Democrats Seek $60 Million To Study Gun Violence As A Health Crisis

OFF THE WIRE
30 Senate and House Democrats brought the measure up.
An assembly of 30 Senate and House Democrats brought a measure before the committee on Tuesday. Bill S.834, would fund research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on firearms safety and gun violence prevention that would provide $60 million in funding annually to do research on guns. The program would begin in 2018 and last for six years.
The proposal is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Edward Markey D-Mass, and U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, with other Democrat and Independent lawmakers.
“Gun violence is ending lives and shattering families in Massachusetts and across our country,” Rep. Markey said. “Now more than ever we must study the causes of gun violence and what can be done to prevent it. No one should be afraid of more non-partisan, scientific research into this vital issue – not Republicans, not the NRA and not President Trump.”
If the measure is approved it would be the biggest subsidy for federal gun use research since a 1996 amendment by then-Rep. Jay Dickey, R-Ark. CDC funds would not be able to be spent on actions intended to restrict or control the purchase or use of firearms. Similar measures in 2014 and 2015 were introduced by never made it past the committee.
Bill S.834 is largely supported by health care lobby groups and gun control organizations including the Newtown Action Alliance, Everytown, Moms Demand Action, the Brady Campaign, and Americans for Responsible Solutions and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Sarah Tofe, research director for Everytown said:

Gun violence kills more than 90 Americans and injures hundreds more each day, and yet it remains one of the most underfunded areas of public health research. The legislation introduced today would appropriate necessary and long overdue funds to the CDC to reclaim their leadership when it comes to gun violence prevention research – a role that has been decimated for more than two decades thanks to a relentless campaign by gun lobby-backed legislators.

 Groups that support gun rights disagree, arguing that the country’s murder rate and fatal gun accidents have fallen dramatically in recent years even though gun sales have skyrocketed.

Sutter Shares Snap Of Important Location For 'Sons of Anarchy' Spin-Off 'Mayans MC'

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• Stephen Andrew
• In what feels like a pursuit to drive Sons of Anarchy fans as crazy as possible, Kurt Sutter has shared another pic from the set of Mayans MC, and this one is much more of a quandary.
• There doesn't seem to be a Romero Brothers Scrap in the SOA universe, but Machete himself Danny Trejo, played a character on the show named Romero 'Romeo' Parada, so maybe there's a connection?
  
  Please, if you're aware of any connection this may have to SOA let us know in the comments below.
  Sutter is clearly very excited about what they have in store with Mayans MC because he continues to reveal little tidbits from the set which only serve to make us all crazy with impatience.
  The show's official synopsis is as follows: "Set in the aftermath of Jax Teller’s death at the end of SOA’s seven-season run in 2014, Mayans MC will focus on the struggles of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, a prospect in the Mayan MC charter on the California/Mexico border. EZ is the gifted son of a proud Latino family, whose American dream was snuffed out by cartel violence. Now, his need for vengeance drives him toward a life he never intended and can never escape."
  In addition to the set pics, Sutter has also shared a few of the cast, which, among many others, includes Emilio Rivera who plays Mayans MC president Marcus Alvarez, reprised from Sons of Anarchy.
• Speaking about working with Alvarez again Sutter previously said, "When this other project was coming up with the Mayans; [Rivera's] my linchpin in fusing these two mythologies. It's so great to be able to work with him again, and be around that energy because it reminds me that this is why we do what we do."
  
  Mayans MC does not have an official premiere date at this time but is speculated to air sometime later this year.
  
  More News:
  
      Kurt Sutter Reveals New Mayans MC Behind-The-Scenes Photo
      Sons Of Anarchy Spin-Off Mayans MC Currently Casting Lead Roles
      Kurt Sutter Shares First 'Mayans MC' Cast Photo
  
  [H/T: Instagram / Kurt Sutter]

JAIL BAIT CON ARTIST MIKE LEFFINGWELL www.ripoffreport.com/Search/mike-leffingwell.aspx

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BIKERS BEWARE!! RIP OFF ARTIST!! KNOWN FELON SERVED TIME FOR SCAMMING!

