I’ve been under the weather for a few days but feel a bit
better today. I am fortunate to have access to if not great health care I do receive
adequate. I also have a warm house, clean drinking water and a toilet. Take a moment
on this the day before Lent to remember our fellow souls who huddle cold and
homeless. Now imagine being ill and cold and homeless. I fully understand that
many of these individuals fight multiple demons and can be difficult to help. But
that doesn’t make their suffering less severe. Sorry but I was thinking about them
last night. I’m haunted by many things but never by harpooning politicians and crusading
drama queens.
That brings us to Susan Steer and illusory superiority.
Steer and Hubby Bob suffer from a cognitive bias. They overestimate their
positive qualities and abilities and underestimate their negative qualities,
relative to others. This is evident in a variety of areas including
intelligence, performance on tasks or tests, and the possession of desirable
characteristics or personality traits.
To them gun owners are somehow primitive and less enlightened
than they are. Somehow Susan is better
than/above the rest of the gun owning slobs, and she likes to lecture from some
moral high ground/soap box.
So today we have this.
Reminder: the Saratoga Springs City Center Board of
Directors are meeting on Wednesday morning, at 8 am, to discuss changes in
their booking policy. There will not be a public comment period, but your
attendance there is very important. In the meantime, please consider contacting
the Board through the City Center's website and urge them to adopt a policy
that prohibits gun shows at the venue. Here is the link:
http://www.saratogacitycenter.org/index.php/contact-us/. Use the drop down tab
for "governance" to contact the board members. Their names are Joseph
Dalton, Richard Higgins, Roger Goldsmith, Tom Roohan, Susan Farnsworth and
Shelby Schneider. Mayor Scott Johnson and Todd Garofano are ex officio members
of the Board. I hope to see you there.
Susan
And she stated a new petition.
The reasons I started this petition to ban all gun shows at
the city center are as follows:
1. it encourages the transport and carrying of firearms for
public sale through a peaceful, pedestrian friendly downtown area coincidentally
interspersed by gun free safe zones due to all of the schools in the nearby
area (possession within such area is now a Class E Felony);
2. it drains the City of Saratoga Springs’ public safety
resources for the benefit of this promoter and private firearms sellers because
the State of New York Attorney General requires that this promoter request that
public law enforcement officers patrol the parking lots to prevent guns from
being sold outside in those lots which occurred during a gun show in August
2011;
3. the gun show promoter is unable to control the extent to
which illegal activity is associated with his gun shows as demonstrated by the
fact that there were stolen items being sold by one of the vendors at the
January 2013 gun show;
4. it sends the wrong message about our community when the
city profits from the sale of guns, especially during a time when tax payers
are assuming the additional burden of paying for security in our schools and
public institutions; and
5. it contributes to an atmosphere of a gun/ammunition
buying/selling frenzy ahead of, and in the wake of, state and federal
legislation designed to enact common sense gun control laws.
I encourage all of you to sign it and to forward the link to
your friends for their signature. Thank you!
Of course there is a new progun petition
We the undersigned, law abiding citizen gun owners and
supporters of 2nd amendment respectfully urge you to cease consideration of
biased and discriminatory actions against us in the banning of future gun shows
from the city center. This petition is formed in opposition to one currently
active on the same forum requesting a permanent end to gun shows in the City of
Saratoga Springs using half-truths and misinformation in an attempt to gain
support and sway your judgement by fear mongering. I urge you to consider the
following points:
1- Firearms are transported constantly throughout the City
of Saratoga Springs and surrounding area without crimes being committed. While
most communities are interspersed with schools, parks, and other "gun free
zones" (better known as "target rich environments" by those who
seek to pursue criminal enterprise or do harm to others without resistance),
the road ways adjoining these areas have no such restrictions and therefore
passage on them constitutes no violation of criminal law. Vehicles containing
firearms travel past these "gun free zones" thousands of times every
day nationwide without incident.
2- If providing a police officer for such events causes to
much financial strain on the city, perhaps they should approach the organizer
to subsidize the cost of that patrol during times of the gun show. Better yet,
let us attempt to reduce the financial burden upon area emergency services in
the area by addressing activities that cause a more frequent and substantial
drain on personnel and finances such as the weekly fight club/drinking party
known as Caroline Street, or the overfilled concerts at Saratoga Performing
Arts Centers.
