Doug Huffman
Banned
imported post
http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/08329/930426-100.stm
Council passes controversial bill on stolen guns Monday, November 24, 2008 By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh City Council gave its first approval today to legislation requiring that anyone report a lost or stolen firearm report that within 24 hours or potentially face a $500 fine.
The 6-1 vote, with two abstentions, sets up a final vote likely next week, which would send the legislation to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl for his signature or veto, and then potentially to the courts, where similar measures have been challenged.
"Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?" said Councilwoman Tonya Payne, a supporter. "This is what's right to do, and if this means that we have to go out and have a court battle, then that's fine ... We have plenty of dead bodies coming up in our streets every single day, and that is unacceptable."
The lone no vote was by Councilman Ricky Burgess, who argued that it would be a "false cure" that would be "particularly cruel" to his violence-plagued northeastern Pittsburgh district.
"This legislation will not strike a blow to straw purchasers," he said. "This ordinance will not be enforced, no loopholes will be closed and no lives will be saved, because no municipality can legally regulate firearms of any kind, at any time, for any reason."
Council's vote is a win for groups engaged in a statewide push to get local rules for reporting lost and stolen guns. The state House rejected a statewide bill in April.
Advocates appearing before council today argued that people called straw purchasers frequently buy guns, then sell them to criminals who could not pass the required background checks. When the guns are used in crimes and traced back to the straw purchaser, he or she just claims the weapon was lost or stolen. Unless that can be disproved, the straw purchaser is off the hook.
"It's a loophole that allows illegal gun traffickers to simply state that a weapon was stolen," said Councilman William Peduto, one of three authors of the bill along with Council President Doug Shields and Councilman Bruce Kraus.
Councilmen Dan Deasy and Patrick Dowd abstained.
Mr. Dowd said that in passing the measure council is "not really effectively changing the situation on the ground," and is inviting a lawsuit.
Philadelphia has sought to enforce similar legislation, but the effort has been tied up in litigation. Legally, the question is whether the state ban on local laws on "the transfer, ownership, transportation or possession" of guns extends to the reporting of lost or stolen firearms.
The Commonwealth Court threw out Philadelphia's measure, and other gun control rules there. The matter is heading for the state Supreme Court.
"To me the question is wide open" on whether such rules are allowed, said Mr. Shields. "This is where you go in [to court] and you make your arguments."
http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2008/11/who-cares-about-being-unconsti.html
That question comes from an elected official in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That person would be Tonya Payne, a Democrat member of the Pittsburgh City Council. Apparently there has been brouhaha in Pittsburgh concerning the right to bear arms. It would be a little thing called the Second Amendment ... not that this woman has heard of it. I wonder what she would score on that little civics quiz we talked about yesterday?
Anyway, Tonya and her fellow council members approved legislation that would require anyone to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours. If not reported, the person would face a fine. You see, right now in Pennsylvania there is a state ban on local laws on "the transfer, ownership, transportation or possession" of guns. The question is whether that extends to reporting lost or stolen firearms.
So that's when Tonya, who can't seem to wrap her bureaucratic head around the concept, comes up with this line: "Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?"
She goes on to say, "This is what's right to do, and if this means that we have to go out and have a court battle, then that's fine ... We have plenty of dead bodies coming up in our streets every single day, and that is unacceptable."
So according to Tonya, it is okay to defy the Constitution if your city councilwoman thinks that "it is the right thing to do." Is this the type of respect for the Constitutional law that we can expect from a Barack Obama administration? Remember, under an Obama administration with Obama appointed judges ... the Constitution is just a formality, what really matters is making sure that judges rule the way they feel is "right."
http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/08329/930426-100.stm
Council passes controversial bill on stolen guns Monday, November 24, 2008 By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh City Council gave its first approval today to legislation requiring that anyone report a lost or stolen firearm report that within 24 hours or potentially face a $500 fine.
The 6-1 vote, with two abstentions, sets up a final vote likely next week, which would send the legislation to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl for his signature or veto, and then potentially to the courts, where similar measures have been challenged.
"Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?" said Councilwoman Tonya Payne, a supporter. "This is what's right to do, and if this means that we have to go out and have a court battle, then that's fine ... We have plenty of dead bodies coming up in our streets every single day, and that is unacceptable."
The lone no vote was by Councilman Ricky Burgess, who argued that it would be a "false cure" that would be "particularly cruel" to his violence-plagued northeastern Pittsburgh district.
"This legislation will not strike a blow to straw purchasers," he said. "This ordinance will not be enforced, no loopholes will be closed and no lives will be saved, because no municipality can legally regulate firearms of any kind, at any time, for any reason."
Council's vote is a win for groups engaged in a statewide push to get local rules for reporting lost and stolen guns. The state House rejected a statewide bill in April.
Advocates appearing before council today argued that people called straw purchasers frequently buy guns, then sell them to criminals who could not pass the required background checks. When the guns are used in crimes and traced back to the straw purchaser, he or she just claims the weapon was lost or stolen. Unless that can be disproved, the straw purchaser is off the hook.
"It's a loophole that allows illegal gun traffickers to simply state that a weapon was stolen," said Councilman William Peduto, one of three authors of the bill along with Council President Doug Shields and Councilman Bruce Kraus.
Councilmen Dan Deasy and Patrick Dowd abstained.
Mr. Dowd said that in passing the measure council is "not really effectively changing the situation on the ground," and is inviting a lawsuit.
Philadelphia has sought to enforce similar legislation, but the effort has been tied up in litigation. Legally, the question is whether the state ban on local laws on "the transfer, ownership, transportation or possession" of guns extends to the reporting of lost or stolen firearms.
The Commonwealth Court threw out Philadelphia's measure, and other gun control rules there. The matter is heading for the state Supreme Court.
"To me the question is wide open" on whether such rules are allowed, said Mr. Shields. "This is where you go in [to court] and you make your arguments."
http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2008/11/who-cares-about-being-unconsti.html
That question comes from an elected official in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That person would be Tonya Payne, a Democrat member of the Pittsburgh City Council. Apparently there has been brouhaha in Pittsburgh concerning the right to bear arms. It would be a little thing called the Second Amendment ... not that this woman has heard of it. I wonder what she would score on that little civics quiz we talked about yesterday?
Anyway, Tonya and her fellow council members approved legislation that would require anyone to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours. If not reported, the person would face a fine. You see, right now in Pennsylvania there is a state ban on local laws on "the transfer, ownership, transportation or possession" of guns. The question is whether that extends to reporting lost or stolen firearms.
So that's when Tonya, who can't seem to wrap her bureaucratic head around the concept, comes up with this line: "Who really cares about it being unconstitutional?"
She goes on to say, "This is what's right to do, and if this means that we have to go out and have a court battle, then that's fine ... We have plenty of dead bodies coming up in our streets every single day, and that is unacceptable."
So according to Tonya, it is okay to defy the Constitution if your city councilwoman thinks that "it is the right thing to do." Is this the type of respect for the Constitutional law that we can expect from a Barack Obama administration? Remember, under an Obama administration with Obama appointed judges ... the Constitution is just a formality, what really matters is making sure that judges rule the way they feel is "right."