Teitelbaum drops fight against fairground gun shows
by Myra Mensh Patner
Staff Writer
Oct. 27, 2000
After being the first state legislator to
press officially for an end to gun
shows at the Montgomery County
fairgrounds, state Sen. Leonard H.
Teitelbaum Thursday became the first
to drop his opposition.
Teitelbaum said he changed his
mind on the gun shows after lunching
with the fairgrounds board and
determining it was not fair to focus on
its long-time practice of leasing to
gun promoters.
"These people do nothing more,
nothing less than they do at a gun
store," Teitelbaum said. "I'm going to
change my mind."
It was Teitelbaum who sent a letter
Oct. 2 to the Montgomery County
Agricultural Center and Fairgrounds
in Gaithersburg asking its board to
voluntarily suspend the twice-a-year
gun shows by Oct. 15 or face action
from the General Assembly.
At the time, Teitelbaum said he would
not have voted to approve a $400,000
bond bill in 1998 to improve the
fairgrounds if he had known the
fairgrounds had hosted gun shows
since 1990.
There was a gun show last weekend at the fairgrounds and another is set for Jan.
6-7.
State Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda also sent a letter to the
fairgrounds asking to end the shows but gave no deadline.
The letters prompted the fairgrounds' board to invite Teitelbaum and Frosh to a lunch
meeting Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Discussions with board members persuaded Teitelbaum that the group had been
unfairly thrust into a national controversy that was not of their doing, Teitelbaum said.
"I don't think these people should be singled out. I'm not going to pursue it," he said.
Frosh said the lunch did not change his mind.
"I urged them to change their policy and not lease to gun shows. I still don't think they
should do it," he said. "My view is we shouldn't subsidize gun shows."
Frosh said he is committed to supporting a bill being developed by state Sen. Ida G.
Ruben (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring to end gun shows that take place on public
property, such as Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, which is owned by the
bi-county Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
A gun show is set for Nov. 11-12 at Show Place Arena, with more shows to take place
in February, July and November 2001.
"It's a public agency and we have the right to set public policy," Frosh said, adding
that he will work with Ruben to seek legislation to ban public money for private
venues that hold gun shows. http://www.gazette.net/200043/montgomerycty/county/30914-1.html
by Myra Mensh Patner
Staff Writer
Oct. 27, 2000
After being the first state legislator to
press officially for an end to gun
shows at the Montgomery County
fairgrounds, state Sen. Leonard H.
Teitelbaum Thursday became the first
to drop his opposition.
Teitelbaum said he changed his
mind on the gun shows after lunching
with the fairgrounds board and
determining it was not fair to focus on
its long-time practice of leasing to
gun promoters.
"These people do nothing more,
nothing less than they do at a gun
store," Teitelbaum said. "I'm going to
change my mind."
It was Teitelbaum who sent a letter
Oct. 2 to the Montgomery County
Agricultural Center and Fairgrounds
in Gaithersburg asking its board to
voluntarily suspend the twice-a-year
gun shows by Oct. 15 or face action
from the General Assembly.
At the time, Teitelbaum said he would
not have voted to approve a $400,000
bond bill in 1998 to improve the
fairgrounds if he had known the
fairgrounds had hosted gun shows
since 1990.
There was a gun show last weekend at the fairgrounds and another is set for Jan.
6-7.
State Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda also sent a letter to the
fairgrounds asking to end the shows but gave no deadline.
The letters prompted the fairgrounds' board to invite Teitelbaum and Frosh to a lunch
meeting Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Discussions with board members persuaded Teitelbaum that the group had been
unfairly thrust into a national controversy that was not of their doing, Teitelbaum said.
"I don't think these people should be singled out. I'm not going to pursue it," he said.
Frosh said the lunch did not change his mind.
"I urged them to change their policy and not lease to gun shows. I still don't think they
should do it," he said. "My view is we shouldn't subsidize gun shows."
Frosh said he is committed to supporting a bill being developed by state Sen. Ida G.
Ruben (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring to end gun shows that take place on public
property, such as Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, which is owned by the
bi-county Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
A gun show is set for Nov. 11-12 at Show Place Arena, with more shows to take place
in February, July and November 2001.
"It's a public agency and we have the right to set public policy," Frosh said, adding
that he will work with Ruben to seek legislation to ban public money for private
venues that hold gun shows. http://www.gazette.net/200043/montgomerycty/county/30914-1.html