November 30 - December 6, 1995

B y  E m i l  F r a n z i

Whether you favor the recent controversial gun buy-back program funded by local tax money through local churches, or oppose it because it's mere feel-good political correctness, you'll share common ground with Supervisor "Special Ed" Moore.

That's because Moore, who voted to spend the money for the program, really doesn't think it's effective.

Here's exactly what Ed said when queried by a group called "Brass Roots," which is currently pressing Pima County for what it claims is the illegal expenditure of tax dollars on the program. The following is Moore's quote from the group's current newsletter:

"This type of thing has been done around the country...it makes everybody feel good. It may work the first few days, but it's ahh...ahh, I'm going to support it because I think local government should be showing the public they're interested in getting involved in stopping crime--although I accept the fact that this may not have a lot to do with it. Ahh...it may in fact incite more crime by people who steal guns to turn it in for fifty dollars. Ahh...that has happened in other communities. Ahh...if you were giving a hundred dollars I would be against it because that is enough money to make somebody go out and steal four or five shotguns from somebody's gun cabinet and turn it in."

So he supports it because "local government should be showing the public that they're interested in getting involved in stopping crime"? We thought you did that in the budget process for the sheriff's department, the county attorney's office and the courts.

By "showing" them something you believe doesn't work, aren't you merely pandering, Ed?

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