP pen gun that you have to fold origami style before you can fire a shot.

It is no wonder they aren't used in crimes more often. They are about as practical as a duck with lead shoes. However, they scare people who don't know a thing about firearms and that is really how the gun control movement raises money from the gullibe but ignorant.
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Old May 21, 2012, 12:20 PM   #5
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Quote:
They are about as practical as a duck with lead shoes.
I think PETA and HSUS outlawed these as well... And people wonder what is happening to the diving ducks?

This is definitely something to keep an eye on. An erosion of rights starts in your community. Being educated in knowing why we have the 2nd Amendment and what courts have ruled. Also knowing how the other side cooks the stats to benefit them and their message.

A few public comments at a chamber meeting complaining about the extra tax dollars being spent might actually wake some people up. Overall gun violence has decreased, overall violent crime has been decreased, all BEFORE the cities hired these people, even as gun ownership rose.
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Old May 21, 2012, 12:43 PM   #6
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I knew exactly one person who carried a Stinger...as his third BUG, or would that be BBBUG.
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Old May 21, 2012, 01:55 PM   #7
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I should point out that the link in Bart's thread leads to another forum, and one with different rules than ours. There is some adult language in the responses.

Frankly, their strategy makes a certain amount of sense. The Joyce/Brady axis has long had university professors and lawyers in their employ, and as their influence has waned there, why not branch out?

In fact, it's pretty sneaky, since she can't lobby on behalf of MAIG without endangering their 501(c)(3) status, but she can do so through her day job with the city.

The difference is, it's a lot easier to get a government official ousted via public outrage than it is a professor or a private firm. There's a hint there, folks. Start writing and calling your congress critters.
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Old May 21, 2012, 05:58 PM   #8
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It is well and good that professors are not removed because of outrage. Progun professors might have some trouble in some institutions.

Anyway, Bloomberg is on the way out and his bully pulpit may not survive to the next mayor.

It hasn't been successful. Winkler's (in Gun Fight) analysis of the Heller decision indicates that the Mayor of DC thought that their restrictions and fight against the suit would lead to a nation wide movement against handguns. Even antigunners asked him fold his tent rather than risk SCOTUS. Ego prevailed. However, one must admit Heller was a close call.

McDonald - another blow following Heller didn't help the city mayor's crusade.

I regard Bloomberg's initiative as a creature of his urban environment. It's like those weird worms that live near the hot tubes in the deep trenches of the ocean - with an ecology and biology unique to those holes.

The Big city mayor will rant against handguns given the crime related problems of their population and have no insight into the rest of the nation that supports gun ownership. The crime problem may seem to be easily fixed by attacking guns but crime is dropping and its causes are socio-economic.

I'd expect the initiatives to go NOWHERE even after the election, no matter who wins and the fears of some.
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Old May 21, 2012, 07:02 PM   #9
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Glenn, one could also argue that the billionaire whose friends can all afford the time (other people's) and money to get permits (and/or hire armed security) under very restrictive laws might like a system that disempowers the underclasses.

Same with politicians whose states make exceptions for, of all people, politicians. Legislators getting to carry in the state house (when normal people can't); that sort of thing.

When we allow the government to think of its members as a special, privileged, ruling class, we are setting ourselves up for trouble.
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Old May 22, 2012, 10:05 AM   #10
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Mleake - I agree. Having a reservoir of power outside the powerful classes - defined by money, religion, socialist vs. capitalist economic system - or whatever, is not acceptable to power elites.

Without wandering into politics the RKBA does not find friends among all monied types, despite their 'party'.
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Old May 23, 2012, 01:30 PM   #11
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Seattle was "awarded" US$60,000. The city is supposed to cover "the rest of the expenses". Mayor maginn(seattle) is a rabid anti-gunner. The "washington ceasefire" group is trying to disarm the public with the maigs help. It is not working.
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Old May 23, 2012, 04:37 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Meyer
Why perhaps people might even buy totally invisible ceramic Glocks, next?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf8sC_1deyM
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Old May 23, 2012, 08:05 PM   #13
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Quote:
Why perhaps people might even buy totally invisible ceramic Glocks, next?
I saw that in Die Hard 2!!!

