Remington Arms Closes it's NY factory - Stefanik spews BS, no surprise there - and a visit to Urban Space

In case you have not heard, Remington Arms is closing its Ilion, NY factory. It's been making guns there for more than 200 years but according to reports global competition and the aging of their plant has led to this. They've been given HUGE incentives to move to Georgia where they will have brand new, modern manufacturing facilities. During the past couple of decades they've been bought and sold, been in and out of bankruptcy and still hung in. What had been a workforce of a couple of thousand is down to a few hundred. Notice, none of this is about gun control. We are talking economic forces here.

Frank Brown, the president of the United Mine Workers of America Local 71, which represents the workers said, and I quote him in the NY Times, "We have been manufacturing firearms for over 200 years and never ever had a problem selling firearms. It's all about money and greed." But he did express sadness, perhaps even bitterness about the closing of the plant.

Michael Press, a consultant whose work is to find advantageous tax deal on new sites and has worked with Remington is quoted in the NY Times saying about several arms companies, "They have migrated to Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Georgia. It's mainly about the cost of doing business."

These quotes sound reasonable, recognizing that the bottom-line drives business decisions, not what happens to the stakeholders left behind. Since Remington's bottom line hasn't been good the past number of years, their owners - they are privately held - make decisions they believe are best for themselves.

On the other hand, ignoring business and economic forces, Elisa Stefanik, Trumpist Republican Congresswoman in whose district Ilion is located prefers politics and propaganda even when there's little truth in it. This, from her website, "it is because of New York Democrats' unconstitutional gun grab policies that the oldest gun manufacturer in the country has been run out of the state." Reading into that I guess she's got no problem with mass shootings since when one occurs, she will probably say she's praying for the victims and their families.

When you look to see what NY State's gun laws are, they aren't terrible nor overly restrictive. They ban assault weapons, put some limits on semi-automatic weapons including magazine size - do you really need to have more than ten bullets in your semi-automatic, require permits for pistols and to purchase semi-automatics and background checks including for private sales. Want a long gun or a shotgun? Have your background check and you are good to go, no permit required.

So Elise, where is that gun grabbing you are bitching about? Or are you just spewing more bullshit? Ms. Stefanik, go get stuffed!

I am pretty sick of her. She runs and hides from the insurgents of 1/6 and she now hails these convicted rioters as political prisoners. I'd agree on the political part if their crimes were thought crimes or political speech crimes but when you go from thought and belief to speech, and from speech to active acts of violence you lose the political part of the prisoner even if they acted out of their beliefs and you become, depending on the severity of your crime, a felon or - what do you call a person convicted of a misdemeanor? A misdemeanant perhaps - convicted of a crime.

I was involved in political activism at one time, demonstrating and protesting. Most of the people arrested around me - I was lucky enough to not get taken in - were charged with disturbing the peace or such and released usually with either charges dropped or violations. Those who went further and acted violently against people or property and were convicted, were they political prisoners or felons? I guess if they were on your side, they were political and if you opposed their beliefs, then they were just criminals.

I never breached the halls of Congress or physically assaulted the police. 

Elise Stefanik isn't a hypocrite even though to those opposed to her politics she may seem one. I think she believes the bullshit that comes out of her mouth. I think she mourns the victims of mass shootings but thinks they died to protect the right of the shooter to own and use an assault weapon, and for anyone who wants one to go and get one.

I get angry just writing this.

Now for something completely different from the above: photos.

I met my friend Ron at Urban Space this past Friday afternoon. We spent a couple of hours chatting with each other and some of the people around us. Perhaps it should have occurred to me that since we've been going there for a couple of years every other week or so, that the people who work there not only recognized us as semi-regulars but were pleased when we brought them into our conversation. If they were on break, they didn't need to rush back but if they were working, it was a bit of a pleasant how are you doing before they got back to work.

The last time I was there I posted a picture of Roland, one of the managers on the floor. He was there working on Friday and we kidded about the photo. A couple of the other people were interested and seemed to like the picture, so with their permission I took theirs as well. Today there's Paul, Ray and François.

Of course I'm not leaving there without a few pictures of the customer enjoying their food, their drink, their friends and the scene.

Ron may not like the photo I took of him but I think it's interesting.

To close, I've been watching the JPMorgan Chase headquarters being built the past few years. It's nearing completion. The exterior is being installed and though I can't see inside, I guess on floors that are ready interior work may have begun. This photo is part of the record.

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