Buckeye Firearms Assoc. Endorses Bill Todd for Columbus Mayor

Buckeye Firearms Association and the citizens of central Ohio recognize the poor leadership that the City of Columbus has experienced over the past 8 years under the direction of the current Mayor. Columbus has witnessed the installation of red light cameras, a substantial surge of gang activity, home invasions, increased crime around the campus area, and a huge upswing in crime violence in general.

According to 2006 FBI stats, Columbus has 731,547 citizens. Columbus had a staggering 586 reported rapes committed against innocent victims. Columbus women are nearly 7 times more likely per capita to be raped in Columbus than New York City. There were nearly 6000 violent crimes reported in Columbus during 2006. 1 person in every 122 people will become a victim of violent crime on our streets. Columbus needs a Mayor who will put a stop to violent crime.

Under the incompetent leadership of the current Mayor, the citizens have experienced a direct assault on our Second Amendment Rights. The City had imposed an unenforceable "assault weapons ban". The assault weapons ban made criminals out of law abiding citizens who obtained concealed handgun licenses for self defense, who wanted to carry 11 rounds of ammunition instead of 10 in their firearms.

The citizens of the City of Columbus also experienced the loss of the 2007 NRA Annual Convention and the 20-30 million dollars it would have brought to the city and surrounding businesses. Michael Coleman stated that "Columbus didn't need the NRA's 20 million dollars". Over 60,000 good people from across the nation were told they were not welcome to our city. With a slogan like "Ohio, the heart of it all", we need a mayor that has a heart and has sense about him.

Bill Todd has given Buckeye Firearms Association his assurance that under his mayoral leadership of the City of Columbus, he will protect the 2nd Amendment Rights of the Columbus citizens. A Bill Todd administration understands that you will never solve crime problems by harassing law abiding citizens, and an economic recovery will not come from turning away business and offending people who want to visit our great state. He supports our constitution and understands that the government exists to serve it's people.

Columbus needs a change. Buckeye Firearms Association is proud to give our support and endorsement to Mr. Bill Todd as the candidate for Mayor of the City of Columbus. Please join us in voting for the candidate that will support your 2nd Amendment Rights on Nov. 6.

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10TV: Coleman, Todd Square Off In Only Debate

Coleman and Todd also differed on the issue of gun control and the state law that overturned Columbus' ban on assault weapons.

"When the state legislature says you can't carry a concealed weapon, but you can carry a concealed weapon in our public parks, I think that's wrong," Coleman said.

Todd said the debate was about crime, not gun control.

"I think it's more important then not to focus on the red herring of the gun issue, but to focus on the crime issue," he said.

Columbus Dispatch: Todd, Coleman debate where Columbus is, where it's going

Todd declared support for legislative overrides of local gun laws and called home-rule powers for cities a constitutional relic from Ohio's past.

...COLEMAN CLAIM: The crime rate is dropping in Columbus.

FACT: Overall, crime is down since 2000. The FBI's yearly reports show a rate of 7,935 crimes for every 100,000 city residents in 2006. In 2000, the rate was 9,324 crimes per 100,000 people. That takes into account all violent and property crimes: Within that overall figure, rates have gone up for murder, robbery and burglary since 2000.