Todd Paris, Associate Editor and Salisbury Attorney
Councilman Kenny Hardin and David Post Bring Transparency to Salisbury City Council Meetings
After years of complaints, Salisbury City Council will now meet at 5PM and allow Public Comment at both meetings. Councilman Hardin and Councilman Post pushed this item after receiving significant feedback from Salisbury citizens that the 4PM meeting time did not allow regular citizens and business owners to take part in their local government.
This was despite initial opposition from incumbent members, including Mayor Pro Tem Maggie Blackwell, that this issue had already been discussed and put to bed years ago.
Setting government meetings during the time when most people work prevents concerned citizens from attending meetings and can be used as a way to prevent critical comments. Only allowing public comment at one meeting per month can be used the same way.
Citizens will now be able to attend the meetings at 5PM and give public comment at 6PM at both meetings. Kudos to Councilman Kenny Hardin and David Post for making a change that should have been made years ago. Both have shown excellent leadership.
Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander Waffles then Retreats on Gun Registration
Two days after suggesting that a gun registration system for Salisbury be created, Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander publicly waffled on the matter by apologizing to a group of gun owners at the January 19th City Council Meeting, then retreated from the meeting before she could hear their comments.
Several gun owners assembled at the Salisbury City Council Meeting to speak under public comment and defend their second amendment rights. Prior to those gun owners being allowed to speak, Mayor Karen Alexander apologized to them for her suggestion and then informed them that she would have to leave the meeting and would not hear their public comments. The gavel was handed off to Mayor Pro Tem Maggie Blackwell who then ran the meeting and invited pro-second amendment speakers to share their thoughts. Many of the speakers were left stunned as she retreated from the meeting without hearing their comments.
Gun registration systems don’t work. Criminals do not register their guns, only law-abiding citizens do. New York enacted a gun registration system that was later used by the government to confiscate guns from law abiding citizens. Several of the pro-second amendment speakers brought up this fact and complained that the City Council has not adequately staffed the Police Department to handle the rising crime in Salisbury.
Mayor Karen Alexander did not do her homework. She suggested a failed policy without adequate research. She also threw her public support behind a policy as a Republican Mayor, alienating many in her party. We call on her to adequately staff the Salisbury Police Department before she decides that the rights of law-abiding citizens be infringed.
Rep. Carl Ford Preempts Salisbury City Mayor’s Gun Registration Idea
A sea of “camo-clad” 2nd Amendment heroes descended upon Salisbury City Council tonight for public comment resulting from concerns over Salisbury mayor Karen Alexander’s comments in “main street media” in favor of firearms registration. Wisely understanding that universal registration is always a mere precursor to confiscation; they made their voices heard, loud and clear.
It is fortunate that our own Carl Ford cosponsored a bill (H.B. 705) in the N.C. House that removes legal power from its political subdivisions (the city and the county) to regulate firearms, reserving to the legislature all such power.
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2013/Bills/House/HTML/H705v1.html
With the cooperation of good Republicans in the NC Senate, this has become law.
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter_14/gs_14-409.40.html
Tough luck, Karen! Rebuild your broken police department and stop blaming law abiding gun owners for the City of Salisbury’s losses in the “war on crime.”
Vigilance:
The Great Unwashed:
Bad Vibes:
