Firearms Owners Against
Crime
"On every question of construction carry ourselves back to the
time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the
debates and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or
invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." --
Thomas Jefferson (letter to
William Johnson, 12 June 1823)
E-Newsletter & FOAC
Meeting Notice
August 12, 2007
Meeting Agenda-
Invited Guest Speakers:
· Mark DeSantis (Rep. candidate for Mayor of Pittsburgh)
7.1 Presentation of the past month’s report
8.1
None
9.0 NEW BUSINESS
9.1
PA
General Election Preliminary Assessment
9.2
9.2.1
SB
623 and amendments (PA)
9.2.2
Rendell
& PA Black Caucus Fall Anti-Gun Offensive Plans
9.3
Pro-Gun
Agenda Developments – (HB 1235 & HB 641)
9.4
Upcoming
Political Events (Staback, Kortz/Gergely, etc.)
9.5
Peters
Twp. (
9.6
9.7
Educational
efforts for new legislators
9.8
Membership
committee developments
Federal issues:
9.9
HR
2640 & OSHA Regs on guns and components &
Immigration Legislation
**Upcoming Gun Show: Sept. 13th & 14th (Harmarville--PGCA)
**Upcoming Outdoor Show: Sept. 22nd – 29th (Bloomsburg Fair/Bloomsburg, PA)
For more information on FOAC
efforts to ‘Protect YOUR Rights’, THE MOST CURRENT VOTER’S GUIDES, donating
to or becoming a member of FOAC please click on this link: http://www.foac-pac.org/
FOAC - 2007
Meeting Schedule
Jan 14, 2nd Sunday, Feb 11, 2nd Sunday, Mar 11, 2nd Sunday,
Apr 15, 3rd Sunday, May 6, 1st Sunday, Jun 10, 2nd Sunday, Jul 8, 2nd Sunday,
Aug 12, 2nd Sunday, Sep 9, 2nd
Sunday, Oct 14, 2nd Sunday, Nov 4, 1st Sunday, Dec 9, 2nd
Sunday
**Time of Meeting: 10:00 AM
**Location:
****Coffee and Donuts will be
provided
***Primary Election -- May 15 (Results Finalized)
***General Election -- Nov. 6
On July 23 residents of Peters Township of Washington County showed up at the council meeting to protest and express their dissatisfaction with enactment of an ordinance that prohibited possession of firearms on borrowed property to include parks and all trails.
The Allegheny County sportsmen's league legislative committee along with members of the Dormont/Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen's club made it clear in no uncertain terms that this legislation was not only illegal but would lead to more victimization and not make anyone in the Township safer. It was plainly apparent to everyone in attendance that counsel was very surprised at the reaction and level of support expressed by individuals of the Township as well as supporting organizations. In addition to the Allegheny County Sportsmen's League, Second Amendment Sister’s state director, Judy Brown was there as well.
(Ellwood City Council Ignores
NRA Letter!)
These actions are part of a larger
hole of a broad attack on gun owners and gun ownership throughout the state of
At this time the Peters Township
Council has been offered our assistance to assist them in drafting language
that comports with
Hunting licenses & Social Security
Numbers
On November 29, 2006 Governor Ed Rendell signed into law house Bill 2134 known as Act 160. This legislation was intended to provide sportsmen and outdoors enthusiasts with the opportunity to acquire hunting licenses without being forced to submit their Social Security number in public and provided for alternate means of identification.
Proving that the devil is in the details, government agencies were given one year to prepare for this change in license issuance procedures. It was the responsibility of the Department of public welfare were known as DPW to submit to the federal government for an exemption to the federal law requiring the submission of Social Security numbers for licenses. As of the writing of this report the Department of DPW has not submitted that request to this federal government and the legislative committee has been informed that this will occur by October 31 of 2007, supposedly. The one-year period for preparations to adjust to this alternate method of acquiring a hunting license begins from the moment of approval by the federal government and as of this writing that point is uncertain at best.
The sponsor of House Bill 2134, Representative Russ Fairchild, is angry about how poorly the implementation of this law has been handled. In fact angry is a very weak way of explaining exactly his feelings on this issue. He has promised to do what he can to spur along the agency to follow the laws guidelines however he points out that this agency, the Department of DPW, is controlled by the governor's office who is not a friend of gun owners or sportsmen.
At the heart of all of this is a continuing legacy of politics controlling every facet of our lives in the unwillingness of many sportsmen to understand that they must get involved if we are to change the face of politics and make our lives better. The alternative is to submit like sheep to the ever encroaching bureaucracy that faces every facet of our lives.
