Mayor Bloomberg is no fan of guns, but two gun advocacy groups are accusing him of violating the Second Amendment by making guns cost prohibitive in this town. In a lawsuit filed against the city (below) the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and the Second Amendment Foundation say that the $340 fee for issuance or renewal of a 3-year “Residence Premises” handgun license is "excessive and is not used to defray administrative costs, and hence, it impermissibly burdens the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms." But Bloomberg already said he'd fix everything!
SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb said in a statement that the city is exempt from a state law saying the maximum fee for a handgun license is $10: "That exemption allows the city to charge an exorbitant fee for the license, which discourages city residents from exercising their civil rights while violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment." He also argues, "New York is one of only two states that require a permit just to keep a handgun in one's own home. Citizens in the other 48 states would consider that an outrage." Right, because we care what other people think.
Bloomberg previously said of lowering permit fees, “We want to be in compliance with the law…so that we don’t want to lose the ability to have reasonable controls." New Yorkers who have no problem affording permit fees include Donald Trump, Don Imus and Sean Hannity, so if you're worried about your safety the best bet it so start following them around. You know, for protection.