3- It is reported that stolen goods were sold at a previous
gun show. The stolen property was not in fact firearms, ammunition or weapons
of any type as the author of the other petition has eluded too but military
equipment consisting of backpacks, rucksacks, hydration systems and vests. The
equipment was allegedly stolen from a government facility by a third party who
sold it to the gun show vendor without the vendors knowledge of the origins.
The vendor reportedly cooperated fully with police investigation. End of the
story. A similar thing can occur to anybody who makes a purchase of second hand
property, unfortunately it occurred to a otherwise reputable vendor who was
selling goods at the local gun show and therefore became an interest to the
liberal media and those who seek to stop the gun show.
4- The only message that banning such an event could impress
upon others about the City of Saratoga Springs is that makes poor decisions
based on misinformation. Please keep in mind that it is estimated that over 40%
of households in the United States own a firearm (this statistic would include
the City of Saratoga Springs, your not exempt), that's 40% of your friends,
family and neighbors, whether you know it or not. I hope you will consider this
when making decisions.
If the city of Saratoga Springs wishes to make itself safer,
lets consider the possibility of sponsoring gun safety classes, not just for
adults, but to teach our youth what to do should they encounter a gun. Lets
seek to extend better care and assistance to those who suffer mental illness,
or how about we take a look at bullying in our schools. Knee jerk reactions and
the passing of unenforceable legislation, or pouring money into ineffective
public service announcement campaigns obviously isn't working. Lets make our
communities known for actually accomplishing something through useful through
cooperation and thoughtful input from both sides to hopefully reach an amicable
agreement for all on how we deal with this.
I would also urge all gun owners and 2nd amendment
supporters to closely watch how the powers that be handle this situation and
consider where your money goes. Remember, the City of Saratoga Springs is only
10-20 minutes away from many other centers for commerce, should the city and
the city center show prejudice against us I urge all to take your business to
other communities who do not.
You can sign my petition by clicking here.
Thanks!
Robert LeClair Sign HERE
And yes I saw John Franck’s readers view and it made me
laugh.HERE. This from the guy who put a drug and alcohol treatment center
on South Broadway
Saratoga in Decline
We never sleep
But I’m tired
36 comments:
If any of our downtown Coffee Elixirs will speed your recovery just lemme' know and you'll have prompt delivery. Lawd knows it's gonna' be a lonnnnnng mud season and you're gonna' need all your strength...
Rather then beating ourselves up over this, why not let Susan Steer, and the likes of her, eat themselves. The school board stayed out of this last time, but now, it seems Ms. Steer is dragging them back in.
Ms. Steer claims this event is bringing guns into our "Safe School Zones". This is a concern that should be take VERY seriously by Mr. Piccirillo and company. After all, the school board is still living down the fact they "overlooked" what they now identify as dire safety concerns at the Geyser Road School, leaving them short on cash after voting for all those administrative raises. They wouldn't want to have a SECOND major safety concern floating in the wind in Mr. Piccirillo's short tenure.
Let's get a definitive statement from the school district about how these gun shows effect student safety. There's the casual, level headed, concerned citizen can lose.
If the School says there is no safety concern posed by the shows, Steer gets put down, or has to take them on. This is the same school board (and the unions who's interest they represent)who threatened to sue a man for presenting a recording of one of their teachers being abusive to his child and his child's classmates. Them going head to head with the likes of Susan Steer would be a terrific "civil war" showdown of sorts. It would pit "Hoper's" vs "Changer's"... what could be better.
Now, if the school board sides with Steer, "Hope & Change" do go together, then it gets even bigger and better. You've GOT to think the NRA puts some people on planes for this thing. Unions vs. Lobbyists ... are there two better groups to watch battle it out. Whoever loses, Democracy wins!
This just seems like a great plan. Why not help Ms. Steer and get the ball rolling JT?
Perhaps Susan Steer should pick up a recent paper. It seems the far more likely threat to our citizens is something similar to Chistopher Dorner in Los Angles happening right in our own Public Safety department. We've got a man driven over the edge from what he thinks was his wrongful termination (SSFD just terminated a guy for no apparent reason) who's upset with a unprofessional police force with a history of racism and prejudice (the SSPD).