The legislative committee will be
contacting every congressman and Congresswoman from
Election Issues-Judicial:
Justice wouldn't go along with raises
Erie Times Article published Aug 8, 2007
Most Pennsylvanians have never heard of state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Saylor. And many voters will struggle in November to decide whether Saylor deserves retention. Here's a reminder of why we hold him in high regard.
Saylor is the justice who cast the lone dissenting vote in September against reinstating pay raises for elected judges. Saylor's colleagues didn't agree. The court incredibly ordered retroactive judicial raises on grounds that the pay-raise repeal violated a constitutional ban on lowering pay for judges.
The majority allowed the repeal of the legislative raises to stand because it said the Legislature had violated the state constitution by permitting members to collect illegal midterm pay raises in the form of "unvouchered expenses."
Has there ever been a more maddening example of any court wanting it both ways?
Saylor is the only state Supreme Court justice up for retention and, yes, that might have factored into his thinking. But he did the right thing.
In his minority opinion, Saylor said he would not have reinstated the judicial raises. Saylor also said he would have voted to overturn a 1986 state Supreme Court ruling that he said formed the legal backdrop for the unvouchered expenses that allowed greedy legislators to collect raises early and led to the public outcry and the pay-raise repeal.
Voters will have to make their own decisions on Saylor's retention, but it doesn't seem like a hard call to us.
Proposed Anti-gun Legislation:
HB
0018 HB
0020 HB
0021 HB
0022
HB
0023 HB
0024 HB
0025 HB
0028
HB
0029 HB
0030 HB
0073 HB
0277
HB
0291 HB
0452 HB 0467 HB
0485
HB
0608 HB 0649 HB
0760 HR 0035
News Briefs:
OSHA to Revise Ammunition Regulations
After intense direct lobbying by the National Rifle Association
(NRA), the National Shooting Sports Foundation and a blizzard of emails from
gunowners and gun shops, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA), an agency of the Department of Labor, has announced that it will review
and revise a regulatory proposal that would have severely impacted gunowners
and the ammunition industry.
The proposed OSHA rules were intended to expand protections
to employees engaged in the manufacture, storage, sale, transportation,
handling, and use of explosives, but as written would have included small arms
ammunition, blackpowder, smokeless propellants and
primers used by handloaders. The proposal, as
originally published in the Federal Register in April, was estimated to have
cost the industry and consumers more than $100 million per year.
For example, manufacturers and retailers would have had
to shut down and evacuate a factory or retail shop when a thunderstorm
approached. Customers with cigarette lighters or matches would not be able to
enter a store or other facility or vehicle with blackpowder,
small arms ammunition, primers, and smokeless propellants, which were treated
like the most volatile high explosives.
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute
(SAAMI) had also met with OSHA representa
tives before the agency announced that a 60-day extension
for public comment to Sept. 10 had been ordered. Concerns about the safety
regulation proposal were raised in a July 11 letter to OSHA signed by Rep.
Denny Rehberg (
On July 16, Kristine A. Iverson, assistant secretary of
Labor for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, wrote to Congress to
state "it was never the intention of OSHA to block the sale,
transportation, or storage of small arms ammunition" and that OSHA is
taking prompt action to clarify the purpose of the regulation.
While OSHA has not withdrawn the proposal altogether,
Iverson's letter promised that a significantly revised proposal would be filed
promptly and "will be subject to substantial review and scrutiny to
ensure that the revisions are prudent and the intent is clear." She said
the new proposal would endeavor to "eliminate unclear, inconsistent and
repetitive requirements contained in the current standard." OSHA undertook
the rulemaking to update the existing explosives standard, which has not been
changed for more than 35 years, Iverson explained.
OSHA had originally set out to update workplace safety regulations,
but the proposed rules included restrictions that very few gun shops, sporting
goods stores, shippers, or ammunition dealers could have complied with.
Also working with the NRA to gather signatures for the
letter to OSHA from Congress was Rep. Doug Lamborn
(R-CO). The letter called the proposal "an un= due burden on a single
industry where facts do not support the need outlined by this proposed
rule" and "not feasible, making it realistically impossible for
companies to comply with its tenets."
Among the requirements heavily criticized by industry
experts is a mandate that manufacturers of ammunition and smokeless
propellants would have to shut down their operations and evacuate their
factories if a thunderstorm approached. Under the same regulation, NSSF and
others contend were onerous, retail customers would not be permitted within 50
feet of ammunition displays or counters unless they are first searched for
cigarette lighters or matches.
