Apparently the PA house wants to add “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” to the state flag, just in case we weren’t sure. You know, if this is what you folks in Harrisburg have time to debate, I’m thinking a part time legislature sounds like a good way to save the state some money. Oh well, I guess it’s better than spending time raising taxes yet again.
Author: Sebastian
McCarthy Involved?
This Newsday article has Carolyn McCarthy involved in the NICS deal:
“Mentioning the NRA and Carolyn McCarthy in the same breath is like oil and water,” McCarthy said. “They’re certainly nervous about their membership working with me. My side, my groups are nervous about me working wih Dingell and the NRA.”
Dingell’s office helped conduct daily discussions on the bill’s specifics, according to McCarthy spokesman George Burke, and McCarthy’s office signed off on the final agreement. Dingell was a co-sponsor of the first bill in 2002 and a co-sponsor of this year’s version.
I’m not much inclined to give too much credence to statements from McCarthy’s office that she was involved. Of course they won’t want to paint her as an utter failure, and admit that she was sidelined.
The article also mentions, “McCarthy said the bill could reach the House floor for a vote this week.” which would indicate that it is not her own bill, which is already introduced. Â We’ll see though.
There is some more clarity here:
Democrats agreed to allow up to 109,000 armed services veterans, placed into the NICS system for mental health reasons determined by a physician but not adjudicated by law, a chance to remove their names from the system.
Those with minor infractions, such as temporary restraining orders which have since expired, could also petition the state for removal from the system.
The federal government would also be barred from charging gun buyers or sellers for background checks.
I’m hoping such as merely includes that, and doesn’t indicate things like temporary restraining orders are the only thing that can be challenged.  We’ll have to see the bill though. The NRA also notes that this isn’t yet a done deal, and they will oppose the bill if the deal goes sour. I’m wondering if perhaps this was leaked to the press before it was really ready in an attempt to force one of the parties hands.
This would all be less nerve wracking if I trusted the Democrats on this issue, which I do not.
Masquerading Criminals
This type of incident has happened before in my area, and now it seems to be happening again. I have a special level of loathing for criminals who masquerade as police officers, because it erodes the public’s level of trust in law enforcement.
It’s one reason I’m understanding of Bitter’s disdain for officers removing weapons from license holders during stops. I understand why officers do it, but I also can understand a woman’s reluctance to be disarmed by any male, even one claiming to be a police officer.
Twilight Years of the Swiss Gun Culture
I think we’re witnessing the twilight years of the Swiss gun culture. Though they have huge turnouts for the national target shooting festival, there is increasing support for banning army weapons in the home, and the militia system that Switzerland has used for its defense is unpopular among young people.
Because Switzerland’s shooting culture is so intertwined with it’s militia system, I don’t think it will survive its demise. Â If the Swiss sportsmen want to preserve their shooting traditions, they are going to have to organize, otherwise, the generation gap there appears to be on this issue will be their undoing.
My mother never …
… let me play with guns either.  As you can all see, it was quite an effective strategy for keeping me away from them ;)
State Budget Problems
According to the Evening Bulletin:
What’s driving the much-talked-about “looming crisis” is Gov. Ed Rendell’s proposed new spending and the handful of state tax hikes he’s pushing – from a payroll tax on some employers to a gross profits tax on oil and a one percentage point hike in the sales tax. But Republicans and, some say, most Democrats have no appetite for tax increases this year.
So that should solve it, right?Well, no, because Rendell is bent on getting a permanent funding increase for deficit-strapped mass transit agencies like the Port Authority of Allegheny County and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
Historically, lawmakers from suburban and rural districts don’t approve new sources of transit money without more highway and bridge money. But the price of gasoline virtually precludes a gas tax hike. It leaves lawmakers jittery about Rendell’s oil profits tax – intended to pay for transit – for fear the costs will be passed on to consumers.
Over the long haul, any tax on refiners will be passed on to the consumer, because it will force resources out of our state to other states which don’t have the tax burden.  In addition, this will actually increase our dependence on middle east oil.  Why? Because the cheapest crude to refine is light sweet crude, a large source of which is middle eastern in origin. Heavier crudes from, say, Canada or the Gulf Coast, are more expensive to refine. Rendell’s proposed windfall profits tax will make refining heavier crudes less profitable than it is already, causing the industry to shift to more profitable sources of oil.
I don’t think there’s any problem which our governor thinks some new taxes and new spending won’t cure. But it’s only going to serve to drive more people out of the Commonwealth.  Hopefully Rendell’s legacy won’t be to turn Pennsylvania into the new Massachusetts, with jobs and population leaving at such a fast rate that they are on track to lose a congressional seat.
Good CHL Bit from Texas
I always like to highlight when reporters do a good story on our subject. This is one of those cases.
We’re probably the only country…
… that goes bat shit crazy over stuff like this. How many of us got alcohol from our parents before we were 21? To me, her sin was lying to the other parents. Had she been truthful, I might question her judgment, but I wouldn’t say she did anything horribly wrong.
By the way, MADD is totally out of control, and it’s high time people stopped taking them seriously.
The Spin Already Starting
This seems to be the typical article I’m seeing in the international press:
DEMOCRATS have struck a deal with the National Rifle Association to tighten gun laws in the US for the first time in 13 years, as the nation was shocked by another mass shooting that left six dead and a toddler clinging to life with a gunshot wound to the chest.
To be fair, the article also mentions the concessions we got, but I’m still curious exactly what new gun control law is coming out of this deal? As best as we know so far, it’s a funding bill to encourage states to keep NICS records up to date.  The only change to the actual law, it seems, is the ability to challenge prohibited status for certain offenses.
New Jersey Alert
The Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs has an alert out urging shooters in New Jersey to contact their state legislators. The New Jersey General Assembly is voting on a bill today, AB3511, to institute a one-gun-a-month gun rationing scheme.
THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE WE HAVE TO STOP THIS OPPRESSIVE ANTI-GUN MEASURE IN
THE ASSEMBLY!
Please contact your Assembly member TODAY and respectfully urge him or her to oppose this unwarranted and unnecessary gun-rationing scheme. To identify your Assembly member, please use the NRA-ILA “Write Your Representative” link below or click here.
So those of you who live in New Jersey might want to make a call. Jersey may be a lost cause, but that doesn’t mean we should give up without a fight.