Now, this guy is set on taking out predetermined targets, largely LEO's, and really doesn't put much of a threat out for the citizens. The problem is the POLICE keep shooting citizens. Citizens whose physical descriptions and vehicle descriptions don't even come CLOSE to matching this guys, and the LAPD is shooting up cars and has KILLED as many people, and wounded more, then the man they are trying to catch. Come to think of it, it seems our cops do a pretty lousy job of finding the right criminals, and executing proper training too.
Now, Susan, if you're reading this, I think you'll agree. This is a MUCH greater threat to us then your gun laws. You've already got the dentist's ear... what can you two do to control our public safety (screenings, drug testing, mental evaulations, less corruption) to keep a REAL problem like this from coming to our area? Help us Susan, please. And get the Dentist involved. I'd LOVE to hear his two sense.
This Steer character has no real truthful premise. Her objects do not match her predicates. She is one dangling participle looking for a well endowed, compound verb to satisfy her needs and desires. Her definite articles definitely need major attention not seen since her significant-other began experiencing double-entendres of the metaphorical tense. She's one open preposition searching for a noun. Why are so many among us so noun deficient these days? And as for John Franck? How can people that are so smart be so stupid? Must be the aspartame.
4:33 and 4:45pm,it's not about new guns or getting the Dentist(ha ha)involved it's all about Susan she's basically a moral hypocrite this city is full of them.....hell there's a gun show out at Wal-marts everyday....where's Susan?or Yepsen.
Frank is really trying to promote himself. What a dick.
Ok John, we get it. You're against the drug rehab on S. Broadway & actually I'm not to happy with it either. That being said, the Mayor is wrong on this one. He has continued to imply that the council needs to work together for the benefit of this city. This certainly isn't working together as a commission, it's seems more like a strong Mayor form of goverment. He also states he wants control over the city budget. Sure smells like Mayor control of the council to me.
Let's toss an honest premise out there for these anti-gun enthusiasts:
Just for the sake of ships and giggles, let's agree that their platform is anti-gun and therefore anti-violence, right? OK.
The logical conclusion of any sane mind would safely assume that those of that school of thought are also anti-abortion, against the death penalty, anti-war, anti-crime (but not pro-cops with firearms in Gun-Free School Zones), anti-drug (except their prescription medication) and are most likely inclined to be of the vegetarian persuasion (anti-animal cruelty) and most certainly are fond of cats. (I am desperately trying to be funny, here. Cut me some slack, fellas.)
Huh? Why cats and not dogs? Because dogs bite. Yep. Just ask Skippy. He's got $2000 to buy back guns for DPW. Just what they need. Brings a whole new meaning to flower power. What a town.
There was no police report I saw that reflected an arreat for illegal sale.As for th Comprehensive Plan there is nothing specific in the Charter or State Law that states the Council has the right to appoint. The Planning dept. is under the Mayor's pervue . Does the Mayor ask Skiippy to plow snow differently of the DPS Commissioner how to schedule his people properly? The answer is NO. Why hasn't the public been told how much the Mary Zlotnik cost including legal fees and panel. Much more tha the comprehensive plan I believe. Where is the transparency there. You can't have it both ways. This has been going on since January 2012. The plan is to continue to undermine the Mayor at all costs. Now that the new charter has been defeated the only alternative is undermine the Mayor. You would think City Hall was a day Care Center. Susan should peddle her genius someplace else. She is an obstructionist. Guns are sold every day in every city. There have been moree deaths since Newton, Conn and they will continue. More people are killed with firearms yearly in Chicago than we have lost in Afghanistan in 10 years. They put an additonal 200 police on the street and shootings increase. There are several people who own guns, register them properly and are law abiding. Should they be penalized because ther are a bunch of wackos and criminals running around. Now we have the wackos trying to control the wackos. Good luck on that one.Maybe Mayor keehne was correct on one major issue. There should be a strong Mayor that controls the adolescents who somehow get elected to the Council.
John Franck is a hoot. His department is the worst run department in the city. Do you think he would spend more time straightening up that mess. Time to vote his ass out.
As far as Franck, the “Mad” women and “Toothy” they really are cut from the Democratic mold. We have not seen this kind of pettiness since Val Keehn.