The document as published in the Federal Register raises this as an issue for discussion, noting that OSHA is seeking specific comments on whether the proposed rule change would have an impact on the storage and retail sale of small arms ammunition, small arms ammunition primers and smokeless and blackpowder or substitutes. The New GUN WEEK, August 1, 2007
ATF Seizes Gun In
Alleged
by Dave Workman Senior Editor
It appears the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (ATF) is investigating an anti-gun Boston Globe columnist and the head of a
John Rosenthal, head of Stop Handgun Violence in
While the Globe may not dismiss Bailey, it appears the
ATF moved swiftly, contacting one of the men involved in the purchase at his
Rosenthal and Bailey both said they enlisted the help of
a
In his column, a very miffed Bailey wrote that the same
day SAF called for an investigation "two ATF agents and a
"They had a search warrant and a tape of the radio
interview," Bailey wrote. "They wanted to know about the gun, Rosenthal,
and me. Belair told them the gun was at home; they
went there later in the day, and confiscated it. They did give him a
receipt."
Bailey, who wrote about the incident in the Nov. 30, 2005
issue of the newspaper, brusquely told Gun Week that he would "let the
column speak for itself." In that column, headlined "Live Free and
Die," Bailey described a visit to a gum show in
Rosenthal told Gun Week that "I brought Steve Bailey
up to a gun show so he could see what it was like. He brought a friend, an Army
Ranger back from Afghanistan." lie also insisted that he didn't take possession
of the gun afterward, and that to his knowledge, the revolver stayed in
Bailey and Rosenthal had different accounts of the
transaction, but it is clear from the radio audio they considered it the find
of third-party transaction that constitutes a straw sale.
Wallace told Gun Week that he is "not astounded by
anything Rosenthal does and gets away with. Nobody ever calls him on it. He's a
wealthy developer and he can get away with whatever he wants to get away
with." The New GUN WEEK, August 1, 2007
DC to Appeal Parker Decision To Supreme Court
A three judge federal appeals court panel struck down the
law in March, rejecting the city's argument that the Second Amendment right to
bear arms applied only to militias. The full appeals court refused to
reconsider the decision in May.
"We believe we are right on the law and we hope the
Supreme Court will agree with us," DC Attorney General Linda Singer said,
according to Newsmax.com.
If the high court takes up the case, it would mark the
first time in 70 years that justices will consider the breadth of the Second
Amendment.
City officials say the ban is needed because of
consistently high homicide rates. The law has remained in effect during the
appeals process.
Opinion regarding DC's decision to appeal is divided by
commentators on both sides of the issue, since nobody can predict how the high
court will rule if it agrees to review the decision. The New GUN WEEK, August 1, 2007
Tale Of Two Cities:
August 3, 2007
The
NBC 10 Investigators' Vince DeMentri visited
And
although police have tried many different programs and policies to combat the
trend, they just don't seem to be slowing down the killing rate.
Now,
the head of
As of Thursday night,
Baltimore, a city that is less than half the size of
Philadelphia, tallied 183.
And
in both cities, the malignant trend seems the same – city killings just keep
steadily climbing, with no let up in sight.
It's
a bloodstained corridor straight up Interstate 95 from
The
increase in shootings and murders forced the firing or resignation of four
police commissioners in
Fred
Bealefeld is the acting boss now, and said he knows
what his job is: "Ramping up this sense of urgency in attacking the crime
problem in
With
a mayoral election coming up in November, the issue of crime has become No. 1,
pushing the tactics that some have said mimic martial law.
One such
"Essentially,
what we do is identify some crime areas of the city and we use street
barricades," acting commissioner Bealefeld said.
"We position officers in those corridors to try to limit vehicle traffic. We
shut down streets.
"We
put officers on foot patrol ... we try to insulate and isolate that
neighborhood from the infusion of criminal activity. Not martial law," Bealefeld added.
In
"You
know, just because you have a camera on a corner doesn't necessarily mean that
no crime will exist," Baltimore Police Col. John Skinner said. "In
fact, you know crime does exist around the cameras, and you have to incorporate
and use the positioning of the cameras to your advantage. Sometimes that takes
some trial and error."
Another
thing the cities have in common is guns, which flood the streets.
Still,
Instead,
the city leans on state and federal agencies to inspect records of gun dealers
and look for any red flags.
The
process allows them to target more potential gun law violators who may have
committed other crimes.
Some
law-abiding gun owners might call this an invasion of privacy.
