Philadelphia Spends Tax money to Hire Outside Attorney to handle denials

[IronSight]

Are for staff attorney's you are correct, however we have already paid for them, this is an ADDITIONAL expense that is not necessary.

You're assuming that the current staff attorneys could handle the workload the Philly currently contracts out to him, and could do so with less expenses to the city.

Perhaps the city realized they had a choice to hire additional staff to do that job, at a greater cost to them and the taxpayers, or that they could simply contract it out to him.

It's entirely possible that this arrangement saves the taxpayers money.

[rsklar]

I am making many assumptions. Provocative thought is the purpose. If no one, aside from myself, seems to think there is an issue than so be it. I happen to think that with all the Philadelphia "issues" the last thing they should be doing is spending money for contract services.

Perhaps you are right that the OOL could not handle the job. Shame on them. Maybe the OOL does not have attorneys who are capable of understanding the Gun Laws? (We certainly know the Gun Permit Unit Does Not as shown by Lisa King's recent rantings.

Maybe, Maybe, Maybe.

Like I said I find it curious that they find it necessary to contract with a MontCo Deputy DA to defend Philadelphia.

[t1m0thy]

Something doesn't smell quite right with this thread...

[PHLJJS]

He is not Smart, many of the examples of people on the forum being denied were approved by him, such as people with old parking tickets as the sole basis, 9 year old DUI, etc. He defends these arbitrary denials... That is smart?

Did you know that Richard A. Berman, the attorney who defends the Gun Permit Unit for Philadelphia PD Denials is actually a contract attorney from Montgomery County.



Contract # 0720560-03
LAW DIVISION CONTRACT for Bradford A. Richman Esq.
Effective: 05/29/2010 Expires 05/28/2011 $51,300.00 Legal Services.

First, you keep mentioning two different names/ people. Which person exactly are you talking about?

Secondly, If the information pertaining to the contract for Bradford A. Richman that YOU posted is correct, then the effective date/ start of his contract was only 2 months ago. How is he responsible for all of the past denials, issues and practices that are referenced throughout the forum? I've never seen his name referenced before this. Is it possible that someone in Philly government is trying to fix things and get their act together moving forward? I'll agree that it's an unneeded expense since the process is still not in line with the rest of the state, but when a well respected forum member and pro- 2A lawyer stands up for the guy and his credentials, I'm apt to believe this is actually a positive move until proven otherwise.

[Mosinshooter762]

I don't know what your agenda is, but you're ranting about something without having any factual basis for it. None.

The city has to pay someone, they chose someone for whom they presumably won't have to pay health insurance, unemployment insurance, Social Security tax, medicaid....every employer knows that hiring someone as an independent contractor saves you a lot of baggage.

Furthermore, I've told you that I have first-hand knowledge that he is a smart and reasonable lawyer. He knows the difference between keeping guns out of the hands of bad guys, and screwing over honest citizens just for the heck of it. I'm telling you as a pro-gun advocate, that the city could have put an incompetent hack into that job, but they put in someone fair and very knowledgeable.

Were you under the impression that staff lawyers were "free" to taxpayers? Did you forget that you're still paying for the pensions of staff lawyers who retired decades ago?

Save your energy, there's no scandal here.

If this is so, than whats with the complaints about arbitrary denials. and revocations by PPD that are presumably being defended by him?

[Philbert]

If this is so, than whats with the complaints about arbitrary denials. and revocations by PPD that are presumably being defended by him?

Lawyers are paid to argue their client's case. They don't have to agree with it. If the PPD is out of line it is they who are responsible.

[GunLawyer001]

If this is so, than whats with the complaints about arbitrary denials. and revocations by PPD that are presumably being defended by him?

Of course this is so, would I lie?

Like any lawyer, he handles files once they hit his desk. He isn't the guy who interviews citizens, he doesn't stamp "denied" on applications, he isn't the mayor who wants to make guns the enemy instead of blaming the many criminals in the city. But he IS the guy who will resolve issues sensibly once he gets the file. Good people get a pass, screwups are in trouble. That is my first-hand experience the last time he was in charge of the legal end down in Philly, with multiple clients.

As for "rsklar" and his hidden agenda, Robert seriously needs to accept the blame for fucking up his own life, and feel some shame about trying to deceive PAFOA members and use us to hurt his imagined enemies. His ploy of drumming up fake hysteria about "saving Philly taxpayers money" is the sort of dishonest tactic we'd expect from CeasefireNJ, or the Taliban, or Michael Moore.

[gbrown221]

this was brought up at my gun club and hence why I posted it in a different forum. Having appealed my LTCF revocation by Philly who improperly revoked me I dealth first hand with this attorney. He may be credibel as gunlawyer points out but I disagree that this can not be handled by a city office of law attorney. I also did not find him to knowledgable at my hearing but my revocation was none the less overturned. the attorney was however more knowledgable then the six knuckle heads sitting on the L & I board. the L & I board is a bunch of mayor street cronies appointed. bottom line in Philly needs to come in line with the rest of the state and LTCF denials need to go to Common Pleas Court.

second. I personally know rsklar and vouch for him to be a stand up guy and not crazy.

[whoshisface]

What do you call a tens of thousands of people that banded together, tied at the bottom of a ocean, to make it nearly impossible to get justice and to represent yourself? Drowned Lawyers and a good start.

[GunLawyer001]

. . .
second. I personally know rsklar and vouch for him to be a stand up guy and not crazy.

Um, the evidence tends the other way. Just got this PM:

rsklar
Junior Member
PAFOA Bronze Supporter

Join Date: Apr 2009
Location:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia County)
Posts: 23
Rep Power: 0

Thought that was you Brad. Now it is confirmed.


Wow. Reading his posts is kind of like watching a clown car full of monkeys rolling over and over down a hill, with shrill screeching and a lot of angry noises, where you sort of feel bad for laughing but, you know, it's funny.

Would any of the hundreds of PAFOA members who wrote me checks, attended my courses, visited my office, or called me on the phone care to confirm to Mr. Sklar that I am not, in fact, either "Richard Berman" or "Brad Richman"?

Paranoia is yet another prohibiting condition, BTW. Could be treatable, dude. Look into it.