Actually Madigan reminds me a lot of Val. Of course Madigan was not even living in town when Val had her reign of terror so it must come naturally.
6:53 - Stick to facts. The Mayor never stated he wants control over the budget. I realize that anyone can state anything they want on a blog but misrepresnting facts should be limited. The Mayor did state his thoughts about eliminating the default budget and I totally agree wit him. This gives the Council an opportunity to work together to get it right. We have seen poor budgets over the years. Even a 5% budget can be flawed depending on how and where the dollars are appropriated. We currently have one in place.
Why hasn't the saratogian had more press on Franck and his screw ups like the assessments. He lowered his own assessments for his properties along with his buddies. The attorney general and comptroller need to really jump on this guy. Oh that's right he has the comptrollers right hand man in his pocket. Lowered his assessment too.
9:57 PM: Franck and Keehn were archenemies. Madigan only reminds you of Val because they both wear skirts. Just what is the "democratic mold", is it like the "conservative mold”, the "moderate mold", the "progressive mold?" 10 years of trying to get the property owners of southbroadway to do something with their properties and over 1 million dollars paid to Birge for his questionable job has done nothing for the problem except for having a strutting pinapoint shirted windbag wearing out shoe leather in city hall. The proposed south broadway clinic is not a great fit but neither was an off the tax roll potentially vibrant commercial location off the arterial near exit 15 turned religious school. Where were the planners and the “administartors”? Where was Birge? What do you know about “running departments?”
Keenhn had a comp plan committee with ratification in her grasps, but chose instead totake out the McTgues and their project for a Weibel Avenue Recreation Centere and removing his brother from the Planning board. It was Keen that sited the presently small recreation building with her devoted minions and in doing so lost sight of the greater impact of a comp plan ratification and its impact on the city. The check and balance here on the present comp plan selection requires cooperation. That’s the way it is set up, and that is why the Council is positioned to ratify it. If they have no voice, they don’t have to ratify it. The mayor should understand that and so should everyone else.
Why are gun owners so afraid of opposing opinions? Cant they make their arguments without attacking the people. Personally attacking the messenger doesn’t diffuse the message; it only makes your argument less relevant.
Hey 632--
"Why are gun owners so afraid of opposing opinions?"
Maybe it is because of something called tyranny. Scary word (look it up).
Maybe gun owners are the only ones truly paying attention whom know the true nature of the present course of events and their prominence? Maybe it's just about the 2nd Amendment. (It is not negotiable.)
I am an avid supporter of the gun owner agenda and platform because I am educated. Those among us whom studied history, have a brain that utilizes recall and reflection; those of us that know what's been transpiring in this great land for the past 50 years understand the perils and the consequences of actions relating to unjust decisions made in our name. We watched friends die in Viet Nam for a war that was predicated on a lie (Gulf of Tonken incident). The youth among us, kind folks, so young, so naive, deserve better. But why do so many forget so much and have the arrogance to question the elders around us? For that there is passionate retort. I suppose those of us whom have seen history unfold in real-time take these things quite seriously and therefore, personally.
And we are not afraid of opposing opinions. However: We are afraid of Citizens United, NDAA, of Patriot Act II and of unjust aggression; and especially wars without end.
Wake up people.
The few freedoms we take for granted today will be gone tomorrow. Haebeus corpus is history. It means nothing until you experience it first hand. The government is eroding so many liberties and rights that in the future, as in the old USSR, every citizen will be guilty of a crime one way or another and the government will be in complete control of your lives.
This 'Brave New World' scenario is coming to America. It is here now. The only thing standing in protection between a tyrannical government armed with armed, aerial spy-drones and the protection of one's family and loved ones is a gun. It need not be used. By virtue of its very existence gives the devil pause. And if the devil pursues, he'll get his due. You folks all need to study American history. It's all been very real. Just Google 'Japanese Americans' and '1942' and learn about our precious rights that we all take for granted and how easily they can be taken away. It happened before, it'll happen again. Listen to the gatekeepers.
@5:58 - I think the point is, when you start making this knuckleheads put some substance behind their arguments, you can put them at odds with themselves, and expose their silly claims.