WARNING!! This rip off con artist is a known felon, and has served time for scamming! He originally ran a scam using NASCAR.... now all of a sudden he's a motorcycle builder, same scam different venue. He comes across as genuine and charitable, hard earnebut he'll take your money, and later look you in the eye and say "I'm sorry, I'm broke!". I guess he figures if he only gets each person for short money, he can get away with it! Well, he can't...... so read on and make sure you don't give this man any of your d money!
Gypsy

Charlie Baker was ripped off for $5,000. He tried to collect the money, and Leffingwell told him he was broke. Charlie keeps trying to make arrangements, but Mike keeps putting him off and lying to him!

he's been telling me everyday since Monday I will get paid, he keeps
telling me to come get it then he's a no show! He told me yesterday
not to mistake his kindness for weakness!

http://www.ripoffreport.com/Search/mike-leffingwell.aspx

Tennessee motorsports Mike Leffingwell, JAIL BAIT CON ARTIST MIKE LEFFINGWELL brentwood, Tennessee *Consumer Comment... contact info

What's This? Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?

Victim of this person/company?

What's This? Are you also a victim of the same company or individual? Want Justice? File a Rip-off Report, help other consumers to be educated and don't let them get away with it!

Tennessee motorsports 1647 MALLORY LN. brentwood Tennessee 37027 United States of America Phone: 615-376-4766 Web Address:

Category: Questionable Activities

Submitted: Sunday, April 18, 2010 Last posting: Tuesday, June 01, 2010

CON ARTIST, LIAR, SCAMMER, POSER, PUNK JAIL BAIT S.O.B., i PUT MY SON IN HIS CHOPPER SCHOOL AND HE TOOK US FOR OVER $2000.00 AND SEVERAL OTHERS ALSO. WE ARE FILING A LAW SUIT THRU OUR LAWYER AND THIS IS A CLEAR VIOLATION OF THIS PUNKS PAROLE WHICH WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT TILL IT WAS TOO LATE.

=

Category: ORGANIZED CRIME

Submitted: Sunday, April 18, 2010 Last posting: Thursday, April 22, 2010

Mike Leffingwell at Tennessee Motorsports tried to run a scam on several of my friends after hitting me for $500.00 for enrollment on his chopper school. This guy is a total liar, don't beleive one word out of his mouth, he will take your money and run.=

a so called "chopper school" in which he would learn to build custom bikes from the ground up. Total scam !!! After my brother paid up front, with many others, they found out the truth. No books, no itenerary, no instructors, no welders, no equipment, NO NOTHING !!! Furthermore the service department is a total scam also. Guys with no experiance that signed up for chopper school being told to fix customers bikes....if the owners of these bikes knew this they would freak out big time !!! BEWARE OF MIKE LEFFINGWELL, HE WILL RIP YOU OFF...........MY LAWYER DONE SOME RESEACH AND FOUND OUT THIS GUY IS FRESH OUT OF PRISON FOR SIMILAR SCAMS !!!!

Profiling The 99 Percent

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agingrebel.com

The phrase motorcycle profiling has appeared in the news at least three times in the last five days.

The term came up twice in press coverage about a couple of photo opportunities in Austin, Texas over the weekend. The bikers were members of the now Bandidos-free Texas Confederation of Clubs and Independents. They were there to show their support for a couple of bills that will make life safer and easier for motorcyclists in the Lone Star State. One of them would permit Texas bikers to split lanes at very low speeds in traffic jams and the other would permit bikers to make safe left turns at red lights – as if the lights were only stop signs.

But most of the attention went to a Texas law that hasn’t been written yet – a law that would forbid “motorcycle profiling.”

