Posted on 07/16/2005 9:53:12 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
Ban Could Cost City Convention
The recently-enacted assault weapons ban in the city of Columbus might wind up costing the capital city the 2007 National Rifle Association convention.
City leaders were holding their breath Friday night, wondering if one of the biggest conventions planned to hit Columbus will cancel.
The NRA announced in May that it chose Columbus over two other cities for its 2007 convention. But now the organization is planning another announcement scheduled for Monday that could change its plans.
On Friday, the NRA would neither confirm nor deny that it plans to leave Columbus. There is speculation that the city's recent vote to ban assault weapons has the group worried about the impact on exhibitors.
Many in the city of Columbus are now worried about losing out on millions of tourism dollars.
"The offer is still open. The door is still open. And we hope they do come to Columbus to have their convention. But they are not going to dictate the policy of the city of Columbus," Mayor Michael Coleman told 10TV.
Councilman Mike Mentel, who spearheaded the city’s new assault weapons ban, says the gun ownership advocacy group should have been aware of the impending legislation when it chose Columbus for its conference.
"I would find it incomprehensible that they had no knowledge of the efforts that me and my council colleagues were doing with this ban," Mentel said.
The city says the NRA knew about the ordinance before it picked Columbus. Now, the city is wondering if it will lose out on the proceeds 50,000 to 60,000 visitors could bring to local businesses and tax coffers.
"We project it could bring between $12 million and $15 million to our city in three or four days," Joseph Marinelli of “Experience Columbus” said.
A sticking point for the NRA may be the language of the city's assault ban law. It reads in part, "…no one is allowed to possess assault weapons…" which could prevent exhibitors from showing their guns. It also flies in the face of the organization’s defense of the 2nd Amendment.
Life member since late '60s.
Just emailed em and told them to "MOVE IT"!!!
Lets go someplace where we are welcome.
Actually leaving Columbus would sent just the right message to the idiots who passed that law.
Perhaps they could consider sunny FL?
Don't tell us, tell the NRA directly.
Does anyone have emails and links to the NRA?!
***"We project it could bring between $12 million and $15 million to our city in three or four days," **
The city may as well have burned the money. Was the ban worth the economic loss?
So reward the gun-grabbing city with the NRA convention's economic windfall to make a point, eh?
Whose bright idea was that? Find out and fire 'em.
Something about making a bed and now sleeping in it.....ALONE!
No, just put them on the short list, so you can then use their gun-grab to to punish them. Dangle the carrot, knowing full well you have no intention of giving it to them.
Just my random thought
20year proud member of the NRA and I hope they pull out of Columbus. Our money should not support the gun grabbing movement.
Yea! Come on, NRA, pull out of that nest of ignorant gun-grabbers! There are plenty of gun-friendly cities in the west that would be very happy to host the 2007 convention. Besides, if the convention were held in the west it would be easier for me to travel to it.
It's time for the NRA to send a message to certain cities and states: If you're not friendly to us, don't expect us to be friendly to you.
Attention Columbus, Ohio! Your Help is Needed!
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Despite overwhelming opposition from NRA members, Peoples Rights Organization members, and other law-abiding gun owners in Columbus, the ban on so-called "assault weapons" passed unanimously 6-0 during Monday night's Columbus City Council meeting. This legislation far exceeds the recently expired federal semi-automatic ban, making it the worst of its kind. Safety Committee Chair Mr. Mentel and other council members have taken it upon themselves to dismantle the rights of law-abiding citizens in Columbus by passing this vehemently anti-gun ordinance.
Below you will find the contact information for Mayor Michael Coleman and your city council members. Please contact the Mayor's office and urge him to veto this unnecessary legislation. In addition, call your council members and voice your frustration regarding this blatant attack on your Second Amendment rights. Please keep apprised of any updates concerning this gun control legislation.
Mayor's Office
City Hall 2nd Floor
90 West Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 645-7671
Fax: (614) 645-5818
City Council Members and Legislative Aides
Matthew D. Habash
Council President
Legislative Aide: Todd Dieffenderfer
Email: tfdieffenderfer@columbus.gov (614) 645-8564
Michael C. Mentel
Council President Pro-Tem
Legislative Aide: Kate McSweeney
Email: mkmcsweeney@columbus.gov (614) 645-8558
Kevin L. Boyce
Legislative Aide: Sheri-Lynn Caffey
Email: slcaffey@columbus.gov (614) 645-0852
Mary Jo Hudson
Legislative Aide: Scott Varner
Email: sjvarner@columbus.gov (614) 645-6798
Maryellen O'Shaughnessy
Legislative Aide: Lelia Cady
Email: lecady@columbus.gov (614) 645-8509
Charleta B. Tavares
Legislative Aide: Bo Chilton
Email: rechilton@columbus.gov (614) 645-8580
Patsy A. Thomas
Legislative Aide: Kathy Owens
Email: kaowens@columbus.gov (614) 645-8559
http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/Read.aspx?ID=1674
I don't need to tell them directly; I'm sure they're well aware that the membership will be outraged if they hold the convention in Columbus. Doesn't mean they won't hold the convention in Columbus, but they know.
As for a link, how hard is it to just try nra.org?
call the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division at (800) 392-8683
I don't have any connection with Columbus, but I just sent them an e-mail to let them know how this NRA member feels. I have a shooting buddy with Ohio connections, and I'm sure he's burning up the phone lines right now.
Post probably should not have been to you, specifically. Should have been generically to everyone.
I agree. Since the new pres is from Tucson - why cant they have it here when the weather is nice in February?
I got a call from the NRA-ILA two nights ago.
I told the caller that I would give when the Tucson Rod and Gun club is reopened in Sabino Canyon.
It's been closed since '96. The NRA did jack shit to help the locals.
Dave Hardy the lawyer was helping when it looked like there might be a chance against the faceless bureacrats at the Forest Service and BLM.
Bush is no different than Clinton or any of the other RINOS on 2A issues.
What good is the right to own if there is no place to shoot?
Sort of reminds me of W and the NAALCP
Law of unintended consequences.
"Bush is no different than Clinton or any of the other RINOS on 2A issues."
Sadly, you are right. That's why I'm concerned that Gonzales will get to the Supreme Court. If the Republicans expect to build on their successes they need to be more reponsive to their base and quit trying to cuddle up the the moderates and liberals.
I am now officially a one-issue voter, and that issue is the preservation of the right to keep and bear arms as stated in the Second Amendment.
Since I belong to a Rod and Gun club in one of the most 2nd-Amendment hostile areas of the country (San Francisco Bay Area), I'm sympathetic, so I had a look at the history of the Sabino Canyon dispute. The simple truth is that these days, your local range is only safe if you own the land you're on, which Tucson did not. In fact, as the court stated:
“This permit is accepted with the understanding that the land involved will eventually be needed for general public use. It is understood and agreed that if and when the lands herein described are needed for this higher form of use, the permit shall terminate…”
Of course, whether or not the public needed the land for something else is subjective, but that clause was a ticking time bomb that somebody should have de-fused over four decades.
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