As they say, all politics is local. The Constitution may say one thing, but if the local government doesn’t agree, you could be in for a world of hurt. And even then, a single powerful person can derail a project that has otherwise dotted every “I” and crossed every “T” and complied with every local ordinance possible. An aspiring gun range in West Palm Beach, Florida is running into this exact problem, as their project has become the target of the city’s anti-gun (and MAIG member) mayor’s ire . . .
West Palm Beach was excited about some economic development in their town, and had even voted to allow a variance in the local zoning laws to allow the gun range to open up within 1,000 feet of residences. As other indoor gun ranges across the country can attest, the probability of a round leaving the range is so remote as to have never happened. In fact, there’s a gun range in the middle of Philadelphia, PA that I went to not long ago where the range was on the second floor of a building, with touching apartment buildings on either side, and the gun shop directly underneath the range. And they’ve never had any issues. And yet, according to Mayor Jeri Mouio:
“For people to be going to and from that location so near a park and so near a neighborhood filled with children and young people is concerning,” Muoio said. “This applicant has done everything he can do to make this a more palatable development and, of course, we want to see development in our city, but the fact that it’s a gun range is concerning to me.”
The mayor offered no other explanation for her opposition to the gun range, other than the fact that she doesn’t like guns. No stats about gun violence, no claims about safety, just that she doesn’t like guns.
If this were a Christian mayor opposed to a Muslim mosque being constructed in their city, this would be front page news. But because guns are the subject, the mainstream media is largely ignoring the issue. Guns continue to be the favorite punching bag and scapegoat for all of society’s ills, it seems, even when the mayor in question can’t articulate a reason why she believes the gun range would be harmful to a location otherwise starving for economic development.
Perhaps she believes guns to be like a magical talisman, bringing destruction to any area in which they appear? Then again, if that were the case, my closet should be a gateway to the darkest pits of hell by now . . .
Hmmm darkest pits of hell you say? That would explain why the walls in my workshop are bleeding again…
Just be careful if Gozer shows up in your fridge.
And if she asks you “Are you a god? You say…”
Well I don’t like politicians, something that gets worse by the month. Maybe I can have them removed on those grounds?
“… so near a park and so near a neighborhood filled with children and young people is concerning,”
It’s obvious her concern is that people on the way to the gun range, while passing the park and neighborhood children, will stop briefly and take a few practice shots at the kids.
Or she’s really he who walks behind the rows and is setting the stage for the uprising for the children of the corn.
And unlike her police department, they will hit their targets.
I’m confused. Sure, she has expressed an opinion that she is against guns, but has she used her authority to interfere with the normal zoning application process? If not, then she is merely exercising her 1st amendment rights.
If so, please clarify.
It APPEARS that she is seeking to have the zoning rules changed, so that a gun range would not be allowed ‘near’ a park: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/mayor-opposes-gun-range-near-flamingo-park-neighbo/nY9L7/
That’s kinda sticky, the authority is implied, as she is the Mayor of this city. Her “opinion” can influence council members, planning and zoning, deparmtent heads.
There is a similar arguement ongoing about a small town Pennsylvania Police Chief who has been voicing his “opinion” about liberals and such. He seems to be catching alot of heat about being percieved as using his office as a spouting point for his opinion…why should a Mayor be above that standard?
As an elected official, she has a special responsibility not to shoot her mouth off like this. If she wants to pursue a legal objection to the project, then great. If she is “just voicing her opinion”, then that’s not okay, because city employees may take it as a signal to enforce her opinion outside of due process. The military calls it undue command influence. Maybe we need a similar law in the civil government sector.
On the other hand…We should encourage politicians like this to voice their opinion as often as possible so that the people in her city can know what she thinks and vote her ass out
I would NOT put it past a piece of trash like her to have the local police department HARASS gun owners on their way to and from that range IF it gets built including ILLEGAL stops and searches of vehicles. NEVER put ANYTHING past a left winger MAIG Mayor.
“Then again, if that were the case, my closet should be a gateway to the darkest pits of hell by now . . .”
Just watch out for Zul, the gate keeper.
I just keep a Rick Moranis handy. Along with some chocolate and graham crackers for the iminent smore’s fest.
