Please help change the LTC restriction policy in Lowell, MA now !

[kingfisher]

I recently found Northeastshooters, and I see that there are some good and very knowledgeable people here. I registered today specifically to post this message because I believe it will be important to anyone who knows a Lowell, MA resident who wants an UNRESTRICTED Class A license.

Very soon there will be a city council election. I’ve spoken with as many of the candidates as possible and have identified one candidate who, if elected, will do whatever is within his power to get the chief of police to issue unrestricted Class A licenses. This candidate is a smart, honest guy who is very passionate about the issue of gun-owner’s rights.

You can help by voting for James Wojas on November 3rd. Because of the way votes are counted, voting for James Wojas---and NOT voting for any of the other candidates---will make your vote for 2nd Amendment Rights even more powerful (and also make voting much quicker)!

Please vote and also post your thoughts to help me judge the effectiveness of this tactic. Thanks.

 

[oneswithfunes]

hmmm... What power does city council have over the CLO?

 

[ochmude]

Depends on the city, but potentially quite a bit.

 

[Bfatz]

I am in Lowell, never been on the radar in 42 years , in fact I am friends with 2 Sargent's, 1 detective and 4 other LEO's on the force. I used 3 of them as a reference back when I applied.

The best they gave me was " Sporting " which I will take over T&H as I do a lot of Bird watching ( ). None the less I feel I should have been granted "ALP". I have never been in trouble before my gun ownership and I do not intend to get in trouble with it.

I have meet Jim on several occasions he already had one of my votes. The rest of the incumbents are also being voted out by me. Way overdue for new faces in those seats! WAY OVER DUE.

By the way the Council is the boss and the Chief is the employee. Just like anyone else. That seat (Chief) is a Council appointed seat me thinks.

 

[Mike S]

welcome to the forum Kingfisher.

 

[Underwhere]

hmmm... What power does city council have over the CLO?

In many towns the town manager or people in city council direct PD's actions.

 

[kingfisher]

welcome to the forum Kingfisher.

Thank you for the welcome, Mike S.

I’m not normally politically active at all, but when I learned about the license restrictions in Lowell and had an opportunity to tell people about the city council race and James Wojas, I knew it was time for me to get involved. I really believe that James could help the people of Lowell, and I have only the best intentions, so even though I’m a noobie here I hope it’s cool that I posted my message. By the way, I am a member of GOAL (and the NRA), and I appreciate the good work you all do. Thanks for standing up for our rights!

Does anyone have any idea how many Lowell residents participate on this forum?

 

[terraformer]

Does anyone have any idea how many Lowell residents participate on this forum?

I doubt enough to make a big dent in the election. However, given how many people in lowell have probably lost their right to vote, maybe enough to swing an election.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Irrespective of whatever influence a freshman councilman may or may not have regarding Lowell's licensing policies, I'd suggest that anyone in a position to do so support kingfisher's candidate. Even if policy is not affected, having a pro-2A candidate on an urban city council is a step forward.

 

[deadhead133]

If I lived in Lowell I would give your man a vote. Only him. Pro 2A politicians are rare as hen's teeth in this Commiewealth.

 

[bubbaj]

I'm from Lowell and THIS election has been stacked against newcomers by the incumbents. To "save money" they voted to ignore the law that states that when more than 18 people run for the City Council there has to be a primary. We have something like 23 people running.

I hope for change but I also know how this city is. We will end up with the same people on the Council and every Police Superintendent after this one will continue the restriction policy.

 

[kingfisher]

... maybe enough to swing an election.

I think you might be right, terraformer, that it’s possible to swing this election if everybody who cares about this issue gets out and votes. Here’s why I say that. I read on a Lowell political forum that over the past several city council elections, winning candidates usually get about 5000 votes each, and there is more than one position open. Sometimes the difference between the lowest vote-getter who gets enough to be elected and the next one down who doesn’t is only a few hundred votes. In a local race like this, each vote is very important, and that’s why I recommend not giving even one vote to someone who doesn’t deserve it. I think the strategy of voting for nobody else besides James Wojas gives the people of Lowell the best shot at electing a pro 2nd Amendment candidate.

