Pa. top cop backs lost handgun reporting
Commissioner supports mayors’ effort to get gun trace data to police.
BILL O ’ BOYLE boboyle@timesleader.com / www.timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – The Pennsylvania State Police commissioner has sent a strongly worded letter of support to the Pennsylvania Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition, confirming his support for lost or stolen handgun reporting.
“As commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, I want to thank you for stepping forth and speaking out concerning this important issue, and to pledge my support for your efforts as you advance an agenda for common-sense reforms to reduce access to illegal guns across Pennsylvania,” said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Pawlowski.
Pawlowski’s letter of support was sent to each of more than 100 mayors in the state mayors’ coalition, supporting the mayors’ work across the Commonwealth in helping police keep guns out of the hands of criminals.
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Pawlowski’s letter was received by the mayors just as a nationwide campaign against the coalition was launched by the National Rifle Association. A postcard was mailed to NRA members claiming that Mayors Against Illegal Guns is in fact an “anti-gun” group in disguise, and e-mails have circulated purporting to expose the “real purpose of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.” The cards were unsigned and cited no data.
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A Battle of Goliaths: Michael Bloomberg and His Gun Control Group Take on the NRA
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
They’ve got 4 million followers.
He’s got 16 billion simoleons.
This could get verrrrry interesting.
This being the stare-down between the National Rifle Association and Michael Bloomberg. Behemoth vs. behemoth.
Since the Reagan revolution, few lobbies have been mightier than the NRA. The Second Amendment defenders rarely lose on Capitol Hill, but lose they did just a few days ago, falling short in a sit-up-and-take-notice squeaker of a Senate vote on an amendment that would have let gun owners carry concealed weapons across most state lines. Score one for Bloomie and 450 of his closest mayor buddies (they call themselves Mayors Against Illegal Guns) . . . and their D.C. lobbyists and their consultants and their ad people. Score one against the NRA and the amendment’s sponsor, that rising GOP star Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.
The Thune amendment inspired a gymnastic lobbying effort, juiced by Bloomberg’s wealth — he’s injected $2.9 million of his own money into the mayors group since 2007, a spokesman confirms. Zooming in on how Bloomberg’s group, far from an established Beltway force, out-lobbied the once-invincible NRA affords a glimpse of Capitol gamesmanship in the new Democratic-controlled Washington. There’s a war room, of course, famous names dialing famous names and some in-your-face tactics, too.
