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Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association

Articles tagged “MAIG”

Pennsylvania Sends a Clear Message to Anti-Gun Leaders

Gun control advocates from New York, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Pennsylvania in order to promote the Mike Bloomberg agenda & New York-style gun control in Tuesday’s elections.  The good news is that NRA members spoke up and told him that we would not let him buy our elections for his political pets.

MAIG Mayor: John Callahan
In a surprising margin of 15 points, Bloomberg’s ally in Bethlehem went down to stinging defeat to NRA-endorsed Rep. Charlie Dent. Gun owners turned out big in this race thanks to the work of NRA’s campaign field representative program, and we made sure to protect our Congressman who stands up for the rights of the district’s sportsmen and gun owners. This seat was a priority for gun owners in Pennsylvania due to the outside funds flowing in to unseat Rep. Dent and replace him with an anti-gun extremist.

CeaseFire PA & Brady Campaign Voter Fund Backed: Bryan Lentz
What what expected to be one of the closest races in Pennsylvania resulted in an 11 point lead when gun owners worked to get out the vote for Pat Meehan who was endorsed by NRA. Lentz staked the end of his political career on calls for more gun control by trying to undermine concealed carry reciprocity and working with various anti-gun groups to advance their wishlist in the state house. Those groups were certainly hoping to bring that kind of cooperation up to Congress, but through the volunteer efforts of NRA members and other active gun owners, we made sure that his antics were stopped.

Bloomberg & CeaseFire PA Backed: Dan Onorato
Dan Onorato, no matter how many commercials he ran telling us how to say his name, couldn’t get any traction in his campaign. Even though he had an advantage of the most competitive primary back in March that resulted in more candidate forum appearances and news coverage, his campaign could not excite his Democratic base, independents, or crossover Republicans. In a desperate attempt to seem relevant again, Onorato jumped on board with Bryan Lentz’s crusade to attack gun owners. The nine point loss to NRA-endorsed Attorney General Tom Corbett who has a record of going after criminals who misuse guns speaks volumes as to how well that campaign tactic worked.

Bloomberg & Brady Backed: Joe Sestak
With the Brady Campaign actively campaigning for him, Mayor Bloomberg coming to Pennsylvania for him, and CeaseFire PA actively targeting his opponent, Joe Sestak was the poster child for the gun control representation in Pennsylvania’s 2010 elections. When debating Arlen Specter, Sestak wouldn’t even acknowledge self-defense as a lawful reason to own firearms – a position that clearly put him far out of the mainstream in legal circles and with voters. With NRA members turning out in droves to support Pat Toomey, we can now look forward to one more vote in the US Senate.

CeaseFire PA Backed: Paul Drucker
Once a proud supporter of CeaseFire’s extreme policies, Paul Drucker was sent back home by voters this week. During his short term, Rep. Drucker consistently voted against our self-defense rights in committee and on the floor. NRA members came out in support of his A- rated opponent, Warren Kampf, to drive him over the margin for victory. Gun owners in the district now have a friend of their rights in office to rally behind.

CeaseFire PA Backed: Rick Taylor
Defeating an incumbent is usually tough, but when NRA members know that their rights are on the line, they’ll turn out to get the job done against an anti-right lawmaker. When Rep. Taylor won by only 419 votes in 2008, there was an opportunity for a rematch. While NRA members didn’t know where Todd Stephens stood on their issue at the time, in 2010, we learned that he scored an A- on his questionnaire and earned the NRA’s endorsement. This year, we welcome Stephens to the legislature and look forward to his support.

CeaseFire PA Backed: Mark Painter
With no history on our issue, it was unknown early in the campaign whether or not Painter would stand up for what is right or reach out to gun control advocates. He opted to refuse any questions from NRA members and reached out to CeaseFire PA, a move that won him no love from gun rights advocates in his district. Rep. Tom Quigly has a record, and earned the support of NRA in this race. NRA members made sure to reward his support and sent Mr. Painter back home.

CeaseFire PA Backed: Shannon Meehan
Gun control groups cannot bring out the votes for candidates, even in suburban Philadelphia. Meehan learned that lesson when he went up against NRA-endorsed Rep. Nicholas Micozzie. Eager to make sure that their Second Amendment rights and outdoor heritage were protected, NRA members helped Rep. Micozzie cruise to victory this week.