 

[center442]

I think you might be right, terraformer, that it’s possible to swing this election if everybody who cares about this issue gets out and votes. Here’s why I say that. I read on a Lowell political forum that over the past several city council elections, winning candidates usually get about 5000 votes each, and there is more than one position open. Sometimes the difference between the lowest vote-getter who gets enough to be elected and the next one down who doesn’t is only a few hundred votes. In a local race like this, each vote is very important, and that’s why I recommend not giving even one vote to someone who doesn’t deserve it. I think the strategy of voting for nobody else besides James Wojas gives the people of Lowell the best shot at electing a pro 2nd Amendment candidate.

Welcome to NES, kingfisher.

I think your reasoning about "plonking" a vote only for Wojas is sound. I wish you and him luck in the election.

 

[kingfisher]

I have meet Jim on several occasions he already had one of my votes. The rest of the incumbents are also being voted out by me. Way overdue for new faces in those seats! WAY OVER DUE.

Thanks for posting, Bfatz. It’s great to read that you’ve met James Wojas and that you had already planned to vote for him.

I’m friends with some LEOs, too, so I know that many of them realize that having qualified armed citizens on the street makes the city safer for all law-abiding citizens because it keeps the criminals guessing about who would be easy to victimize.

 

[PWM]

who, if elected, will do whatever is within his power

Which is 0. The STATE gives the chief the power.

I don't like it anymore than the next guy, but it is what it is. The CLEO has been talked to by many on this topic, it will not BUDGE until we get a new chief.

Furthermore, this is probably not the guy to take on this fight:

James Wojas
Age: 40
Address: 95 Webber St.
Family: Married with two children
Political experience: None
Favorite hobby: Water skiing
Top three goals: Lowering property taxes; lowering taxes on businesses; integrating charter schools into public schools to help improve MCAS scores

Seems like a nice enough guy, however ANY Pro 2A person is NOT a step forward. If you don't understand the licensing, possession, and safety issues of firearms ownership, you probably can not formulate strong arguments to combat anti-gun policy.

 

[kingfisher]

Hi, PWM.

My understanding is that the city council hires the city manager. The city manager is the person who hires the CLEO in Lowell. That means that city council members do have some influence on this issue. I also agree with knuckle dragger’s previous post (#9) where he wrote, “Even if policy is not affected, having a pro-2A candidate on an urban city council is a step forward.” It’s a frustrating situation, but that doesn’t mean we should give up.

Who has talked to the CLEO about this, PWM? If you have more information, please share. I’d be very interested if you could shed some light on the CLEO’s reasons for his restrictive policy. Feel free to PM me, if you prefer.

James Wojas may not have a lot of official political experience, but he’s a passionate speaker about this issue, and he wants change. Additionally, he has military experience and is NOT uneducated about firearms. He understands all of the issues you mentioned at the bottom of your post. I still maintain that James Wojas is the best shot we have right now for change to the LTC policy in Lowell.

 

[yanici]

I really hope you can get some Pro-2A people in. I'm fortunate to live on your border and in a green town.

Not to steal your thread, but even though the cause is good, the outcome doesn't sound promising. If you really want change in Lowell, it would be good to write those letters in support of HB2259 that GOAL is pushing. Time to take the Chiefs out of the equation.

 

[PWM]

I really hope you can get some Pro-2A people in. I'm fortunate to live on your border and in a green town.

Not to steal your thread, but even though the cause is good, the outcome doesn't sound promising. If you really want change in Lowell, it would be good to write those letters in support of HB2259 that GOAL is pushing. Time to take the Chiefs out of the equation.

+1

 

[peterpressure]

After a long hiatus from neshooters, I am back and voting Wojas!
Thanks for the heads up...

 

[kingfisher]

I really hope you can get some Pro-2A people in. I'm fortunate to live on your border and in a green town.

Not to steal your thread, but even though the cause is good, the outcome doesn't sound promising. If you really want change in Lowell, it would be good to write those letters in support of HB2259 that GOAL is pushing. Time to take the Chiefs out of the equation.

The outcome of the election may not seem promising to you right now, but I believe in what your signature line says… “Better to fight for something than live for nothing.”

I did write a letter in support of H.2259 and sent it to Jim Wallace a few weeks ago. For your sake, I hope your town stays green, but it really would be great if we could take the Chiefs out of the equation altogether!

If you have friends next door in Lowell, please tell them about James Wojas.

