A WARNING SHOT FIRED BY GUN BIZ
ALBANY— One of the world’s major gun manufacturers is threatening to pull its plant out of New York over a gun bill pushed by Mayor Bloomberg.
Remington Arms Company, in a recent letter to Gov. Cuomo, said it may be forced to bail on the Empire State if a law requiring bullet casings to carry unique markings is enacted.
Supporters argue the technolo- gy, known as microstamping, would help solve gun crimes. Detractors say it’s unreliable, easily tampered with and costly.
Remington has a manufacturing plant that employs more than 1,000 workers in the village of Ilion, about 90 miles west of Albany.
“Mandating firearms microstamping will restrict the ability of Remington to expand business in the Empire State,” company chief strategy officer Stephen Jackson Jr. wrote to Cuomo.
“Worse yet, Remington could be forced to reconsider its commitment to the New York market altogether rather than spend the astronomical sums of money needed to completely reconfigure our manufacturing and assembly processes.”
Jackson insisted that law enforcement, gun retailers and “law-abiding consumers throughout New York — if not the entire country” would be directly affected.
Senate bill sponsor Jose Peralta dismissed Remington’s warning as “just another tactic being used to try and block microstamping, which is supported by many crime-fighters.”
He said gun manufacturers didn’t leave California and Massachusetts when those states enacted ballistic identification rules. Cuomo during his 2010 campaign called microstamping a “common-sense” and “pro-law enforcement” gun safety law.
The governor’s position has not changed, even with Remington’s threat to leave, Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto said.
Microstamping is not expected to clear the Gop-controlled Senate, where Democratic efforts to bring it to the floor have been blocked.
The bill’s best chance might have been in 2010 when the Democrats controlled the Senate. But the Dems couldn’t muster the required 32 votes to pass it.
In his battle to keep Gov. Cuomo from stripping part t of his contract oversigh tight powers, state Controller t ll Thomas Dinapoli is citing his rejection of a state contract with a company he fears has mob ties.
Dinapoli’s office says that last August it rejected a $14.5 million proposed oil contract between the state Office of General Services and Chief Energy Corp. — a Brooklyn company owned by Vincent Rizzuto.
Rizzuto’s son, Vincent Jr., has reputed ties to the Gambino crime family and is serving prison time on racketeering charges. The company in the past denied ties to organized crime.
“This is exactly the type of contract that under the governor’s plan we would not see in advance,” Dinapoli rep Jennifer Freeman said.
Calling the process inefficient, Cuomo wants to strip Dinapoli of some of his powers to preapprove every state contract. A Cuomo insider calls it a small change and accuses Dinapoli of e engaging in an ““Albany turf b battle.”
With C Cuomo said to be pushing hard for the change, insiders ex expect it will be part of the fin final budget expected this week. w
Did someone for forget to tell state Agriculture Co Commissioner Darrel Aubertine who w his new boss is?
The Cuomo comm commissioner praised the support of “Gov. Paterson” in a recent letter touting a new report.
Red-faced Aubertine spokeswoman Jessica Ziehm chalked it up to a staff mistake that will not happen again.