Profiling

Motorcycle profiling is a comparatively new term – borrowed from the more commonly argued concept of  “racial profiling.”  Motorcycle profiling is a kind of stereotyping. It is assuming that someone must be a criminal because he is riding an American motorcycle with a V-Twin engine or because he is wearing real or ersatz motorcycle club insignia. The argument against profiling assumes, usually correctly. that police have an implicit bias against people who look like bikers.

That biker look itself has become a commodity. A quick trip down to the nearest Harley dealership can prove that. And, it can be argued that profiling occurs because police feel challenged by bikers – because men who look like bikers tend to be libertarian alpha males – and very many cops feel free to use their police powers to dominate and harass men who are not particularly impressed with symbols of authority like badges. At its core “motorcycle profiling” is about social control. And there are very many people who see biker profiling as a civil rights issue that can fixed by passing some laws.

Voices

One of them is Will Dulaney, who last Sunday identified himself to the press as the president of the Hell on Wheels Motorcycle Club at a rally in Round Rock. Four hundred people were there so the world could see they were mad as hell and not eager to take it anymore. “If you wear a patch, you better have some bail money,” Dulaney said.

“This is not about one club. This is not about what happened in Waco two years ago. This is about what’s happening all over the country and here in Texas. Profiling is really getting to epidemic levels,” Dulaney told Austin television station KEYE. “We are absolutely the people who are having these civil liberties trampled upon – our right to associate, our right to congregate, our right to ride our motorcycles free and unfettered,”

Ron “Bone” Blackett of the Texas COC&I told KEYE he thinks people died at the Waco Twin Peaks in May 2015 because of motorcycle profiling. “They can’t stand here with us and celebrate the healthy side of all of this, and that hurts,” Blackett said.

The next day, Steve “Dozer” Cochran, a member of another bikers rights group called US Defenders, complained to television station KVUE about being stopped and harassed by police. “They’re not going to give you a ticket one, but what they do is make you undress and take pictures of all your tattoos. They want to know what motorcycle club you’re in, what you’re doing and where you’re going. And first of all, that’s none of their business.” Cochran told KVUE the harassment has gotten worse since the Twin Peaks biker brawl.

AMA

The most surprising statement about motorcycle profiling came yesterday from the American Motorcyclist Association, It is surprising because the AMA invented the rationale for biker profiling. Shortly after the Hollister motorcycle “riot” in 1947, E.C. Smith, the Executive Secretary of the AMA called the Hollister bikers “outlaws” and asserted that they represented only “one percent” of the motorcycling community at most. Young bikers everywhere took to the romantic term “outlaw” and liked to think of themselves as “one percenters.” Within a year, police in Riverside, California had coined the acronym “OMG.”

Eventually that one percenter, outlaw style came to epitomize everybody on a Harley. The style became a commodity for hustlers as diverse as Harley-Davidson Motor Company salesmen and FX television executives to sell. Yesterday the AMA renounced the stereotype it helped create 70 years ago.

“The American Motorcyclist Association Board of Directors has adopted and issued an official position statement objecting to the profiling of motorcyclists by government agencies, including judging riders on their chosen apparel, mode of transportation or associates, rather than specific behavior and actions,” a press release announced.

“The American Motorcyclist Association has long advocated for the rights of motorcyclists and the motorcycling lifestyle,” the 209 word position paper begins. “The AMA, in diligently scrutinizing government policies directed at motorcyclists, is concerned over motorcyclist profiling. This includes motorcycle-only checkpoints and what is a predisposition in many cases of law enforcement officers targeting motorcyclists solely because they are wearing motorcycle-related clothing.”

“The AMA strongly condemns the profiling of motorcyclists by government agencies and has long championed the undeniable fact that the vast majority of riders and enthusiasts are upstanding, law-abiding citizens. Motorcyclists and motorcycling enthusiasts represent the full range of Americans and should be judged on their specific behaviors and actions, not their chosen mode of transportation or association with others.”

The only constants in history are irony and change. The world keeps turning.

BABE OF THE WEEK - Jennifer