 

[kingfisher]

I'm from Lowell and THIS election has been stacked against newcomers by the incumbents. To "save money" they voted to ignore the law that states that when more than 18 people run for the City Council there has to be a primary. We have something like 23 people running.

That’s exactly right. Most of the incumbent city counselors voted to do away with the primary election---effectively, to spread out the votes that weren’t for them and give themselves better chances of being re-elected.

Not only that, there are other good reasons to vote out several of the current city councilors, but one in particular should be of interest here. Counselor Caulfield is also Lowell’s Mayor, and he is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), a fact that can be easily checked online. There’s a great quote in the latest “American Rifleman” in which a mayor wrote to resign from MAIG, “Where you lose me is in your true quest---to end lawful firearms ownership and destroy a lawful American industry.” Mayor Caulfield is helping to make that happen.

I hope for change but I also know how this city is. We will end up with the same people on the Council and every Police Superintendent after this one will continue the restriction policy.

Believe me, I’m frustrated too. But at this point in my life, I just will not accept that things can’t be changed.

 

[billmelater]

I don't believe I missed this thread for 3 nights!
I'm in Lowell, with hunting & target. My first look at a candidate is for his 2nd Amendment views, and after that, it's whoever's been investigated or arrested the fewest times. If Wojas is truly pro 2nd, he'll get my vote.

 

[kingfisher]

After a long hiatus from neshooters, I am back and voting Wojas!
Thanks for the heads up...

You're welcome, peterpressure, and I'm glad it was ok to PM you. You're one of the few I've been able to get in contact with. Thank you for caring enough to vote the right way!

 

[kingfisher]

I don't believe I missed this thread for 3 nights!
I'm in Lowell, with hunting & target. My first look at a candidate is for his 2nd Amendment views, and after that, it's whoever's been investigated or arrested the fewest times. If Wojas is truly pro 2nd, he'll get my vote.

For anyone who wants to verify the 2nd Amendment stance of James Wojas, I encourage you to visit his website. You can contact him yourself, and he’d be happy to answer your questions.

Here's a link to his website: http://www.jameswojas.com/

 

[Bradley J.]

Thanks for the heads up KINGFISHER

 

[yanici]

Here's your chance to leave a pro gun comment at the Lowell Sun on line. You can comment about the recent incident at MGH. The incident shows that there is a need for law abiding citizens to carry. I left a short one myself. Maybe get some people thinking.

 

[kingfisher]

Thanks for the heads up, yanici! You posted a great comment at the Lowell Sun, and I added my 2 cents as well.

If that incident had happened in Lowell, the doctor could easily have been killed, because very few people are issued unrestricted licenses there. Hopefully, enough people will vote for James Wojas this Tuesday, and as a city counselor he'll get a chance to change that.

As yanici said, this is a perfect chance for everyone to make their views known to the public. Here's a link to the Lowell Sun where you can post your comments on the MGH stabbing and defense-of-a-victim shooting: http://www.topix.net/forum/source/lowell-sun/TUFDKE15E22NO6LGV

 

[FreeWillie]

All you have to do is this. Ask the people that want to gain office what their position is on the 2nd Amendment. What they are going to do to turn around what has happened in MA. If they answer correctly, get off your ass and do everything you can to support them. AND do everything you can to undermine their opponent. It's war now! Pick something that the left loves and then show how the opponent didn't support it. Go to their meetings and bad talk the opponent (you better be prepared though). Talk him/her down. Destroy their credibility. Then talk "lesser of the two evils". Undermine, Undermine, Undermine! This is war. Be clever!

 

[kingfisher]

All you have to do is this. Ask the people that want to gain office what their position is on the 2nd Amendment. What they are going to do to turn around what has happened in MA. If they answer correctly, get off your ass and do everything you can to support them. AND do everything you can to undermine their opponent.

Yes! That’s what I’m doing, and that’s the purpose of this thread, to get James Wojas elected on November 3rd and to get rid of ALL of the incumbent city councilors—especially Mayor Caulfield, who is a member of MAIG.

I’m a relatively new contributor here, but I’ve been reading posts for awhile, and I’ve never seen anything about city council elections. Does anyone have any idea why that is? Electing pro 2nd Amendment city councilors is an effective way to change things city by city, and I would think there’d be much more of an effort by unhappy people who got restricted licenses to at least try to change the policy in their own city so that they can get UNRESTRICTED licenses. Has everyone just given up? Am I missing something?