IT MUST BE TRUE!!!
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Old May 23, 2012, 08:34 PM   #14
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Glenn Meyer: "Why perhaps people might even buy totally invisible ceramic Glocks, next?"

I bought two. I can rarely find them but when I do, they feel good in my hand. But the danged things sound too loud for inaudible!
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Old May 24, 2012, 01:59 AM   #15
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Jim March

Once put the kibosh on million mom march in San Francisco for using public funds or real estate ( I cant find the info it was quite awhile ago ) maybe this maig stuff is illegal too?
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Old May 24, 2012, 11:29 AM   #16
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Thr, it wasn't that long ago.
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Old June 1, 2012, 02:44 AM   #17
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Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer hires MAIG staffer

Just read an article in The Orlando Sentinel, indicating that Mayor Buddy Dyer has hired a staffer whose salary is to be paid by a $75,000 grant from Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Her job will be to coordinate city efforts against "illegal guns."

She previously worked directly for MAIG, and still has lobbying duties as a MAIG regional coordinator in Tallahassee.

Theoretically, she is not allowed to lobby during hours when she is theoretically being paid to work for Orlando. In reality, I'm not quite sure how they intend to differentiate.

Part of her parallel duties will apparently involve trying to recruit more Florida mayors to join MAIG.

Any Orlando TFLers might want to look into this, and join efforts in the area to challenge her appointment.
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Old June 1, 2012, 08:11 AM   #18
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Maybe Buddy should be pushing for no early release for the recidivism-inclined inmates. I live north of Orlando and avoid that entire region including the surrounding towns like the plague - too much crime with the majority being drug-related, so violence is the norm
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Old June 1, 2012, 08:14 AM   #19
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Quote:
Part of her parallel duties will apparently involve trying to recruit more Florida mayors to join MAIG.
Isn't that kind of lobbying? I'm not sure of the difference.
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Old June 1, 2012, 08:20 AM   #20
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Definition of "hired" needs some work.

Sounds like an embedded lobbyist to me.

Maybe the NRA can place an embedded lobbyist right alongside?
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Old June 2, 2012, 11:17 AM   #21
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The Antigun mayors should join Bloomer's campaign against the big Gulp.

I here that organized crime is tooling up for Gulp-easys in NYC. Thus, the NFA was a good thing as Thompsons might be used in fights over Gulp territories.

Bloomers is a blah, blah.
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Old June 2, 2012, 12:47 PM   #22
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Quote:
How could you possibly be upset over this perfectly valid use of tax payer money?

(for those who missed it, that's sarcasm )
OMG! Some of my tax money may be funding anti-gun programs and organizations? That is a horror, an outrage!

Wait a minute. My local, state, and federal taxes help pay for every last government funded cause that I don't support. Even worse, my federal taxes don't just go to domestic programs. Apparently, I am also helping to fund a variety of governments around the world that I do not wish to support. Not only are those governments funded, but in some cases, I am also helping pay for the US troops to protect those governments.

Even worse than that, my tax money pays the salaries of anti-gun lawmakers!!!

That the MAIG program is partially funded by tax money really isn't the issue here, is it? I can't imagine that people would somehow believe that their tax dollars only fund programs and people that they support.
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Old June 2, 2012, 08:05 PM   #23
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DNS, nobody likely believes that.

What some of us might believe, though, is that since our tax dollars are being used for it, we have much more leverage to work against it than we would against, say, the Brady Campaign which is privately funded.

First, as voters we can derail it.

Second, as a publicly supported institution, it falls under more scrutiny from the courts.

Neither factor is insignificant.
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Old June 3, 2012, 12:08 AM   #24
Bartholomew Roberts
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Additionally, while your elected representatives are elected by a vote of the people, this is not an elected position. This is ostensibly a city employee who is also a lobbyist for gun control, and not just any gun control measures, but fairly strict ones aimed at legal ownership rather than illegal possession.

Certainly in a representative republic your tax dollars will be used to support programs you may oppose; but in a representative republic it is also your right to make that complaint to your representative and to replace said representative if they won't work with you.

So, yes, it is an issue. Not the only issue by far; but we should understand the process by which organizations can and do use our own money against us (CDC-funded studies of gun control being a great example of this until Congress put a halt to it).
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