His Billness says lots of things, strange that none are ever true.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Mailing List
________________________________________
Clinton says not seeking to bankrupt gun makers
By Randall Mikkelsen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton said Wednesday that a class-action
lawsuit his administration has threatened against gun makers would not seek
to bankrupt them, but to make guns safer and harder for criminals to buy.
He also defended his preparation of the suit against charges he was
attempting an end run around a Congress that failed this year to back his
requests for tougher gun control laws.
The White House said Wednesday it was organizing a lawsuit against the gun
industry by some 3,200 public housing authorities. The suit, denounced as
``crazy'' by gun makers, would join lawsuits against the manufacturers by
several cities and counties seeking to recoup costs linked to gun violence.
Clinton told a news conference the housing authorities taking part in the
suit would not seek money from gun makers. They would aim instead to force
the industry to crack down on dealers who sell a large share of guns used in
crime, to change ''irresponsible'' sales pitches, and to require safety
devices such as child-proof trigger locks, he said.
``They're not trying to bankrupt any company. They're trying to make their
living spaces safer,'' Clinton said. ``And I think it's a legitimate thing.''
He said housing authorities spend $1 billion a year on security, but there
were 10,000 gun crimes in the largest housing projects every year.
U.S. officials said there were no imminent plans to file the suit, but they
hoped the threat of government involvement would help spur a settlement to
the existing suits.
Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo told a separate news conference that he was
hoping to convene negotiations toward a settlement as soon as possible.
The National Rifle Association denounced the plan as a ''reckless
harassment'' of a legitimate industry. Gun makers said it did not make sense
for the government which set up and enforces existing gun regulations to sue
the industry that operates under those laws.
``It's crazy. It's an inversion of responsibility,'' said Steve Sanetti, vice
president and general counsel of Sturm, Ruger & Co, gun manufacturer.
Said Paul Januzzo, general counsel of gun maker Glock Inc. ''They call it
pressure. I call it blackmail.''
Justice Department officials emphasized the federal government was not taking
a direct role in the lawsuit, unlike its filing of a lawsuit against the
tobacco industry seeking to recover some of the $20 billion in federal health
care costs attributable to smoking.
But both efforts reflected an administration determination to move ahead with
its policy goals despite a repeated failure to win support from Congress,
which defeated administration attempts to curb smoking and to impose new
restrictions on gun sales.
``I think we have enormously important public policy goals and if the
Republican controlled Congress wants to block sensible gun control and if --
and if they want to block tobacco policy that the American public supports
we're going to find a way to do it,'' White House spokesman Joe Lockhart
said.
Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
and a candidate for president, charged that the suit was an ``desperate''
attempt to use the courts to force policy changes that Congress would not
back.
``It distorts the constitutional system of separation of powers and weakens
republican democracy,'' Hatch said in a release.
But Clinton defended the move as a legitimate exercise of executive
authority. ``I'm continuing to work with Congress, and I will do so
vigorously. But I think this was an appropriate thing to do, on the merits.''
The National Rifle Association, a politically powerful advocate of gun
ownership, quickly denounced the proposal as an attempt by the
``Clinton-Gore'' administration to set a ''dangerous legal precedent.''
``No lawful industry is safe. Who will they sue next -- automobile makers?''
the NRA said in a release. ``If some deviant person misuses your lawful
product, this administration will sue you, rather than hold the criminal
responsible.''
18:23 12-08-99[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Mailing List
________________________________________
Clinton says not seeking to bankrupt gun makers
By Randall Mikkelsen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton said Wednesday that a class-action
lawsuit his administration has threatened against gun makers would not seek
to bankrupt them, but to make guns safer and harder for criminals to buy.
He also defended his preparation of the suit against charges he was
attempting an end run around a Congress that failed this year to back his
requests for tougher gun control laws.
The White House said Wednesday it was organizing a lawsuit against the gun
industry by some 3,200 public housing authorities. The suit, denounced as
``crazy'' by gun makers, would join lawsuits against the manufacturers by
several cities and counties seeking to recoup costs linked to gun violence.
Clinton told a news conference the housing authorities taking part in the
suit would not seek money from gun makers. They would aim instead to force
the industry to crack down on dealers who sell a large share of guns used in
crime, to change ''irresponsible'' sales pitches, and to require safety
devices such as child-proof trigger locks, he said.
``They're not trying to bankrupt any company. They're trying to make their
living spaces safer,'' Clinton said. ``And I think it's a legitimate thing.''
He said housing authorities spend $1 billion a year on security, but there
were 10,000 gun crimes in the largest housing projects every year.
U.S. officials said there were no imminent plans to file the suit, but they
hoped the threat of government involvement would help spur a settlement to
the existing suits.
Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo told a separate news conference that he was
hoping to convene negotiations toward a settlement as soon as possible.
The National Rifle Association denounced the plan as a ''reckless
harassment'' of a legitimate industry. Gun makers said it did not make sense
for the government which set up and enforces existing gun regulations to sue
the industry that operates under those laws.
``It's crazy. It's an inversion of responsibility,'' said Steve Sanetti, vice
president and general counsel of Sturm, Ruger & Co, gun manufacturer.
Said Paul Januzzo, general counsel of gun maker Glock Inc. ''They call it
pressure. I call it blackmail.''
Justice Department officials emphasized the federal government was not taking
a direct role in the lawsuit, unlike its filing of a lawsuit against the
tobacco industry seeking to recover some of the $20 billion in federal health
care costs attributable to smoking.
But both efforts reflected an administration determination to move ahead with
its policy goals despite a repeated failure to win support from Congress,
which defeated administration attempts to curb smoking and to impose new
restrictions on gun sales.
``I think we have enormously important public policy goals and if the
Republican controlled Congress wants to block sensible gun control and if --
and if they want to block tobacco policy that the American public supports
we're going to find a way to do it,'' White House spokesman Joe Lockhart
said.
Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
and a candidate for president, charged that the suit was an ``desperate''
attempt to use the courts to force policy changes that Congress would not
back.
``It distorts the constitutional system of separation of powers and weakens
republican democracy,'' Hatch said in a release.
But Clinton defended the move as a legitimate exercise of executive
authority. ``I'm continuing to work with Congress, and I will do so
vigorously. But I think this was an appropriate thing to do, on the merits.''
The National Rifle Association, a politically powerful advocate of gun
ownership, quickly denounced the proposal as an attempt by the
``Clinton-Gore'' administration to set a ''dangerous legal precedent.''
``No lawful industry is safe. Who will they sue next -- automobile makers?''
the NRA said in a release. ``If some deviant person misuses your lawful
product, this administration will sue you, rather than hold the criminal
responsible.''
18:23 12-08-99[/quote]
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!