Police give out heat vouchers for guns

[Thom Little]

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) -- Police wanted to get guns off the street - so they offered free heat to people packing heat, handing out $50 heating vouchers to anyone who willing to surrender their gun.

"Energy costs are skyrocketing," said Rep. Peter Kilmartin, a Democratic lawmaker and Pawtucket police captain. "I was trying to look for an innovative way to assist all segments of society."

Residents turned in 46 weapons during the exchange Wednesday, including an M-16 rifle. Police also collected thousands of rounds of ammunition.

National Grid, the New England Gas Co. and McKee Brothers Oil Corp. contributed heating vouchers, Kilmartin said.


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RI_HEAT_FOR_HEAT_RIOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-12-22-15-32-41

[lvx35]

1. Man....

I don't even know what to say about that. What a picture of the times eh? I wonder who turned in the m-16 for $50 heating voucher. I thought the sold for like $500

[benEzra]

8. Try $15,000 to $75,000

I don't even know what to say about that. What a picture of the times eh? I wonder who turned in the m-16 for $50 heating voucher. I thought the sold for like $500

Try $15,000 to $75,000 for a real NFA Title 2 M16. Of course, that's the price for a NFA-registered, pre-'86, civilian-transferable rifle.

An illegally possessed post-1986 M16 stolen from a police officer or National Guard armory would be worth a LOT less than 15 grand, but would still go for way more than $500, I'd expect. Sheesh, even a civilian non-automatic M16 lookalike (AR-15, XM-15, PCR-15, DPMS Classic 16) will set you back $800 to $1500 from a gun shop, and they're ordinary NFA Title 1 guns.

[aquart]

2. Opportunistically intelligent thinking.

[rodeodance]

3. i think it is a good idea. they will probl get a lot old rusty ones but

might get a few good ones out of circulation.

[aquart]

5. I don't care about the guns. I care about the heat.

Any way that can be found to channel public money into paying those outrageous bills is a blessing and shows an official using his brains.

[SoCalDem]

4. What do you do if you are cold, but unarmed?

steal a gun? and turn it in for heat?

[aquart]

6. It's a plan.

[Nomen Tuum]

7. You mean the Churches are doing NOTHING to pay these heating bills?

Where is all that "Faith-Based" bribery, er, assistance going? After all, Bush promised us that in his Laissez Fairyland Jesus State, the churches would take care of the needy!