calgunners in local office?

[Anthonysmanifesto]

This site has been key in uniting local firearms and second amendment activists statewide and has garnered quite a bit of attention and earned many victories and we should all be proud.

I wanted to touch on some other ways that we can be involved in the process in our own towns and villages.

there are many local boards, commissions, and non-partisan elective offices that are relatively easy to get appointed or elected to.

these positions are ready made civics courses and often can put you in contact with other electeds, events and decision making processes where you may be able to contribute to the fight for freedom.

if you have a few nights a month to contribute to your community consider applying for an appointment to a local board or commission.

your city and county should both have a list of available opportunities to serve. Ive linked sacramento city (http://www.cityofsacramento.org/clerk/boards_and_commissions/)and county (http://www.saccounty.net/boards-commissions/index.htm)as an example.

[aklon]

I'm afraid a lot of gun owners make the right sounds, but that's about all they're willing to do. Call me cynical, but changing things in this state is going to take a lot - a lot - of hard work and most of our people would rather go to the range and/or moan about Don Perata than actually do something. Then, when things go badly, they always blame NRA instead of the jerk looking at them in the mirror.

[hoffmang]

Uhh... Aklon - which hard work are you not noticing?

I agree with you to a point, but there is a lot of real work getting done around this forum.

-Gene

[5968]

I'm afraid a lot of gun owners make the right sounds, but that's about all they're willing to do. Call me cynical, but changing things in this state is going to take a lot - a lot - of hard work and most of our people would rather go to the range and/or moan about Don Perata than actually do something. Then, when things go badly, they always blame NRA instead of the jerk looking at them in the mirror.

One question? Do you own an OLL?

[Trader Jack]

[QUOTE=hoffmang;879009]Uhh... Aklon - which hard work are you not noticing?

I agree with you to a point, but there is a lot of real work getting done around this forum.

Ah so true Gene but it seems to be you, Bill W. and a few others that are doing all the work. :chris:

[bwiese]

Uhh... Aklon - which hard work are you not noticing?

I agree with you to a point, but there is a lot of real work getting done around this forum.

Ah so true Gene but it seems to be you, Bill W. and a few others that are doing all the work. :chris:

A lot of folks were calling & writing legislators & Gov. I think we piled nicely on top of NRA efforts.

Bottom line, we got screwed over by GOA/Sam Paredes this last round.

And there's quite a few folks here that have been or are building some interesting walls around DOJ positions. We're getting quite a database :)

[xenophobe]

I wanted to touch on some other ways that we can be involved in the process in our own towns and villages.

there are many local boards, commissions, and non-partisan elective offices that relatively easy to get appointed or elected to.

Excellent idea! Perhaps there should be a "local politics" forum for people to participate in... if the interest were strong enough.

[aklon]

Uhh... Aklon - which hard work are you not noticing?

I agree with you to a point, but there is a lot of real work getting done around this forum.


Since 1988 I've been involved in ...

1) working to stop a local tax on guns
2) working to get a pro-gun state senator elected
3) recruiting NRA members at every San Jose Gun Show and now the San Francisco Gun Show
4) organizing and expanding the Alameda County NRA Members Council
5) running or office myself
6) sending cards letters and emails when alerted to do som by NRA
7) prosletyzing all and sundry

... so it's not like I've been sitting on my hands. But it is mighty discouraging to have all these guys say yes yes you're pro-gun I'll support you what do you need - and then when it comes time for the door-to-door part, they're gone. Or recruiting at gunshows: if they don't claim to be a member already, they demand to know what NRA is doing in California.

There may be a lot of work being done in this forum, but out there where it counts, when we need the bodies to go door to door, when we need the people to man the recruiting booths - where are the volunteers?

(And no, I don't own a OLL whatever the hell that may be. Do I need to get one in order to establish my bona fides?)

[aklon]

Excellent idea! Perhaps there should be a "local politics" forum for people to participate in... if the interest were strong enough.

The interest is strong, but the support from the pro-freedom people is not.

When I ran for office in San Leandro in 2000 I got all sorts of expressions of support, lots of atta-boys, pats on the back - but only two of these same people ever bothered to do anything more than wish me luck.

