Mayor Sam Adams’ plan for new Portland gun laws could face stiff opposition

August 29th, 2010

When Portland Mayor Sam Adams recently proposed three new city gun laws and two changes to existing city code, he joined hands with several mayors across the country who are trying to pass gun control laws that state lawmakers would not – or could not.

“It’s amazing to me the denial around the connection between inadequacy in our gun laws and gun crimes on the street. The legislature hasn’t connected those dots,” Adams said. “The absence of meaningful gun law changes must end. I’m intent on changing that.”

But establishing such gun laws is likely to be a tall order.

Advocates for firearms are always quick to challenge proposed laws that put limits on guns and some are already calling Adams’ effort “laughable” and a publicity stunt.

Click here for full article from The Oregonian…

What do you think? Vote! Click here for our Portland/Gun Control Poll…

Portland Oregon Proposed New Gun Control Laws – Do you support them?

August 23rd, 2010

A new People_and_Places poll has been created.

Portland, Oregon USA: Mayor Sam Adams‘ office has drafted five new proposals to control illegal handguns in Portland:

1. A curfew for juveniles convicted of gun-law violations.
2. A new city crime of failure to control kids’ access to guns.
3. A new city crime of failure to report loss or theft of guns.
4. Increase penalties for illegal possession of loaded firearms.
5. Excluding gun-law violators from neighborhoods with high rates of illegal firearm use.

Do you support the proposal?

Mosque at Ground Zero?

July 30th, 2010

A new People_and_Places poll has been created.

Plans are in the works for an Islamic Center and Mosque at Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center attack in 2001. Appropriate use or unacceptable?

Should US revoke right of American citizenship to foreigners born here?

July 30th, 2010

A new Politics/Elections poll has been created.

A bill in the House of Representatives would change the 14th amendment to the US Constitution that grants anyone who is born on US soil the right of American citizenship. Efforts to revoke birthright citizenship could make it the new flashpoint in the debate over immigration. The bill, if passed, would bring the US more into line with current European birthright policies. But in the wake of the controversy over Arizona’s new immigration policy, any changes to the 14th amendment would likely become another flashpoint in the debate over illegal immigrants. What do you think?

Is marriage a right that should be given to all couples: gay, or straight?

July 18th, 2010

A new Lifestyle/Health poll has been created.

Should same-sex couples be given the same legal rights that male-female couples receive from the government?

Australian Federal Election August 21st

July 18th, 2010

UPDATE AUGUST 2ND In our Poll the Coalition is well ahead of Labor 32% to 21% and the Greens are a stand out 23% and the Demorats are 15% BUT we are too early in our development to get a meaningful response on a poll like this. One day we will have the numbers to really weigh in. The ABC has a good Poll of Polls at campaignpulse.abc.net.au which shows all the individual polls plus the average which is running 50:50 Labor v Coalition so a very tight race at present.

A new Politics/Elections poll has been created.

Australia Federal Election August 21st
Australia goes to the polls to elect a new leader on Saturday August 21st. Australia’s first female PM Julia Gillard, leader of the Australian Labor Party, who ousted Kevin Rudd, has called the election to seek a mandate to govern in her own right. Tony Abbot who leads the Liberal/National Coalition is fighting to be PM. Australia does not have direct presidential style elections so leader of the party with most seats in the lower house becomes PM. Which party gets your vote? Vote here.

Election Preview: (from ABC)
It is only three years since Kevin Rudd led Labor to victory at the 2007 election, but the pace of events in recent months makes it seem further ago in time. Who could have predicted three years ago that the 2010 election would be fought between Labor’s second Prime Minister Julia Gillard, and third-turn Liberal Leader Tony Abbott? Indeed, who would have predicted this turn of events twelve months ago when Kevin Rudd had a commanding opinion poll lead over Malcolm Turnbull? The pace of leadership change in the last three years has been breath taking. Labor’s sweep to victory in 2007 was historic. It came after the Howard government had twice bucked the usual rule of Australian politics for governments to lose support over time. The Coalition’s vote and parliamentary majority increased at both the 2001 and 2004 elections, the latter election seeing Labor’s support collapse in critical mortgage belt seats. The 2004 result left the Labor Party needing a swing of 5% to achieve government at the 2007 election. Read the full article here.

Wikipedia entry here.

France Veil Ban – For or against?

July 12th, 2010

A new People_and_Places poll has been created.

France’s parliament is voting whether to ban burqa-like Muslim veils. France’s lower house of parliament will likely approve a ban on face-covering veils Tuesday, and the Senate will probably follow suit in September. Some say it violates France’s Constitution. Do you support it? Vote here.

Asylum Seekers and their entry to Australia by boat is shaping up to be a major election issue as it has been in the past.

July 6th, 2010

A new Politics/Elections poll has been created.

Australian PM Julia Gillard has announced a new tougher stance on blocking the arrival of asylum seekers by boat. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott also announced new hard measures – vowing to send home asylum seekers who destroyed their identification papers – ensuring “border protection” will be a central campaign battleground.What is your view?

US Supreme Court extends gun rights

June 28th, 2010

The US Supreme Court has restricted the rights of state and city governments to enforce controls on gun ownership.

The US’s highest court ruled by 5-4 that a ban on handgun ownership in Chicago was unconstitutional.

Justices said the US Constitution protected the right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defence.

The ruling could potentially change laws on gun ownership in many of the US states.

The Second Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees “the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”.

Complete article at BBC NEWS – Click here

Caning for EU Nationals in Singapore – Right or Wrong?

June 25th, 2010

A new People_and_Places poll has been created.

In recent news, two EU Nationals have been sentenced to time served and caning for graffiti crimes in Singapore. Amnesty International calls the sentence – and practice – barbaric. Vandalism in Singapore carries a fine of up to S$2,000 ($1,437) or up to three years in jail, in addition to three to eight strokes of a cane. What do you think? Vote here.