43 days since Obama was in office
2017-03-04 02:17:25 UTC
Palm Springs City Council discussed a controversial firearms
ordinance Wednesday night that has polarized residents and, if
approved in its final form, could result in a lawsuit from the
National Rifle Association.
The council voted 3-2 in favor of the measure, which will now
come up for a second reading and final decision at the next
council meeting.
According to the measure:
Residents would have 48 hours -- after its absence was
discovered -- to report a missing or stolen gun to police;
In their homes, gun owners will need to disable firearms with a
trigger lock or keep them in a locked container unless they are
in their immediate possession; and
Require those with concealed carry permits who keep a gun in
their car to keep it in a locked container.
The proposed ordinance also institutes a fine of up to $1,000
per day, per violation.
A total of 23 people spoke on the issue before council Wednesday
night -- 15 opposed the plan, while eight were in favor.
Rabbi David Lazar of Temple Isaiah said that since he had lived
in Israel, he understood the need for guns, but also the danger.
He encouraged council members to vote in favor of the ordinance.
I am a true believer in rights, Lazar said. But the greatest
right is the right to life.
Andrew Hirsch, wearing a Gun Owners for Trump button,
presented the council with a copy of the job description for the
chief of police, pointing out a section that says the chief
should analyze problems, identify alternative solutions,
project consequences of proposed actions and implement
recommendations in support of goals.
He asked council members if they believe they have more
experience and knowledge about such matters than the city's
police chief.
The prior City Council was known for corruption, he said.
From tonights firearms regulation, to Uber/Lyft drivers, to
the rights of property owners, this City Council is earning a
hallmark of using its powers to restrict the freedoms of law-
abiding people.
Dori Smith, valley leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in
America, lauded the council for its leadership in putting forth
this proposal.
Were simply asking for safety first and saving lives, Smith
said.
She talked about incidences of accidental shootings involving
children who picked up a loaded gun that was left unattended in
a home or a car. As she talked she held up a picture of 3-year-
old Alexis Mercer, a Louisiana toddler who shot and killed
herself last year when her father left a gun out after cleaning
it.
Councilman J.R. Roberts said he -- as a gun owner -- supported
the ordinance.
If somebody in a moment of hopelessness when looking for a gun
in a house, much like youths have in the past, couldn't gain
access to a gun and doesn't go on a shooting spree with it, it
was worth it, Roberts said.
Councilwoman Ginny Foat said she was uncomfortable voting for a
law she herself wouldnt follow. Foat said she keeps a gun in
her nightstand and had no intention of locking it up.
"I think it's very difficult to legislate responsibility, she
said. If we can't measure it, what's the point of doing this
ordinance?"
Foat and Councilman Chris Mills were the two "nay" votes.
The issue first came up at a July council meeting and was
immediately met with protests and scorn from local gun owners
who said they believed the measure constitutes government
overreach.
A lawyer for the NRA sent an open letter to city officials
warning them to tread lightly. The letter referred to numerous
lawsuits specific California cities have been slapped with after
those cities passed extensive gun control measures.
Councilman Geoff Kors said he was not worried about the threat
of a lawsuit, calling it a typical tactic. He said if it came
to it he believed the city could find pro-bono representation
to respond to such a suit.
He stressed the ordinance did not restrict residents' rights to
have a gun or to keep them on their nightstands to feel safe at
home.
This does not prevent anyone from buying a gun. This does not
prevent anyone from buying ammunition, he said. This is not
about gun control; this is about gun safety.
Conservative radio host Elise Richmond decried the phrase gun
safety as a feel-good term and said she was concerned with
anything that chipped away at her Second Amendment rights. She
said she believes the ordinance is redundant and council should
focus on more pressing issues in the city -- like homelessness --
and that the ordinance could potentially make people feel less
safe.
A gun is like a parachute, she said. If you need one and you
dont have one, youll never need one again.
Richmond also said she believes gun ownership to be a feminist
issue.
Guns empower females, Richmond said. Empowering women is
something I believe in.
The original draft of the proposed ordinance, introduced in
July, was more extensive than what will be considered Wednesday.
Council members removed various sections that would have
duplicated recently passed state laws.
Corinne Kennedy covers the west valley for The Desert Sun. She
can be reached at ***@DesertSun.com, on Twitter at
@CorinneSKennedy or at 760-778-4625.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/palm-
springs/2016/09/07/gun-control-showdown-palm-springs-city-
hall/89930160/
--
http://bit.ly/2hXtZt6
"Look, the average Democrat voter is just plain stupid. They're
easy to manipulate. That's the easy part."
-Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2005
ordinance Wednesday night that has polarized residents and, if
approved in its final form, could result in a lawsuit from the
National Rifle Association.
The council voted 3-2 in favor of the measure, which will now
come up for a second reading and final decision at the next
council meeting.
According to the measure:
Residents would have 48 hours -- after its absence was
discovered -- to report a missing or stolen gun to police;
In their homes, gun owners will need to disable firearms with a
trigger lock or keep them in a locked container unless they are
in their immediate possession; and
Require those with concealed carry permits who keep a gun in
their car to keep it in a locked container.
The proposed ordinance also institutes a fine of up to $1,000
per day, per violation.
A total of 23 people spoke on the issue before council Wednesday
night -- 15 opposed the plan, while eight were in favor.
Rabbi David Lazar of Temple Isaiah said that since he had lived
in Israel, he understood the need for guns, but also the danger.
He encouraged council members to vote in favor of the ordinance.
I am a true believer in rights, Lazar said. But the greatest
right is the right to life.
Andrew Hirsch, wearing a Gun Owners for Trump button,
presented the council with a copy of the job description for the
chief of police, pointing out a section that says the chief
should analyze problems, identify alternative solutions,
project consequences of proposed actions and implement
recommendations in support of goals.
He asked council members if they believe they have more
experience and knowledge about such matters than the city's
police chief.
The prior City Council was known for corruption, he said.
From tonights firearms regulation, to Uber/Lyft drivers, to
the rights of property owners, this City Council is earning a
hallmark of using its powers to restrict the freedoms of law-
abiding people.
Dori Smith, valley leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in
America, lauded the council for its leadership in putting forth
this proposal.
Were simply asking for safety first and saving lives, Smith
said.
She talked about incidences of accidental shootings involving
children who picked up a loaded gun that was left unattended in
a home or a car. As she talked she held up a picture of 3-year-
old Alexis Mercer, a Louisiana toddler who shot and killed
herself last year when her father left a gun out after cleaning
it.
Councilman J.R. Roberts said he -- as a gun owner -- supported
the ordinance.
If somebody in a moment of hopelessness when looking for a gun
in a house, much like youths have in the past, couldn't gain
access to a gun and doesn't go on a shooting spree with it, it
was worth it, Roberts said.
Councilwoman Ginny Foat said she was uncomfortable voting for a
law she herself wouldnt follow. Foat said she keeps a gun in
her nightstand and had no intention of locking it up.
"I think it's very difficult to legislate responsibility, she
said. If we can't measure it, what's the point of doing this
ordinance?"
Foat and Councilman Chris Mills were the two "nay" votes.
The issue first came up at a July council meeting and was
immediately met with protests and scorn from local gun owners
who said they believed the measure constitutes government
overreach.
A lawyer for the NRA sent an open letter to city officials
warning them to tread lightly. The letter referred to numerous
lawsuits specific California cities have been slapped with after
those cities passed extensive gun control measures.
Councilman Geoff Kors said he was not worried about the threat
of a lawsuit, calling it a typical tactic. He said if it came
to it he believed the city could find pro-bono representation
to respond to such a suit.
He stressed the ordinance did not restrict residents' rights to
have a gun or to keep them on their nightstands to feel safe at
home.
This does not prevent anyone from buying a gun. This does not
prevent anyone from buying ammunition, he said. This is not
about gun control; this is about gun safety.
Conservative radio host Elise Richmond decried the phrase gun
safety as a feel-good term and said she was concerned with
anything that chipped away at her Second Amendment rights. She
said she believes the ordinance is redundant and council should
focus on more pressing issues in the city -- like homelessness --
and that the ordinance could potentially make people feel less
safe.
A gun is like a parachute, she said. If you need one and you
dont have one, youll never need one again.
Richmond also said she believes gun ownership to be a feminist
issue.
Guns empower females, Richmond said. Empowering women is
something I believe in.
The original draft of the proposed ordinance, introduced in
July, was more extensive than what will be considered Wednesday.
Council members removed various sections that would have
duplicated recently passed state laws.
Corinne Kennedy covers the west valley for The Desert Sun. She
can be reached at ***@DesertSun.com, on Twitter at
@CorinneSKennedy or at 760-778-4625.
http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/palm-
springs/2016/09/07/gun-control-showdown-palm-springs-city-
hall/89930160/
--
http://bit.ly/2hXtZt6
"Look, the average Democrat voter is just plain stupid. They're
easy to manipulate. That's the easy part."
-Hillary Rodham Clinton, 2005