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To Help Chicago, Lightfoot Looks To Springfield — But Not On Violence


mauserme

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A new day in Illinois?

 

https://www.northernpublicradio.org/post/help-chicago-lightfoot-looks-springfield-not-violence

 

 

To Help Chicago, Lightfoot Looks To Springfield But Not On Violence

By BRIAN MACKEY 10 HOURS AGO

 

...

(Lightfoot) says much of her agenda depends on approval in Springfield. That includes a graduated income tax, which would generate more money for both the state and city governments.

 

But Lightfoot says that not the case with at least one big issue in Chicago: violence.

 

The violence is something that we've got to take on and own as a city, Lightfoot said. I don't think we need to in the short term look to Springfield to solve that problem. We've just got to do better in the City of Chicago.

 

Lightfoot says that will take the form of greater investment in communities and better practices by police.

 

In the past, Chicago has been a driving force behind gun control legislation in the General Assembly.

 

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A new day in Illinois?

 

 

In the past, Chicago has been a driving force behind gun control legislation in the General Assembly.

 

How much of that was Rahm pushing the state legislature? Very little, I think. Even if Lightfoot drops it as a city agenda item, I doubt the state legislature will change direction. She'd have to start pushing in the opposite direction to make a difference; and I don't see that happening, either.

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One could hope but I personally read between the lines that she is going re-educate the police to be nicer to these misunderstood youths and give freebies to the communites so those youths behave better. All the while she will continue to push for punishment and infringements of law abiding gun owners.

 

Then you'd be wasting a fantastic opportunity. Lightfoot is the most pro-2nd A mayor we've had in a LOOONNG time.

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A new day in Illinois?

 

In the past, Chicago has been a driving force behind gun control legislation in the General Assembly.

 

How much of that was Rahm pushing the state legislature? Very little, I think. Even if Lightfoot drops it as a city agenda item, I doubt the state legislature will change direction. She'd have to start pushing in the opposite direction to make a difference; and I don't see that happening, either.

 

 

 

Absolutely not true. Rahm is the reason why we don't have public transport carry currently.

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One could hope but I personally read between the lines that she is going re-educate the police to be nicer to these misunderstood youths and give freebies to the communites so those youths behave better. All the while she will continue to push for punishment and infringements of law abiding gun owners.

 

Then you'd be wasting a fantastic opportunity. Lightfoot is the most pro-2nd A mayor we've had in a LOOONNG time.

 

 

I do not mean to counter you. I live in the suburbs and did not take sides in regard to the Chicago election. I realize that there a some pro-2A Democrats.

Can you cite where she has been pro-2A?

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One could hope but I personally read between the lines that she is going re-educate the police to be nicer to these misunderstood youths and give freebies to the communites so those youths behave better. All the while she will continue to push for punishment and infringements of law abiding gun owners.

 

Then you'd be wasting a fantastic opportunity. Lightfoot is the most pro-2nd A mayor we've had in a LOOONNG time.

 

 

What 'fantastic' opportunity am I wasting, please eleaborate in detail!

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From our point of view, an opportunity to build potential bridges, though he may have meant something to else

 

You are far more optimistic than I, about actually building any legitamate bridges with her, I stand by my original response.

 

 

 

Guns
What should Chicago do to reduce the number of illegal guns?
Lori Lightfoot: I am the only candidate for mayor with a detailed plan for combating the illegal guns that pour into Chicago from neighboring cities and states. Stopping this flow of illegal guns requires a proactive, coordinated response from law enforcement that must be led by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, in coordination with the ATF, FBI, DEA, the CPD and state and county law enforcement, as well as federal counterparts in states like Indiana, Wisconsin and Mississippi, from which large sources of illegal guns flow. We must target the traffickers, felons in possession and straw purchasers with an effective carrot (social service support and jobs for those who leave the criminal life) and stick (stepped up prosecutions for serious offenders) approach. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s office must increase the number of illegal gun cases prosecuted in Chicago.
We also must strengthen existing state gun laws, pass legislation regulating gun dealers, and support federal legislation that makes gun trafficking a federal crime. State legislators can strengthen existing laws to discourage straw purchasers and punish traffickers, as well as address problems arising from the failure to report lost or stolen guns, and the governor can sign legislation requiring gun dealers to certify their federal license with the Illinois State Police and take measures to protect against straw purchases. On a federal level, Congress can pass Representative Robin Kelly’s Gun Trafficking Prevention Act, which would make gun trafficking a federal crime and would increase penalties for straw purchasers.
We also must do more to help CPD, which between 2013 and 2017 seized approximately 7,000 illegal guns annually. This means creating a single office in CPD to track illegal guns and gun arrests across the city, increasing the number of hours CPD’s crime lab is open, the number of firearms examiners and the number of shifts examiners are available to process gun crime evidence. It also means purchasing a $300,000 mobile ballistics laboratory that can be dispatched immediately to shooting scenes and which can process ballistics information in hours, instead of days. (This mobile lab costs less than the average amount CPD spent per day on overtime between 2013 and 2017.)
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From our point of view, an opportunity to build potential bridges, though he may have meant something to else

 

You are far more optimistic than I, about actually building any legitamate bridges with her, I stand by my original response.

