Philly mayor, 2 Allegheny lawmakers push gun laws

[Ed in PA]

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
HARRISBURG -- Philadelphia's new mayor, Michael Nutter, is joining with two Allegheny County legislators to push for new statewide laws aimed at reducing gun violence on Pennsylvania streets.

But with the political power that sportsmen, hunters and the National Rifle Association have with the General Assembly, everyone admits it won't be easy to enact gun-control bills.

Mr. Nutter, a Democrat who took office in January, spoke to the Pennsylvania Press Club here today, advocating bills sponsored by two Pittsburgh-area Democrats, state Reps. Dan Frankel of Squirrel Hill and David Levdansky of Forward.

Mr. Frankel wants to ban the sale of assault weapons in Pennsylvania -- a state law that would make up for the expiration in 2004 of a federal ban on selling such weapons. He says there is no reason why any law-abiding gun owner needs an assault weapon.

Mr. Levdansky wants to require gun owners to report any lost or stolen handguns within 72 hours of noticing the loss. Such weapons often wind up in the hands of criminals and are used in crimes of violence, and police say it would help them to know when the gun disappeared. Gun owners who "lose'' their weapons sometimes sell them to criminals in exchange for illegal drugs, police say.

One gun, from a home in Perry County, outside Harrisburg, recently ended up in the hands of one of three men charged with killing a Philadelphia police officer in early May. Mr. Nutter, along with Gov. Ed Rendell, a former Philadelphia mayor and other Philadelphia officials are still upset about that.

Mr. Nutter said there is no reason why machine guns and assault weapons like the SKS paramilitary carbine that killed the Philadelphia policeman should be sold in Pennsylvania.

"This isn't just a Philadelphia or Allegheny County issue,'' he said. "It affects many towns and cities in the state.''

In Philadelphia, which has seen about 400 gun-related deaths in each of the past two years, City Council recently approved five municipal gun-control bills. Mr. Nutter signed them, but they may not survive a court challenge. Pro-gun groups have taken the city to Common Pleas Court, contending that that only the state Legislature, not individual cities, towns or counties, has the power to enact gun-control laws.

[dogngun]

"The SKS paramiliary carbine" WOW I want more of them !

I saw Nutter on TV a few times before he became mayor, and he seemed rational and well spoken. Since then it has all been downhill.
What the hell is wrong with this guy? Is he crazy or just stupid?

Or some combination?

mark

[widearea]

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
He says there is no reason why any law-abiding gun owner needs an assault weapon.

He's right..you don't need one.....you need many...

[larrymeyer]

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Mr. Nutter said there is no reason why machine guns and assault weapons like the SKS paramilitary carbine that killed the Philadelphia policeman should be sold in Pennsylvania.

I want a 50 Cal Belt feed water cooled machine gun but I'd take a 30 cal air cooled if I have to. Oh and can I get about 100,000 round for them. Are the claymores better then my pipe bombs ???

[sjl127]

Nutter's a failed politician leading a failed city. His only outlet is to go after those who obey the law.

Shame.

[sluggie24]

I want a 50 Cal Belt feed water cooled machine gun but I'd take a 30 cal air cooled if I have to. Oh and can I get about 100,000 round for them. Are the claymores better then my pipe bombs ???

There is a semi auto 50 belt fed on gunbroker right now.........

[andrewjs18]

"The SKS paramiliary carbine" WOW I want more of them !

I saw Nutter on TV a few times before he became mayor, and he seemed rational and well spoken. Since then it has all been downhill.
What the hell is wrong with this guy? Is he crazy or just stupid?

Or some combination?

mark

=P aren't most politicians liars until they're elected into office? I agree though..he seemed like he might actually help the city of Philadelphia, but now he's just causing more of a rucus with us LEGAL gun owners......damn criminals are going to ruin everything for people who don't break the law...

He's a thought....maybe Nutter should tell his people to stop killing their own..and for what? $5 or some other ridiculous reason.

[Philadelphia]

How many philly politicians will be marched off to federal prison before the rest of the state finally gets fed up and gets rid of home rule charter in philly.

H'Burg is just as big of a snake pit, but it's a lot easier to deal with just one. It never fails to boggle my mind when I see the extent to which politicians are only interested in "public service" for what they and their friends can get out of it. Nutter behaves true to form with political smoke and mirrors that will do nothing for public or officer safety. It will likely get him reelected by the morons I have to live with.

He should be banging Rendell's doors down for criminal justice and parole reform.

If dangerous criminals have evil assault rifles, it is pretty clear to me that I had better have one as well.

[BSH]

There is no reason why any law-abiding driver needs a Corvette. They're DANGEROUS!!!

Corvettes may be even more dangerous to law enforcement officers than high-powered rifles. Ban them!

From 1993-2002, 111 officers died from being struck by vehicles. During the same period, 112 officers were killed with rifles of ANY type. 46 officers were killed with their own weapons - a few more than were killed with 7.62mm rifles (any make). You can safely say that more police officers are killed with their own weapons than with AK/SKS rifles.

[ALS]

You see these morons can't run a city so now they're blaming the weapons for the flight of the residents from their city's.

Last time I looked 25K are leaving Philly each year. Allegheny county is seeing a decline of 9K to 11K a year. Pittsburgh's population has accelerated their decline at a rate of 6,250 residents per year. BTW that 6,250 is now 2% of the population since we have less than 300K living in the city. Do the math 10 to 15 years down the road. An you wonder why they are trying to fast track a city / county merger here in Allegheny county.

The people who have higher taxable incomes are the ones leaving in droves.

They coddled the poor and lower middle class for their votes. Now the people who have been paying the bills have said enough and are moving out.

So the people who left fearing the crime and high taxes created by failed social programs are suddenly expected to move back after you take away their only means of defending themselves.

As Micheal Savage say Liberalism IS a mental disorder.