And how many people made a contribution to the campaign? Exactly ZERO.

[Soldier415]

I am joining my County's GOP Central Committee, and I am looking to get appointed to commissions/boards here in my County. No positions are open on boards with relevance directly to 2A...but I am working to become involved.

[artherd]

aklon, some of us are doing something.

And if you don't know what an OLL is, you're a bit out of touch in terms of 'doing something', at best. Suggest a search on it, and redouble your efforts.

[aklon]

aklon, some of us are doing something.

And if you don't know what an OLL is, you're a bit out of touch in terms of 'doing something', at best. Suggest a search on it, and redouble your efforts.

So I don't own - or really even care - about OLL's and that makes me a traitor? <sheesh>

When was the last time you manned a recruiting booth or walked a precinct?
Without knowing it, you just highlighted another reason we're in for a tough time: some people aren't "pure" enough for others in terms of what they do and don't own and what they do and don't belong to.

[Kestryll]

So I don't own - or really even care - about OLL's and that makes me a traitor? <sheesh>

When was the last time you manned a recruiting booth or walked a precinct?
Without knowing it, you just highlighted another reason we're in for a tough time: some people aren't "pure" enough for others in terms of what they do and don't own and what they do and don't belong to.

I think you're taking his comment a bit out of context and a bit too personally.
I don't see where he said you need to own one, just that you need to research the history of them. I doubt anyone here would call me a traitor and I don't own on yet. It's not he ownership that counts, it's the will and dedication that got us o th point of being able to own them that matters.

The history of the Off List Lowers is less about the rifles than it is about people working within the law to affect change. Not only is an unconstitutional law slowly being brought to it's knees, it's being done correctly, within the law, by a group of ordinary citizens backed by a dedicated community.
No one says you have to own an OLL or be looked on with disdain, but don't discount the OLL concept either, it is civics lesson in itself.

Many here DO recruit at gun shows and stump there AO for pro-gun candidates, that does not make them any better or worse than those who call, email and fax but do not man a booth.

Trying to compare who's contribution is more 'worthy' is a waste of time and does nothing but divide those who need to be united.

[DrjonesUSA]

Just a friendly request to keep it polite - we do not need to be fighting amongst ourselves.

Frankly, I believe that you are a bit out of touch, aklon, if you are not even aware of the whole OLL situation. I'd say that OLLs singlehandedly caused the drastic expansion of Calguns - they are what brought me here!

As far as not owning one nor caring to, well, one of the key attorneys who is arguing Parker v. DC doesn't own any guns nor does he care to.

And nobody called you a "traitor", aklon. Chill. ;)

But we all know kestryll is a traitor, you bastage!!!! ;) :D

[aklon]

Frankly, I believe that you are a bit out of touch, aklon, if you are not even aware of the whole OLL situation.

Is this a single issue forum for OLL's?

[DrjonesUSA]

Is this a single issue forum for OLL's?


No but it is one of the biggest things to happen to gun owners in a very, very long time and it was absolutely THE focal point of this forum for many months.

Are you truly unaware that we can now legally own in CA HK clones, AKs, ARs, and similar types of rifles?

[Soldier415]

Is this a single issue forum for OLL's?

You know it isn’t

That comment was nothing more than trying to get someone to bite into an argument. As was stated before, you don’t have to have an OLL to understand the significance of the movement and what the OLL fight has done to further our 2A rights in this State.

Not to mention that through the OLL issue, we have been identifying and shutting down illegal and shady practices of the BOF here in the State, and several forum members have worked tirelessly to fight back using legal means.

Stop getting offended by small comments, you will live longer

:rolleyes:

[chico.cm]

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others..."

I feel your pain Aklon. I have long considered a run for office locally (city council) but the actual time and money support is not there.
Obviously, city councils don't really affect 2A, but they certainly affect peripheral issues. When in school, I was the Chief of Staff for 2 years of the College Republicans. Talk about an exhausting experience. Just getting apathetic people to vote at all was a chore, let alone getting them to recognize the importance of the 2A in the big picture....

[Anthonysmanifesto]

anyone want to run for local office?

anyone have any experience with it?

thats all this thread was about!

