Posted on 12/03/2001 11:32:51 AM PST by tarawa
ISRA: Daley Administration Attacks Trapshooting;
Jeopardizing $40M In Economic Development For Southern Illinois
To: State Desk
Contact: Richard Pearson of the Illinois State Rifle
Association (ISRA), 815-635-3198
Web Site: http://www.isra.org
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Nov. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA):
As expected, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine flexed their political muscles in an attempt to impede development of a world-class trap shooting facility in southern Illinois.
Earlier this year, the prestigious Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) announced that it would move its headquarters and museum from Vandalia, Ohio to a location near Sparta, Ill.
The new 1,300-acre headquarters would include state-of-the-art trapshooting, skeet shooting, and sporting clays facilities. The site would also host the renowned Grand American trapshooting tournament beginning in 2004.
The ATA's move to Sparta would provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the local economy with an initial boost of approximately $40 million. Additional long-term economic benefits would come in the form of tourist dollars and jobs for local residents.
Politically motivated meddling on the part of Daley and Devine placed Sparta's good fortune in jeopardy. In order for the ATA facility to be successful, certain improvements to the Illinois Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Act would be required. Such improvements would allow out-of-state residents to purchase ammunition while taking part in competitive events at the ATA facility. Without such improvements to the FOID Act, the ATA facility might not be viable.
In testimony before a Senate committee today, lobbyists representing Daley and Devine expressed their unequivocal opposition to these reasonable improvements to the FOID Act. Later, from the floor of the House, Daley political allies made unsubstantiated claims that implementing the proposed improvements would lead to more crime and violence on our streets.
In its wisdom, the Illinois House voted 90 to 23 today in favor of implementing these important improvements to the FOID Act.
"The improvements to the FOID Act passed today by the House will greatly benefit law-abiding trap shooters while in no way hindering the state's ability to keep guns out of the hands of criminals," commented ISRA president Richard Pearson. "We fully expected Daley and Devine to run interference against these proposed improvements. Woefully unable to contain violent crime in Chicago, Daley and Devine would have liked the good people of Sparta to take it on the chin."
"For years we've heard Daley administration officials crow about how they support hunters and sportsmen," continued Pearson. "But when the world's foremost trapshooting association seeks beneficial improvements to the FOID Act, Daley and his cronies do all they can to interfere. The Daley administration's testimony before the Senate today is yet another expression of Daley's promise that, if it were up to him, nobody would have guns.
"I'd say that the 90-23 vote today in the Democratically- controlled House will serve as a painful reminder to Mayor Daley that not all share his disdain for the shooting sports and the people who practice them."
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The ISRA is Illinois state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For nearly a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of over 1.5 million law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.
Rather than just fighting defensive battles against Daley's antigun jihad whenever he proposed new state legislation, ISRA began doing what any mayor of a corrupt failing megalopolis failed most - actively lobbying in the state legislature against his pet bills for financial aid for his city!
It's time for all Freepers and other gun-rights activists to join the battle - by boycotting Chicago tourism and Chicago-made products and services. Make Daley scream!.
More people die from lightning strikes on golf courses than accidents on a trap range. Let's outlaw the game of golf.(sarcasm) Or declare war on the eeeevils of lightning strikes... geeez. When is this going to stop?
. . .cannot, should not. . .trust a Liberal - period.
Too late smart for too many. . .and in the end; we all lose.
Up until recently, I thought that describing a politician as a "gun-grabber" was a little rediculous and even slightly paranoid. I actually believed that most of them were just misinformed or misguided people trying to do what they thought was right, and had no intention of significantly curtailing gun ownership or hunting. But instances like this rediculous attack on trapshooting have really demonstrated to me how naive I was.
Every time anti-gunners try to pull stunts like this, marginal gun owners or gun enthusiasts will join our cause, or find renewed interest in it.
The present location is at the Dayton International Airport. The ATA only owns, so much land, and leases the rest from the Airport. The Airport wants to expand. A new site had to be found. Ohio made a proposal for a site in Southeast Ohio, but it would have been leased from the State. The ATA wanted to own the land. They looked at many sites, and voted on this one. Yes, it is a shame, that they will move out of Ohio. The Grand American has been in Vandalia for over 80 years.
They proposed a "dual" trap line. The ATA did not want to have it this way.
Another site considered, was Amarillo, Tx. This is their second "choice".
Only thing, is the majority of trap shooters, are in the Northeast part of the States.
Hope you have been doing well.
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