"All
I'd ask you to do is look at the picture of the guns we got," Bealefeld said. "These weren't granddaddy squirrel
guns."
Some of
·
A push for
mandatory jail time if a suspect is caught with an illegal gun Use of state and
federal officers to police certain areas of the city to free up city officers
·
A city-federal
program called Operation Exile, where police focus on the most violent
offenders in the community and expose them to potentially federal prison
sentences.
"You put them on a target list and say, essentially, 'You get out of line,
we're taking you federally,'" Bealefeld said.
Police
hope the program will serve as a deterrent because federal sentences are often
longer and without parole.
In
comparison,
"If
I had to do just one job to have an impact making people's lives safer, it
would be the footman, Bealefeld said. "At the end of the day, if you just had a footman
dealing with problems in the neighborhood, you really could make the community
safer."
In
comparison to
Per
capita,
Both
police forces said they believe in order for violence to decrease, though,
change is necessary within the legal system.
One
major problem? Both departments said most of the
violent offenders they arrest wind up on parole or probation.
House Panel Retains Tiahrt,
The House Appropriations Committee on July 12 dealt a
major blow to New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's campaign to gut the
Tiahrt Amendment that limits public access to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives (ATF) gun tracing data to bona fide police department
investigations.
Bloomberg, with support from other mayors in his Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) coalition, had personally campaigned
on Capitol Hill before the vote.
Newsday reported that Bloomberg's aides threatened to run negative ads against
committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) if pro-gun legislation opposed by the
mayor was passed in that committee, Obey claimed. The mayor's office denied the
charge.
Speaking during a committee session, Obey said Bloomberg
aides told his staff that TV ads painting him as anti-law enforcement would be
run in his district if the Tiahrt Amendment was passed. MAIG had already runs
ads in the district of Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS).
"The Mayor's staff came into my office, and rather
than discuss the merits, they simply did what so many bullies do ... they
threatened to run ads in my district if I didn't bow to their wishes,"
Obey said, according to a transcript provided to Newsday by his staff.
Interestingly, Obey also took issue with the National
Rifle Association (NRA), saying the organization didn't endorse him despite his
votes against gun control legislation.
"I don't react very well to bullying, and I don't
react very well to threats," he said. "I wish I could find a way to
vote against both sides of this issue."
However, pro-gun rights Democrats, including Obey, teamed
with House Republicans to block local governments and others from gaining
routine access to gun-purchasing data that is available for local police investigations.
The powerful House committee defeated two attempts by
gun control advocates to strip four-year-old restrictions on the use of ATF
gun tracing data. The New GUN WEEK, August 1, 2007
NEWS RELEASE
SF SUPERVISOR
ADMITS GUN LAWS WON’T WORK; SAF CALLS VOTE ‘LUDICROUS’
“Supervisor
Ross Mirkarimi, in a remarkable fit of candor,
admitted to the news media that these new gun ordinances won’t stop violent
crime,” said SAF founder Alan Gottlieb. “Yet the Board of Supervisors has voted
to tighten its chokehold on the self-defense rights of law-abiding citizens and
the one retail gun dealer in the city. This is ludicrous. You don’t stop
criminals by punishing their victims.
“We
sued the city more than 18 months ago over its ridiculous November 2005 gun ban
initiative,” he recalled, “and by passing these ordinances, which are only
slightly less restrictive than a ban, it appears the city now admits they will
ultimately lose that lawsuit in court.”
The
new ordinances will prohibit the possession or sale of firearms on city
property, and require gun owners to lock their guns in containers or with
trigger locks. Gun dealers will have to provide an inventory to the police
chief every six months. Supervisor Aaron Peskin
called the laws “silly feel-good legislation with no teeth.”
“Supervisor
Peskin has this issue nailed solidly,” Gottlieb
stated. “Supervisor Sophie Maxwell admitted that these anti-gun issues are
‘separate from’ violent crime, and that explains a lot. The majority
on that Board are gun-hating extremists, and Maxwell’s statement
acknowledges that they are impotent against dangerous thugs, so instead they
concentrate on citizens who don’t commit crimes. First the criminals victimize
these people, and then the city government further victimizes them. How stupid
is that?
“This
is the kind of anti-gun mentality against which SAF has to constantly battle,
through our educational efforts and in the courts when necessary,” Gottlieb
concluded. “It is a pity there aren’t more supervisors like Peskin,
who understand the truth about these measures, and will publicly renounce them
for the foolishness they represent.” Second
Amendment Foundation – 07/25/2007
-END-