A few weeks ago, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed cutting the city’s workforce by 10,000 employees to help save $1.6 billion during the next 18 months, hoping that this would help offset at least part of a projected budget deficit of over $4.5 billion within the next two years.
Bloomberg said that rising pension costs and the loss of $850 billion in federal school aid necessitated the employee cutbacks, that will be accomplished in part by firing more than 6,000 workers, and losing another 4,000 through attrition.
And yet, Bloomberg was able to find over $100,000 to hire undercover investigators and send them to a gun show in Arizona to try to purchase handguns illegally. The mayor has authorized similar sting operations at gun shows in Tennessee, Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania, South Carolina Virginia, and Nevada as part of a push for tougher federal laws to help keep guns off the streets of New York. There was no mention of how much those stings have cost the city.
Bloomberg said that in the Arizona sting, his investigators were able to purchase pistols from private sellers at the gun show, even after they said they “probably” couldn’t pass a background check. In Arizona, firearms sales between private individuals are not subject to any paperwork or background checks.
A retired agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Explosives agency said the sales in Arizona were not illegal, because the purchasers were not really felons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has asked Bloomberg not to conduct the sting operations, and the Justice Department warned the city, in a 2007 letter, that the stings might interfere with or jeopardize ongoing criminal investigations.
Bloomberg has said that most illegal guns recovered in New York City came from states along the East Coast, but he spent the money for the Arizona sting because the recent shootings of Representative Gabrielle Giffords and several bystanders in Tucson earlier this month would bring national attention to his campaign against gun show sales.
Okay, so New York City can’t pay its bills, Mayor Bloomberg is willing to put 10,000 on the unemployment line, but he can waste hundreds of thousands of dollars to prove a point. What an arrogant jerk! And what a waste of money that could be used for something positive in his own city.
But what the hell, he got some face time in front of the cameras, right? As for those city employees who are going to lose their jobs. Hey, they’re not in front of the cameras, so they don’t count.
But remember something, Mayor Bloomberg. They can vote. I hope they do, and that every other New Yorker who has seen city services cut while money is wasted this way also votes to get Bloomberg and his like out of office.
Tags: Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Explosives, federal school aid, felons, gun show, Justice Department, New York City, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pension costs, purchase handguns illegally, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, undercover investigators, unemployment line
Anything to promote their agendas, and themselves.
Don’t worry Bad Nick after the snow plowing fiasco this past Christmas…I don’t think you’ll see him re-elected.
Yup…you can call it a mule or a donkey, even a burro…but some where in its family tree I bet you’ll find a jackass and there sure seems to be alot of them in public office today……
I’m not sure why “Bad Nick” was given the privilege of writing this post. Me thinks hitting the nail on the head is a GOOD thing. As a resident of Arizona I can only say, “Mayor who?”
Tom, I like that one. Can I use it should the occasion arise?
Moot point – he can’t run again.
But it is to be remembered that he has improved the quality of life in NYC and directed the City through these difficult financial times without NYC having to go into receivership (as has happened in the past).
The gun issue in major cities like NYC is totally different than what many readers face in their daily lives. (E.G., I am sure most of you do not shoot off your guns to celebrate New Year’s Eve like they do in the district where our son is an LEO.) I am not against guns but do believe that with the high level of mental illness that exists, some safeguards built into the system would be a good thing. Proper safeguards would not infringe on anyone’s second amendment rights.
Howdy Bad Nick,
Bet ol’ Michael B didn’t spend any of his billions on his big
campaign and investigations!!!! All of this deficit spending
has finally caught up and now is biting us in the butt!!! We’ve been spending ourselves into this hole ever since WWII.. When will
people realize that THERE AIN’T NO FREE LUNCH!!! Tighten up your
girdle and get some good cardboard for your shoes.. THE POLITICIANS ARE GONNA DO WHATEVER THEY CAN TO MAKE THEMSELVES $$$
POLITICAL OFFICE WAS MEANT TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY NOT
THE POLITICIANS THEMSELVES AND THEIR CRONIES!!!
I would have to ask, “What legal standing does a New York mayor have to commit an illegal act and not be prosecuted?” It is almost laughable (sarcasim intended) that the United States Attorney General has “asked” him not to do this. To view this from another perspective: If Bloomberg sent a representative to the Barret-Jackson auction in Phoenix to purchase an automobile, to whom does that car belong? If he sent representatives to purchase guns, the guns belong to him. He is knowingly and intentionally performing an illegal act. Is he above the law because he is rich and a politician?
Whenever I hear someone say “I’m not against such and such BUT”, I become suspicious. People in every city in this country face the same dangers from guns in their everyday life. A felon will always get a gun if they want one. Gun laws only disarm HONEST people. The Japanese did not invade the US during WWII because the Emperor feared an armed American public and I suspect that very thing is what’s keeping the violence we see against authority worldwide from spreading to the US. When will the Anti-gunners wake up and smell the roses!!!
We have to keep the guns out of the bad guys hands and the nut case’s hands. Quit trying to go after gun sales in general and instead go after the people that shouldn’t have them. Lock up felons who are caught in possession of a gun. Too many times they just get a slap on the hand. Give gun sellers more power to refuse sales to a nut case. In other words, tighten up on the ones who are most likely to use a gun for illegal purposes.
Right on Nick, just more proof that our so called leaders, don’t work for us, they seem to think they are some type of royality, and don’t have to follow the rules they impose on the rest of us.
Michael Bloomberg IS Bloomberg cable news/financial network (see your Direct TV listings) he is one rich son-of-a-gun. Don’t you know that money spent on “studies” isn’t really money wasted?
Right? WRONG!
Progressive doctrine – They won’t be happy until the government controls all aspects of our lives. Gun control has always been on their list. They have been trying for years and will keep trying to whittle away at our rights. They won’t stop until the average citizen is not allowed a gun to protect himself and his family. The gun laws in New York are very strict but they generally only affect law abiding citizens. Their crime problems only proves their strict laws don’t keep guns out of criminals hands.