Anchorage Mayor withdraws from Bloomberg's anti-gun "Coalition"-(RKBA Alert!)

Anchorage Daily News ^ | February 4 2007

[BlueOneGolf]

This is the Letter to the Editor of the Anchorage Daily News written by Mayor Mark Begich detiling why he withdrew from Mayor Bloomberg's anti-gun "Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition". When you click the LINK you'll have to scroll down the page to see Mayor Begich's letter. This is an excerpt, per FR's posting rules.

" Guarding Second Amendment rights was not a part of mayors' coalition

This is in response to some recent questions about my involvement in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. I recently withdrew my name from the coalition after initially agreeing to sign on...

...upon further review of the coalition, it appears they may have a different agenda than I anticipated.

I am concerned the coalition is working on issues that conflict with the beliefs we share in Alaska about legal gun ownership, and I'm also concerned gun ownership advocates are not part of the full discussion within the coalition. We cannot afford to risk protecting our Bill of Rights and the rights of legal gun owners.

Because of these conflicts, I have written to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, chair of the coalition, and have asked him to remove me as a supporter of the coalition.

We do have a problem in Anchorage with youth violence, gangs and their use of illegal guns. We are working with our gang task force, the Police Department and other means to eliminate the violence.

We'll continue to fight that problem without infringing on the rights of legal gun owners.

Mayor Mark Begich
Anchorage "

[BlueOneGolf]

I left out the first half of the second paragragh to comply with FR's excerpting agreement with the Anchorage Daily News but the entire letter can be read HERE.

[Clemenza]

Gangs in Anchorage? You mean there is an Inuit Mafia?

[BlueOneGolf]

This is a great item for the BANGLIST Joe.
And thanks for the FReepmail.

[Beelzebubba]

Just "click to add keyword" and type "banglist"

[proud_yank]

I feel sooooo at home in Alaska!

[kittycatonline.com]

Gangs in Anchorage? You mean there is an Inuit Mafia?

In the last decade or so, Anchorage has seen a huge influx of immigrants, apparently bringing with them ties to a gang lifestyle I'm sure their parents hoped would be left behind. I'm certainly not saying "immigrant = gangs", but the stats are pretty difficult to ignore. It does seem like we've suddenly got a meth problem up here, too. Drugs, gangs, shootouts, yeah, we got 'em now. The good old days, they're gone.

On a positive note, I'm happy to see our mayor, who btw is a Dem, avoid going down the gun-grab path; even with "his people" in charge in Congress. In Anchorage, some dems even own guns!

[hosepipe]

[ I feel sooooo at home in Alaska! ]

I do too even though elected Alaskan republicans are totally socialists..
Sara Palin excepted... probably.. maybe..

[Chena]

Thanks for the ping, proud_yank! It's good to see you still hanging around. I've been busy, lurking when I can, and posting now and then. Alaska looks good on you! LOL :)

[proud_yank]

Sara Palin excepted... probably.. maybe..

Hopefully! Truthfully, I know little about her, but haven't heard much yet that causes me to worry.

[proud_yank]

No problem!

It's good to see you still hanging around.

I've little intention to leave anytime soon! I love it here. Just waiting for the opportunity so I can get out into 'real Alaska' a bit more frequently. All in good time...

I've been busy, lurking when I can, and posting now and then.

Same here. Work has been really busy for me, I'm around, but haven't been posting a ton.

Alaska looks good on you! LOL :)

Unfortunately, I can't really go to work wearing Carharts & X-tra Toughs, well, until I get up to the Slope :-)

[proud_yank]

PING - Didn't want you to think I left you out...

[redhead]

"I feel sooooo at home in Alaska!"

Didn't we tell you that when you got here? If not, then, "Welcome home, P_Y!"

[P8riot]

Idaho Falls mayor jumped Bloombutt's ship a few weeks ago as well.

http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=46799

[Beckwith]

You mean there is an Inuit Mafia?

They're illegals from Mexico.

[from occupied ga]

In Anchorage, some dems even own guns!

In the rest of the US Democrats own guns too. They just don't want you to own any.

[RightWhale]

Begich is considered Liberal in Alaska, which probably would be moderately Conservative anywhere else.

[RightWhale]

Sara Palin excepted

All depends on who she listens to. Mother Hen is still a stranger to Fairbanks.

[RightWhale]

She asked Jim hayes to resign from the Univ of Alaska. This is worrisome.

[RightWhale]

Also, the Natural Gas Pipeline is slipping away.

[RightWhale]

Perhaps they are linked, but they are home grown.

[hosepipe]

[ Gangs in Anchorage? You mean there is an Inuit Mafia? ]

No other groups.. Alaska is republican, Anchorage is democrat.. Gangs are only one of Anchorages problems.. The rest of Alaska is well armed..