 

 

 

Guns
What should Chicago do to reduce the number of illegal guns?
Lori Lightfoot: I am the only candidate for mayor with a detailed plan for combating the illegal guns that pour into Chicago from neighboring cities and states. Stopping this flow of illegal guns requires a proactive, coordinated response from law enforcement that must be led by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, in coordination with the ATF, FBI, DEA, the CPD and state and county law enforcement, as well as federal counterparts in states like Indiana, Wisconsin and Mississippi, from which large sources of illegal guns flow. We must target the traffickers, felons in possession and straw purchasers with an effective carrot (social service support and jobs for those who leave the criminal life) and stick (stepped up prosecutions for serious offenders) approach. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s office must increase the number of illegal gun cases prosecuted in Chicago.
We also must strengthen existing state gun laws, pass legislation regulating gun dealers, and support federal legislation that makes gun trafficking a federal crime. State legislators can strengthen existing laws to discourage straw purchasers and punish traffickers, as well as address problems arising from the failure to report lost or stolen guns, and the governor can sign legislation requiring gun dealers to certify their federal license with the Illinois State Police and take measures to protect against straw purchases. On a federal level, Congress can pass Representative Robin Kelly’s Gun Trafficking Prevention Act, which would make gun trafficking a federal crime and would increase penalties for straw purchasers.
We also must do more to help CPD, which between 2013 and 2017 seized approximately 7,000 illegal guns annually. This means creating a single office in CPD to track illegal guns and gun arrests across the city, increasing the number of hours CPD’s crime lab is open, the number of firearms examiners and the number of shifts examiners are available to process gun crime evidence. It also means purchasing a $300,000 mobile ballistics laboratory that can be dispatched immediately to shooting scenes and which can process ballistics information in hours, instead of days. (This mobile lab costs less than the average amount CPD spent per day on overtime between 2013 and 2017.)

 

I think your missing the good in the emboldened lines you marked.

 

I'll ignore the policies for communities. She is a Dem after all, can't expect her to be a Conservative.

 

But, as to:

"We also must strengthen existing state gun laws, pass legislation regulating gun dealers" - by itself, yea sounds bad, sounds like the usual. But, it isn't by itself, she does go on and clarify the statement somewhat.

 

Such as "and the governor can sign legislation requiring gun dealers to certify their federal license with the Illinois State Police". This is actually a much better stance than what the Dem ILGA actuall passed (erroneously) with the Dealer Licensing Bill. THIS would have been a lot less onerous, and just required dealers to certify it via the ISP, as opposed to what WAS passed.

 

"as well as address problems arising from the failure to report lost or stolen guns" looks like what we have heard before. And, yes, it might be. BUT, she does after that state "and take measures to protect against straw purchases. On a federal level, Congress can pass Representative Robin Kelly’s Gun Trafficking Prevention Act, which would make gun trafficking a federal crime and would increase penalties for straw purchasers."

 

The above is a sticky widget. Frankly straw purchases are bad for all of us. Some amount of illegal gun sales and trafficking IS via straw purchasers. Only a blind zealot would say we shouldn't try to stop the practice. Yes, many idiostic bills presented to do that, do it by stomping all over lawfull owners. But something should be done, such as harsh penalties for actual straw purchasers..

 

Taken as a whole, her statements sure seem to point to looking at more of the real issues behind gun violence, instead of the usual ban hammer approach.

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Such as "and the governor can sign legislation requiring gun dealers to certify their federal license with the Illinois State Police". This is actually a much better stance than what the Dem ILGA actuall passed (erroneously) with the Dealer Licensing Bill. THIS would have been a lot less onerous, and just required dealers to certify it via the ISP, as opposed to what WAS passed.

What would be the benefit? It would just be another hoop to jump through. How long would the dealer have to wait for the already overburden ISP to process the certification? The FFL dealer has already passed a federal background check. To possess a weapon in Illinois they still must have a FOID with its nightly background check.

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I think your missing the good in the emboldened lines you marked.

 

Didn't miss anything, simply pointing out that she is still all about pushing anti-gun legislation at the state level, sure she might not be as radial left as the previous mayor but she is hardly gun friendly and I'm willing to bet once she is actually wearing the shoes and surrounded by the Chicago machine she will fall right in line with their state level anti-gun agenda.

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Only a blind zealot would say we shouldn't try to stop the practice. Yes, many idiostic bills presented to do that, do it by stomping all over lawfull owners. But something should be done, such as harsh penalties for actual straw purchasers..

 

 

I thought straw purchases were already illegal.

 

Exactly, straw purchases are already illegal at both the state and federal level, we don't need new laws making it super duper illegal or laws that infringe further on lawful purchases. The problem almost entirely revolves around a lack of prosection and enforcement. Start slapping 10 year federal prison sentences and/or 7+ year state prison sentences on those that are commiting straw purchases and it's bound to have an impact over the slap on the wrist probation or super light sentencing pleas deals that they get now, if they even get prosecuted at all.

 

As should be evident with the Smollett case that has brough Chicago front page nationally, Chicago has a serious lack of prosecution problem.

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Chicago and Cook County have a long history of politicians calling on outside bodies to fix the violence, everything from the State Police to the United Nations, and not leaving out the Illinois National Guard.

 

So I think the new mayor is correct on the approach of Chicago solving its own problems. In fact only Chicago can solve the problems created by Chicago - it's just a the same way that no one can make an alcoholic sober up. Only an alcoholic can solve their problems with alcohol by choosing recovery. Its been proven time and again that no one can sweep in an solve an alcoholic's problems for them. Only Cook County and Chicago can solve the crime problem that their social policies and lenient no-justice system have created.

 

On the other hand, her statement about "greater investment" is the same tired rhetoric of progressive liberals for decades. We've seen decades of pouring billions of dollars into the worst neighborhoods with every type of social spending imaginable - from after school programs to free phones, aid to family with dependent children, food stamps / Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, utilities assistance and, endless endless community programs... It goes on and on, all in the name of helping the underprivileged, and promising to break the cycle of poverty. And now decades later Chicago is a shining example of the absolute failure of this approach.

 

Its just the same failed bull****. When it doesn't work they double down on it. When it fails again they quadruple down on it.

 

 

The War on Poverty After 50 Years

 

 

https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/the-war-poverty-after-50-years

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