Mayor Mike must be bored again.
Otherwise, why would he have spent a big chunk of yesterday in Washington, railing against stuff that’s none of his (official) business instead of tending to Gotham’s problems — which are many, varied and not likely to fix themselves?
Bloomberg trekked to DC to lock arms with a gaggle of the usual suspects, convened to protest Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” armed self-defense law — a measure that gained national notice after the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February.
Such laws are nothing if not controversial — but no such statute appears in New York state’s penal code, and likely never will.
Nevertheless, Bloomberg wants the 25 states that do have such laws to repeal them.
“I go to states with Stand Your Ground laws,” he says, and indeed he does.
(With armed guards, we might add.)
But while private citizen Bloomberg is always entitled to an opinion, one might think that Mayor Bloomberg would have more pressing matters on his mind.
Such as Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s astonishing decision to target the NYPD’s successful stop-and-frisk anti-gun policy — a practice that has saved an unknowable number of young lives, most of them minorities.
A press conference on the steps of the Albany Capitol would bring Schneiderman up short, before he does some real damage.
Bloomberg certainly has standing to seek new laws to curb illegal-gun traffic into New York. Yesterday, he bemoaned concealed-weapons permits and a federal bill to force states to honor those issued in other states — all fine and good.
Practically speaking, however, nothing is going to dry up the gun traffic — not in any meaningful way.
So what’s the point of wringing hands?
Why not, instead, insist that Albany adopt truly meaningful sanctions against the use of illegal weapons in the commission of a crime?
A plea-bargain-proof, one-strike-and-you’re-out law aimed at armed criminals would be a useful tool for any prosecutor.
At the same time, it would be a mistake to forget that New York City’s streets today are safer than they have been in decades — thanks to diligent, enlightened policing.
So thank you, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
And, certainly, credit goes to you, too, Mr. Mayor.
So quit grandstanding and come home.
New York City needs you here.