Gunning for Bloomberg (C & P)

Copied from THE GAZETTE VIRGINIAN, Monday, March 19, 2007

Gunning for Bloomberg

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Amid the Confederate flags, anti-Yankee bumper stickers and Civil War relics displayed throughout Bob Moates Sport Shop, a new, rather uncivil war is brewing.

"Ask about the Bloomberg Gun Give-Away" reads a sign taped to the gun shop's register, beckoning customers to enter the drawing names for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose federal lawsuits against gun dealers in five states have drawn the wrath of Virginia's gun enthusiasts.

Bloomberg calls the dealers holding the contest sick. The dealers call Bloomberg words that aren't fit to print.

"This has proved to be a battle royale," said Philip Van Cleave, president of the pro-gun Virginia Citizens Defense League and mastermind of the giveaway, which has boosted business for the two participating store owners. "The truth is, if Bloomberg hadn't picked on Virginia, we wouldn't have gotten involved. But he made the mistake of stepping into Virginia with this."

The Republican mayor has sued 27 out-of-state gun dealers, alleging that they sold firearms illegally to undercover private investigators conducting a sting operation for New York. City officials say the dealers have supplied hundreds of weapons used in New York City crimes. The lawsuits, which name dealers in Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, ask the court to require monitoring of the shops' sales.

On May 23, 2006, Coles Gun Shop in South Boston, Big Tom's Pawn Shop in Savannah, GA, and Dunkelberger's Sports Outfitters of Stroudsburg, PA, were among the gun dealers sued by New York after they allegedly sold pistols to undercover investigators posing as "straw purchasers."

The suit alleged that an undercover investigator posing as a customer at the stores handled the purchase of the firearm, but then called over another person to fill out the background check. Similar allegations were made against the South Boston gun dealer.

Owner Mark Cole was charged in a civil suit filed on May 23 on behalf of Bloomberg with being a "civil nuisance" to the City of New York.

"They're claiming that we violated their nuisance law by selling guns that eventually end up being involved in crimes in New York." Cole said following a July counter-suit.

Cole said that he believes laws were violated by New York in the undercover sting operation.

"Anyone who conspires to purchase a gun with a straw purchase is already committing a felony under federal law." he said. "There are plenty of laws on the books now to prohibit such a thing, but I'd be highly in favor of any other laws that can help protect legitimate gun dealers from this type of activity in the future.

"From what I understand, New York City seemed to be dissatisfied with the ATF (Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms), but I think it was more of a publicity stunt than anything else."

The city allegedly targeted the shops because they were among those that had most often sold weapons later seized by New York City police.

Between 1994 and 2001, at least 32 guns sold by Cole's, 27 sold by Big Tom's and 44 sold by Dunkelberger's were recovered in New York in connection with a crime, according to the lawsuit. Police seized another 50 Dunkelberger's guns between 2001 and 2005.

Each store denied wrongdoing, but five have now settled, including Coles Gun Shop.

The owners of two Virginia stores being sued said they were forced to close because of crushing legal fees. But in January, two other store owners began fighting back with the gun giveaway. Through March 31, customers who spend $100 at either of Bob Moates' stores or Old Dominion Guns and Tackle in Danville are eligible to win a handgun or a rifle, courtesy of the Defense League. The drawing will be held April 19. Among those ineligible to win, as per the official rules: "Mayor Bloomberg and his immediate family members."

Van Cleave said he came up with the ides as a way to boost sales at the stores, which have already shelled out thousands in legal fees.

The contest has only further agitated Bloomberg, who has made gun control a top priority in his second term.

"These are sick people," Bloomberg said in January when questioned about the giveaway at the Mayors Against Illegal Guns summit in Washington, D. C. "And if they think that this is funny, I don't think that the parents or the spouses or the children of those that get killed with illegal guns would find that very entertaining."

Dave Hancock, who has worked at Bob Moates Sport Shop for 25 years, shakes his head at such statements.

"Mr. Bloomberg thinks we are a bunch of sick people," said Hancock, leaning against a display case of handguns. "Well, I think he's an idiot."

Bloomberg and his colleagues say the lawsuits are part of an effort to curb the flow of illegal guns into New York. Mayoral spokesman Jason Post points to New York City police statistics showing that 90 percent of the city's crime guns come from out of state.

But Hancock and other Virginia gun-rights advocates say the lawsuits are nothing more than a publicity stunt and a scheme to drive gun dealers out of business.

Richard Hill, manager of Bob Moates Sport Shop, called the lawsuits a "nice attempt by a politician just trying to get to the White House" and said his store always follows the law.

"The best way to get guns off the street and criminals off the street is to lock 'em up." Hill said. "They seem to want to pick on an old stereotype - it's so easy to get a gun in Virginia and run it up to New York. When quite honestly, you can break into a house anywhere and get anything you like."

Bloomberg's face graces a poster taped to a shotgun rack at Bob Moates, under the words "Here are our worst enemy." Sarah Brady, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle are also pictured, though Bloomberg's face is circled in bright pink highlighter.

The contest has been boosting sales, with several thousand tickets given out so far, Hancock said. The winner will receive a Para-Ordnance handgun worth around $900.

Longtime customer Scott Cashion, 31, of Chesterfield, said he's earned six or seven tickets - and may end up with more to get back at Bloomberg.

"I've bought some kind of for spite," he said while perusing a stack of ammunition. "What he is doing is wrong."

Dennis Alverson, owner of Old Dominion Guns and Tackle, is also enjoying brisk business, which he attributes to his customers' contempt for the lawsuits. The winner from his store will get a Browning Varmint Stalker rifle, also worth about $900.

"I've been in business 27 years and I've probably had the best February I've ever had." Alverson said. "Nobody's got a great likeness for Bloomberg in this area."