As long as their own people can ignore them, without hurting themselves, they'll be fine. If you can use their own arguments to put them at odds with themselves, and their supporters, you can push it to a head, and make it go away.
The Dems behind all this gun show nonsense need the unions (teachers and public service) to vote for them. When their platform starts attacking the union memebers who've bought and paid for their campaigns, that platform will have to change.
One small correction to my post about the Mayor and the budget. It should state a 0% budget tax increase can be flawed as well if the dollars are misappopriated.6:32 I don't see or hear the gun owners attacking the messeneger. I see the opposite. We have a right to own guns. If the system is broken it can be fixed but I see no leader that is recommedning the appropriate solutions. Either way the City Center nor Wal Mart and other retail outlets be attacked as well unless they are nor following the current law. What happens outside of their perimeter is not their responsibity. To undermine the City Center as a culprit in the free market is totally irresponsible. What reaction would other groups who book conferences there. A major portion of the country supports gun rights to one degree or another. What would happen if they changed their bookings to a different venue. Several years of building the status of the City and City Center would go to hell along with a severe damaging effect on the cities economy.Even if everyone stopped selling guns there are over 300 million out there. The argument to cancel gun show here has no merit with the exception of the perspective of a few. Listening to the State of the Union last evening presented by far what we should be afraid of. We have a President who feels and do whatever he wants regardless of Congress and the Constitution. That is what everyone should really be afraid of.Payne's reflections on this issue are very realistic.
9:08 - Using their own argument against them has been attempted. They state they understand and then go right back to attacking. You can't negotiate with loons who feel their opinion is always the right opinion.We find that with people in this group and even on the Council. They now become as dangerous that the problem before us.
@9:05 Hey “Look it up”
The Second amendment has little to do with assault weapons owned by private individuals. It was about militias back then and now. With an attitude like yours, unless you are a part of the National Guard, you’re just another wacko.
Tyranny was expressed by Jefferson about England’s unilateral non representative governance over the Colonies. The new Democracy separated powers and provides amongst other things, the freedom to voice opinions.
Your viral partisan assault on counter opinions speaks more to the your narrow-mindedness and aligns you closer to those prejudicial knee-jerk reactions such as the Japanese interments during WWII you reference.
You claim to be enlightened and educated, yet your scribblings suggests otherwise. You have little idea what The Brave New World was about.
You may consider yourself a self-designated gatekeeper, but you are promoting yourself as deranged and as paranoid as Chris Dorner.
Hey 9:05
First of all: I am not your enemy.
I am not the gatekeeper. I am but one older fellow voicing his opinion on this oversimplified but complicated issue at hand.
Try to be more civil in your retort, it will win you friends and further your pursuasive agenda. State your retort in a well thought out fashion and you might find there are those among us whom sympathise with your views. Name calling usually ends the intellectual arguement prematurely leaving you with no recourse and no audience. What is your agenda?
The U.S. Supreme cout decison in 2008 streadfastly claimed the individual's right to bear arms shall not be infringed. The 2nd Amendment is not negotiable.
Your retort is indicative and exemplar of the very premise you claim to condemn. "Brave New World" was required reading when those of us in our age group back in the late 60's...early 70's. My generation grew older and the world grew distant from our youthful and naïve ideals.
Air raid drills were commonplace in school. We cowared under our desks at 8 bells and our imaginations got the best of us. Fallout shelter signs were an ominous warning (and still are) to some of us brought up to repsect such symbolism.
We remember our parents and friends crying when JFK was assassinated, feared for the country when Bobbie Kennedy was killed and recoiled in anger and confusion when M.L. King was gunned down. We watched our friends die in police action that began with a false flag in the Gulf of Tonkin in Southeast Asia.
We were taught that communism was bad and that socialism robbbed the individual of personal liberty. Now witness the very word we were taught to be of absolute fear, banished from the American landscape and vernacular to be replaced with benign ideology lurking like the wolf in the sheep's pelt: communism. Stripped from the label, we now accept: Made in China and have no fear.
We respect your right to your opinion and we will defend your right of decent. That is the first amendment. Respect those of us that value the 2nd and 3rd amendments. They are the only 2 left that have not as of yet been compromised.
Wake up before it's too late. Google NDAA and Patriot Act. Educate youself and your friends. You have the power at your fingertips. It is in your best interest. Godspeed this Ash Wendesday.