Other Losses for Mayor Bloomberg
Earlier this year, gun owners in the 14th Senate District sent Bloomberg ally Tom Leighton back to his hometown in his Democratic primary. They made sure that the Senate seat remains in pro-gun hands by electing Rep. John Yudichak. In the same corner of the state, one MAIG mayor realized that his affiliation with the gun control group tied him to far more restrictive policies than he would otherwise support. (With a C rating from NRA, he still wouldn’t be considered a regular ally of gun owners.) Bill Goldsworthy dropped out of the group when he sought higher office, but it was not enough to overcome the incumbent in Tuesday’s general election. However, with one less mayor fighting to advance Mike Bloomberg’s extreme agenda, gun owners are still better off.

These aren’t the only losses suffered by Bloomberg, his new group Americans United for Safe Streets, his old group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the other group he’s funding CeaseFire PA, and his ally the Brady Campaign. However, this is just a sample to illustrate what gun owners can do when we work together.

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Christie C.
Posted on
November 05 2010 9:33:13 PM
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PAFOA Members Help Frustrate MAIG in the Southeast

The “Lost and Stolen” ordinances that have been introduced by Mayors Against Illegal Guns and CeaseFire PA, in communities around the Commonwealth, have come to the Southeast. But we’re happy to report these ordinances, which are illegal, and violate state preemption, have run into some trouble. That trouble is gun owners.

We’re very proud of some of the work of our individual members in helping to frustrate and defeat the passage of virtually all of the ordinances that have been introduced in the new year. First in Radnor, which has tabled the bill for now. On the same day CeaseFire Pennsylvania was pushing for the ordinance in Radnor, Mayors Against Illegal Guns pushed Lost and Stolen in Hatboro. Hatboro has rejected the ordinance in favor of a resolution, which they will be hearing Monday March 22nd. We still oppose the resolution, which urges the General Assembly to pass a statewide law, but we’ve made progress. Ambler Borough decided not to pursue an ordinance a few weeks ago. This week Swarthmore, Pennsylvania has decided to table its Lost and Stolen ordinance.

There is still much work to do here, but we just want to take time to thank our members who put so much time and energy into helping organize other gun owners to fight these ordinances. We particularly want to thank those members who were residents of these municipalities who showed up to speak out against the ordinance to their local elected officials. If we can replicate this excellent example of organization and motivation across the Commonwealth, perhaps we can begin to push Bloomberg’s Mayors group back to New York City where it belongs.

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Daniel Pehrson
Posted on
March 12 2010 7:13:56 PM
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Open Letter to the Radnor Board of Commisioners Regarding Lost & Stolen

To Members of the Radnor Board of Commissioners:

I write to you as the Founder & President of Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association, an organization representing tens of thousands of gun owners across the Commonwealth, including many in Radnor. We share concerns about the ordinance you may discuss and vote on tonight brought forth by CeasefirePA, as noted in your published agenda.

The so-called “Lost-and-Stolen” firearms ordinance is illegal under current state law. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held 14 years ago, in the case of Ortiz v. Commonwealth that “The General Assembly, not city councils, is the proper forum for the imposition of [firearms] regulation.” Today, the majority of voters from all parties support that decision, as was reflected in a recent statewide poll.

As you will likely hear from many gun owners tonight, the legal issues that will be created with this ordinance will likely result in costly litigation for the city should you pass and enforce it. These are financial burdens that few city officials will find easy to justify to hardworking taxpayers. However, the members of PAFOA would like to offer an alternative to such expenses. Rather than passing a toothless ordinance designed only to harass gun owners, consider diverting what you plan to budget for the enforcement costs and legal defense to general law enforcement funds. Focus on reducing all crime and fully funding investigative teams who can help put dangerous criminals behind bars.

There are already many federal and state laws on the books that target straw purchasing and other types of criminal gun trafficking. Using what limited resources the town has to fully fund law enforcement needs will help bring the full weight of current laws – all of which are far more strict – down on those who pose a true danger to Radnor’s residents.

We ask that you either table the ordinance indefinitely or take a solid vote against a redundant, meaningless ordinance which will ultimately cost the city far more than its taxpayers can afford in these tight times.

