The mayor of Harrisburg, Penn., ordered his police department on Friday not to provide security for an upcoming NRA-sponsored gun show after the association refused to meet a demand to pay a 60-percent increase in fees for the service.
Harrisburg police have provided security for the annual Great American Outdoors Show, scheduled this year for February 6-14, in the past. Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the decision not to offer the department’s services this year was motivated in part by the NRA’s opposition to the city’s gun control policies.
“We have an epidemic of gun violence,” Papenfuse told WHTM. “It’s no secret that the NRA has worked against the city’s interests repeatedly over the past year causing us to spend tens of thousands of dollars to defend common sense gun ordinances. We don’t need to be doing them any favors.”
An NRA spokesman said that despite payments of $600,000 directly to the city since 2014, the mayor wanted the gun rights group to pay additional fees in order to obtain police protection for the show.
“Unfortunately, demands were made by the mayor for the 2016 show that included a 60 percent increase in fees to [the police department] to work the show and a requirement of a $50,000 grant for five years to the city,” Jeremy Greene, an NRA spokesman, said in a statement. “This offer was presented as all or nothing. If we did not accept, the mayor would pull [police] support.”
Nothing but blackmail. “Comply or we deny”. Screw you, mayor!
I’ll be glad when the games finally begin…(I hope there’s enough “lamp posts”)
This is a two bit lying hack fraud douche Bag Bolshevik Demonrat mayor which the jerks in Harrisburg voted in are getting what they deserve. The Fraud is playing to the Obama gun control marxist fanatics like him,since this loon is a Bolshevik what else would we expect. He claims gun violence in his City, if the schmuck got rid of all the illegals and illegal islamics his demonrat pals invited into his City there would be no gun violence, this is another shining example of why the people should never, ever vote in democrats to any office including street sweepers positions. Democrats=SATANISM and Violence.
There should be no need for security at an NRA convention.