The Year of the Snake is at hand. Nee-how?
Anonymous 9:48 AM ... “We find that with people in this group and even on the Council. They now become as dangerous that the problem before us.”
Obviously, the miserable scratching of a highly suspicious person who feels persecuted - at the same time, maintaining an association with like minds (a stretch of the imagination) who believe that their grandiose delusions of omnipotence will prevail.
9 out of 10 of our finest Institutions have residents who would agree with such paranoia.
One doesn't need an assault weapon to be safe. It's all in your mind Rambo.
9:08 - you don't necessarily use their argument against them, you encourage it. Steer says that gun show make the schools unsafe, then why isn't Piccirillo doing something about it?
Toothy thinks we need to change gun laws because we need to avoid a tragedy like Connecticut. Why not change procedure in his own department to prevent against a "tragedy" like the LAPD created in California.
They can't just be outraged when it suits their cause.
'Common sense gun laws' is a phrase we've been hearing a lot lately. Those who cannot think for themselves will use such 'talking points' to push an agenda past the ill-informed, hoping that no one is intelligent enough to recognize propaganda when they hear it.
Common Sense. That's a good thing, right? So just label something 'common sense' and it will amaze you how many people will just let it slide by, afraid to speak up lest they be thought lacking in common sense.
Here's a hint, young people. When you start hearing the same phrase used over and over in the media, that is a way to recognize that somebody is trying to put one past you and probably trying to make an end run around the Constitution. One example: just before the war in Iraq, the phrase "we have to get behind the troops" started popping up everywhere. Remember? Gee. Anyone who questioned what business we had overseas wasn't supporting the troops? Propaganda.
How are those 'common sense gun laws' that have been on the books for years in Chicago working?
6:32 you need to get the facts straight. Keehn didn't move the Rec Center to it's present location. That was Johnson. She was with the Mctygues on that location on Weibel Ave. The reason she didn't put Bill Mctygue back on planning board is because she knew then what many are just finding out now about him. He's a nut. But none of this has anything to do with Frank and his failures in Accounts Dept.
Is it, "No Nothing, or Know Nothing"? Hmmm....
Wow, time flies.
Over 40 days have gone by since you started counting down to election.
@11:56 - From the people who brought you "The Patriot Act".
From the people that brought you Pearl Harbor...
TOY-OTA!!
History repeats.
Kudos to @11:56 and Tom Payne.
It's all about Common Sense.
I will be going around tonight and telling the homeless to go to 180 Phila street for some free food and heat .
Lets see how well this works out....
You think Susan will answer the door???????
Hope you're feeling better, John. Get some rest.
12:54pm,Keehan was never with Mctygue on weibel ave...never,lew benton convinced her to move it to it's present site.
Anon 12:54 - You are wrong.
Keehn and her White Street/Five Points allies pulled the Rec Center from Weibel Avenue to the South Side to make it “bicycle friendly” and to assert her power as Mayor. The consultants for the initial Weibel Avenue facility (that allowed expansion) were later instructed by Keehn to adapt it for its present location. Check out the Council minutes!
She pulled Bill off the Planning Board and sabotaged his bother and forgot about the more important Comp Plan that the volunteers spent 18 MONTHS working on. That's her legacy!
When Johnson took office, the building was already located and re-programmed on site 2 (The Keehn site). For all those considerations given to the walkabillies and bicyclites, the building would always be primarily a drive to facility because of scheduled tournament play. McTygue was right on this. Weibel offered expansion and parking and with the Ice Facility this would have been compatible for these competition trafficked venues. The South side field could have been maintained as a low impact neighborhood walkable site with bike racks. Oh well.
Tom McTygue should be Grand Marshall of the next Broadway Parade driving in a big white convertible down the Broad way that he took personal pleasure in caring for all those years. Do we have parades anymore? Will the cops ever realize that they could volunteer their time like everyone else (with concealed weapon permits) on the parade route?
The Comp Plan's work was done by May of Keehn's hoorah. She had six months to ratify it even with a lame duck Council. No excuses.
Btween scirroccoal,keehan,kim,and finnerann,franck and white fang,you must admit some form of coruption is not to far away.
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