[elroy]

i am baffled haw someone could be involved with this forum for more than 5 minutes and not be familiar with the term OLL ,, owned or not makes no difference ,,, smells fishy to me

[MikeK]

anyone want to run for local office?

anyone have any experience with it?

thats all this thread was about!

I ran for local office once. Not to win, but simply to force an election.

We needed some time to fix some problems, and without an election the guy running unopposed would have simply mucked up the works.

In the end, I got 40% of the vote without lifting a finger or spending a dime, and we solved the problem before the guy took office.

He resigned 3 months later because he was pissed off that he couldn't change the fix. :D

[Addax]

I am currently looking to be an active memeber in my city's chamber of commerce, and this is a good way to network not only for business, but politics as well.

I would like to run for city council in my district one day..

[DrjonesUSA]

anyone want to run for local office?

anyone have any experience with it?

thats all this thread was about!


I'm in, let's talk more soon.

[smogcity]

I ran for Altadena City Council and nearly beat a 15 year incumbent (I actually beat my opponent, but lost in a Bush/Gore style election dispute..a story for another day). This was the sleaziest, nastiest experience I’ve had (and I’ve had a few!). My advice for those thinking of running is to steel yourselves for the onslaught on negativity. If you are a private person, waking up to find you name on the front page of a newspaper you know is laying in every neighbors driveway is a sobering experience.
:puke:

[smogcity]

Town council up in arms
Campaign battle shakes meeting
By Elise Kleeman Staff Writer
Article Launched: 06/20/2007 11:43:19 PM PDT

ALTADENA - The normally sedate monthly Town Council meeting turned raucous and emotional Tuesday night as council members struggled to resolve allegations of misconduct during the recent elections.

For about three hours, veteran Town Councilman Steve Lamb was disqualified from returning to his seat for a 17th year when Election Chair Jamie Bissner ruled that Lamb engaged in negative campaigning, violating election rules.

But by the end of the meeting, which was rife with accusations, threats of legal action and even challenges to manhood, Lamb had reclaimed the seat he won June 9 by a 29-vote margin.

The controversy began two weeks before, when an interview with Lamb aired on the Crown City News Web site. During the interview, Lamb said that his opponent, Matt Littell, had paid

$1.5 million for his house and was an employee of Council Chairman Ken Balder.

Similar claims were made in a flier Lamb distributed in his census tract, 4603.02.

Littell disputed both claims and lodged a complaint with Bissner about negative campaigning. Lamb later lodged a counter-complaint about negative campaigning by Littell.

According to election rules, the election chair and Town Council chair arbitrate any disputes. Because Balder was mentioned in one complaint, though, he recused himself, leaving Bissner to reach his own conclusions.

Tuesday night, Bissner issued his decision.

"I do determine that it was negative campaigning, and so Steve Lamb is removed from the election," he told the standing-room-only crowd.

He did not find Littell guilty of wrongdoing.

His unilateral declaration left several council members aghast.

"You can't have one person make all the rules," said Councilman Dennis Bridwell.

Adding to the confusion, although the election rules ban negative campaigning "as defined in the Bylaws," the council bylaws do not mention negative campaigning at all.

When the dispute came up for discussion later in the meeting - by which point Bissner had left - debate got heated as council members discussed alternatives.

Some suggested voiding the entire election. Others supported forming an investigative committee. At one point, Lamb agreed to pass out fliers clearing Littell's name, if that would resolve matters.

In the end, though, it came down to an apology. At the urging of Councilman George Lewis, Littell agreed to drop his complaint if Lamb apologized, which Lamb did.

With peace restored, the council resolved to review the bylaws and rules before the next election

[Anthonysmanifesto]

I'm in, let's talk more soon.

I meant anyone but you!

Just kidding, see ya at the bonn lair.

[DrjonesUSA]

I meant anyone but you!

Just kidding, see ya at the bonn lair.


:D :D

[GuyW]

...Obviously, city councils don't really affect 2A, but they certainly affect peripheral issues.

Chiefs of Police can issue CCWs.

Chiefs of Police work at the pleasure of the City Council.

See any opportunities?