Sincerely,
Daniel Pehrson
Founder & President
Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association

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Daniel Pehrson
Posted on
February 08 2010 1:37:29 PM
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Targeting Pennsylvania’s Mayors Against Guns

Hundreds of PAFOA members received emails this afternoon asking them to take action against gun control overreach in their own backyards.  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s largest gun control campaign is a coalition of mayors he claims support his anti-gun agenda.  His recruitment pitch assures mayors that they will not target lawful gun owners, instead his actions have called concealed carry permit holders criminals and attempted to undermine federal law enforcement investigations.

Pro-gun groups at every level have taken on this battle to educate mayors and reduce Bloomberg’s political force in the states.  At PAFOA, our efforts have focused on a quiet education strategy.  However, for those mayors who have so far refused to resign from the group, it is now time to turn up the grassroots pressure that has successfully convinced others to leave.

After a thorough analysis of the Pennsylvania coalition of mayors working with Bloomberg was posted by NRA Election Volunteer Coordinators in mid-August, we worked together to create a strategy to convince MAIG mayors to resign their membership in the organization.

View Bloomberg’s Anti-Gun Mayors in Pennsylvania on a map.

Looking at the map, we conducted detailed research into each of the towns and picked 15 starter cities based on the likely impact of PAFOA residents. Each PAFOA member who received an email this morning lives in a city where, if gun owners work together, they can make a difference for the Second Amendment.

In August, I sent each of the targeted mayors a letter in hopes that a simple explanation of the actions by Mayor Bloomberg in their name would inspire each of them to resign from the organization. In early September, NRA sent their members in key cities postcards calling for grassroots opposition to the members of MAIG. The response to these mailings has been tremendous. Of the original 15 mayors targeted by PAFOA, only two have resigned. Of the mayors NRA targeted in Pennsylvania, 15 have given up their membership. Here are the mayors who have parted ways with Mayor Bloomberg since that time:

  • Akron Mayor John McBeth
  • Beech Creek Mayor David E. Orr
  • Bowmanstown Mayor Keith G. Billig
  • Brackenridge Mayor Jeffrey Cowan
  • East Berlin Mayor Keith Hoffman
  • Gettysburg Mayor William Troxell
  • Harmony Mayor Cathryn H. Rape
  • Midway Mayor Karen Bartosh
  • Mount Penn Mayor Josh Nowotarski
  • North Irwin Mayor Leonard L. Santimyer
  • Slatington Mayor Walter Niedermeyer
  • Summit Hill Mayor Paul R. McArdle
  • Tower City Mayor Dale Deiter
  • Ulysses Mayor Jane Haskins
  • West Reading Mayor Shane Keller

Before this push began, former Williamsport Mayor Mary Wolf told Bloomberg in her resignation letter, “I have learned that the coalition may be working on issues which conflict with legal gun ownership, and that some actions on your behalf are dubious.” Since her defection in 2007, the condemnation by mayors who felt duped has grown louder. Keith Hoffman of East Berlin said, “They swindle you in and then put your name on the list.”

Many mayors around the country are now beginning to report that they knew nothing about joining the group and never recall signing any pledges to support Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-gun policies. Mayors from South Dakota, Texas, and Florida have publicly confirmed that Mike Bloomberg never sought their permission when signing their names to advertisements condemning concealed carry legislation.

In Pennsylvania, the imperative the encourage mayors to leave Bloomberg’s coalition is clear. In addition to Bloomberg’s attacks on concealed carry reform at the federal level a disturbing trend has emerged in the state level battles. Each of the cities to pass local gun control ordinances in challenges to the state preemption laws is lead by members of MAIG. Pittsburgh’s mayor, a longtime supporter of MAIG, has recently tried to breath life into a gun ban that the state Supreme Court previously struck down as illegal. Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter has been an outspoken supporter of MAIG’s policies, and we don’t need to remind you of all of the gun control attempts the city has made under his watch.

If you received an email from PAFOA this morning asking you to call your mayor, please act soon. There is an opportunity to make a tangible difference in your local community, cut the reach of Michael Bloomberg’s gun control campaign, and stop the spread of anti-gun legislation here in Pennsylvania. The presence of that call to action in your inbox means we’ve crunched the numbers, and we believe you can make a difference for the Second Amendment.

If you did not receive an email, please confirm that we have your town or zip code on file. This information is what we use to analyze whether enough PAFOA members are likely to make a difference in the local battles. If you do have correct location information in your profile, keep an eye out for future calls to action.

Posted by
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Daniel Pehrson
Posted on
September 21 2009 11:00:36 AM
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