At last we’re seeing some improvement in what has been one of craziest spring seasons in decades. As stream and river levels gradually keep dropping, despite the occasional splash-and-dash thunderstorm, fishing will continue to improve. Same goes for the cooler air temperatures, which will make camping, hiking and gardening a lot more pleasant. Of course what would be our normal calendar weather patterns seemed to have moved back almost a full month with that stretch of obviously midsummer-type we “enjoyed” a few weeks ago. Let’s hope now that we actually get a normal summer and not a wet, cool one like two years ago.

In recent columns I may have been a bit critical of our leaders in Albany, including those true power mongers from the big downstate districts, but judging from comments I’ve received from readers, the vast majority agree that their “upstate lives” could improve greatly without downstate politicians pushing bills through that make little sense in the vast majority of upstate counties.

Update on COBIS Bill

This from state Sen. Jim Seward: “State senate voted last night (June 13) to REPEAL and discard the state's ill-conceived and worthless ballistic imaging program (COBIS).

Senate bill 459 was approved by a bipartisan vote of 38 to 22. I voted "yes" to get rid of this expensive program that has not accounted for one arrest, one indictment, one conviction in its eleven year and $40 million history. COBIS wastes the time of state police, dealers and is a burden on firearms owners who want to exercise their Constitutional right to own handguns.

In 2000, I voted "no" on the original legislation creating the program - and with my colleagues warned then that COBIS would be a colossal waste of public money and wouldn't catch one criminal who uses a handgun to commit a crime. Those of us who voted against it were right then, and we're right now.

Binghamton Mayor Ryan Said He Supports COBIS Bill

Speaking of pushing worthless bills, I see that Binghamton Mayor Ryan issued a statement that he was in full support of the microstamping bill, saying he was in favor of anything that would reduce violent gun crimes. Has the mayor or any of his staff studied the sad history of microstamping (COBIS) --stamping a code on shell casings ejected when a gun is fired? Microstamps on recovered shell casings is intended to give our police departments the ability to determine key facts about the gun used in the crime, including the first dealer who sold it at retail and the buyer. Since it takes our criminal and drug cartel gangs less than two minutes to remove said stamp off the gun’s firing pin, all bullets fired after that will show nothing. Where implemented, microstamping has resulted in zero arrests and zero convictions, since most criminals don’t use legally registered guns. Hardly the great crime fighter its supporters are claiming it to be.