Quoted:
Is this WC alert what the post is about? If so could you change the title to something more catchy like "Westchester County Alert - Call your County Legislators". Thanks much.
This proposal SUCKS. Andy Spano and his L.I. sidekick are trying to turn WC into another NYC. This proposal along with his out of control spending is destroying the county. |
I dunno what happened to my post, maybe I deleted it.
But it was in (of all places) the Westchester Journal.
Here is the online blurb.
http://www.nynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070213/NEWS02/702130347/1017
Westchester gun bill sidelined for now.
By LIZ ANDERSON
THE JOURNAL NEWS
Westchester County legislators are abandoning - at least for now - a proposal to put county police entirely in control of pistol licenses.
County Executive Andrew Spano had called for the measure to be included in the county's "joint legislative package," a wish list of his and legislators' priorities for state action.
But after weeks of debate, "we've told the administration it's pretty much dead," Board of Legislators Majority Leader Martin Rogowsky, D-Harrison, said yesterday.
"We've decided there's been insufficient study of the overall process," he added. "We think to try to meet an arbitrary deadline of the legislative package is not practical."
Rogowsky said legislators expected to keep working on many of the issues raised during the debate, but said, "We want to get more input from more people."
Susan Tolchin, Spano's chief adviser, said the administration "will continue to work with the legislature in order to accomplish what we feel needs to be accomplished."
"We look forward to working with them to see how we can best protect the public from dangerous situations," she said.
Under current law, a person seeking a pistol permit applies for one at the county clerk's office. The application is then sent to the county police for a background check before being referred to a judge for a final decision.
Spano argued that putting county police in charge would instill better controls and consistency into the process. His bill also would have made it clear license holders have to reapply for their permits every five years, rather than simply "recertify" their status.
The change was supported by the district attorney and public safety commissioner, and in part by County Clerk Tim Idoni, who said in a letter to legislators that he favored the concept but would prefer his office continue to process license applications.
Legislators were heavily lobbied by opponents, including many who signed a petition circulated online that argued police would be less impartial in their rulings than judges and suggested the process could become particularly slanted against minorities. Others wrote individual letters, including John Petko, whose letter to Legislator Bernice Spreckman was circulated among board members.
"Wake up - your honest citizens are not the problem," he wrote. "If you are concerned about crime put the criminals in jail. Do not make us the criminals."
While the measure was not before the board at yesterday's meeting, a relatively small number of advocates for gun owners' rights were among those who spoke against the proposal during the public speaking section.
Mario Muollo, secretary of the Westchester County Firearms Owners Association, told legislators that Spano's proposal "seems to have nothing to do with reform and everything to do with power and money." Muollo said Spano "seeks to remedy problems that don't exist."
Muollo said the group was willing to be more active in county elections, and warned anyone considering supporting the bill that they could face "payback" in November.
Scott Sommavilla, the group's president, said the bill was "so loaded with controversial and bad stuff and bad law that it deserves to be pulled out and die in committee."
"I look forward to them actually voting the way they say they are going to vote," he said.
The gun bill had been the primary area of controversy with the legislative package. The decision to put it aside sets the stage for the legislation committee to proceed with the rest of the package at a meeting that could be set for later this week. From there, it would go to the full board for approval.
Reach Liz Anderson at
[email protected] or 914-696-8538.