If there’s one thing that all illegal guns have in common, it’s that they never visit shooting ranges.
Perhaps if they were an “adult entertainment” shop, that would be preferable to have close to the kids…?
Yep, another mayor who ignores facts and what is good for a community in order to push a leftist agenda of people control. This is another prime example of absolute evil in action.
Trying to do something similar to a gun range in Atlanta:
http://www.georgiapacking.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=85189&p=1217871&hilit=Stoddards#p1217871
“FOR THE CHILDREN”
this is the same mayor who installed metal detectors in city hall to keep the icky guns out of any public meetings/hearings
If your guns are icky, you’re cleaning them wrong.
This is just another classic liberal anti-gun tactic, based on feelings, emotions, and misinformation. The big mean scary gun toting people coming near our gated communities! Those evil guns are going to jump out of thier cases and run rampant through the city! Someone is going to shoot super nuclear tipped armor piercing bullets through the firing range wall and kill kittens in the park! Cats and dogs, living with each other…MASS HYSTERIA!
Someone must of watched Ghostsbusters at the theater Sunday.lol
“…For people to be going to and from that location ”
She just said “you people” in that special way that can only be condescending. She considers the people of the gun to be less than human and therefore beneath her.
I live several towns to the south of hers but you can rest assured I will be contributing time and money to her un-election campaign.
Maybe the “applicant” can invite the mayor to another gun range and the two could pop off a few rounds and become best friends. Now see if you can repeat that sentence without laughing.
“…the fact that it’s a gun range is concerning to me.” I guess she would rather have a strip club or adult book store in that location. After all, the [cough] bribes [cough] campaign contributions would be larger and continuing.
And seriously, a mayor popping off like that is direction to her organization, not a “personal opinion.”
Another Democrat with delusions of adequacy. Get her a glass of vinegar and water.
Oh yes, I think she is full up on the liberal vingar douchery.
Seriously though, it is funny to watch their squirming at the very thought of people exercising their constitutional rights.
In my town, the local police shooting range is right next to a park (I can clearly hear gunshots whenever I go there) and nobody has been shot yet.. Its also just blocks away from the local high school. Don’t let the antis hear about that; they’ll come to my town and start raising hell…
Communist politicians and Bloomberg stool pigeons are icky. Of course it may be insulting to fish.
The correlation of this place and a park is most suiting.
I highly doubt drug-dealing vagrants are dumb enough to try anything with so many potential protectors of the sheeple near-by.
Bet that thought never crossed her mind. ..
You beat me to the punch. That should become one of the safest parks in all of West Palm Beach, if not all of Palm Beach county. People; law abiding citizens, will be going in and out all day long. What’s not to like?
The women is crackers just like most of the politicians here in Palm Beach County.
They make a lot of noise and nothing changes.
The range has been approved, given relief about the 300 foot variance.
It will open whether she cries some more or not.
Besides the law stopping new ranges being built in the county was overturned at the state level.
We need more decent local places to shoot as is.
+1 including a good outdoor rifle range
Florida would be MUCH better off IF we could just saw off the east Coast around Palm Beach and Miami and shove it off out to sea.
@Jeri Mouio: Even though you’ve done everything you can to make yourself palatable, the fact that you are an elected official concerns me.
How does the commie libtard mayor think that people can become proficient with their firearms?
Just another way to impede exercise 2nd. amendment rights. Can’t get it done with legislation? Have government agencies buy up all the ammo, prohibit new gun ranges. Turn citizen’s weapons into paper weights..
I live in West Palm Beach. There are 3 other ranges within 15 minutes drive of where they are proposing this site. We won’t be missing anything here. Plus the area they are proposing is an area you probably don’t want it anyway. This is where the “unsavorys” live.
I go to Shoot Straight. Love it there, plus it has A/C, what more could you want?
With that mentality lets ban all vehicles from parking within a 1000 feet of the park. Because a stray vehicle might get out of control and take out the children playing in the park. Cowards and politicians alike hide behind children and use them as human shields.
It’s to the point where they’re basically coming out and just saying it: they don’t like guns and they don’t want anyone to practice with them, buy them, sell them, trade them, pass them down, or possess them.
Why? There doesn’t even have to be a reason.
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