I recently saw a “Yes on 594” commercial featuring Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge.

In the commercial, Russ implies that it is necessary to pass I-594 to prevent criminals from acquiring guns at gun shows or through the internet. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since the Gun Control Act of 1968, all guns sold by “mail” (online these days) must be shipped to a federally licensed dealer who must conduct a background (NICS) check on buyers.

Likewise guns sold at gun shows are already strictly regulated by State and Federal law. A 2001 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics on Firearm Use by Offenders shows that less than 1 percent of guns used in crimes come from gun shows while more than 8 percent come from retail stores. (http://bjs.gov/content/pub/press/fuopr.cfm)

Russ is either woefully ignorant of the facts, or he lying at the behest of billionaires like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates, Nick Hanauer, Steve Ballmer and Paul Allen who are using their vast fortunes to buy a yes vote on I-594 (http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2024422593_594donationxml.html).

Either way, it shows how unfit he is to be prosecutor. Let’s restore honesty and integrity to the office. Vote Tina Robinson for county prosecutor.

Likewise, vote “NO” on I-594. It would do nothing to prevent criminals or those with mental illness from acquiring guns. Instead it would needlessly criminalize the innocent loan of firearms between family and friends (ever loan a hunting buddy a rifle?) and would divert scarce resources to create a massive new government data base on law abiding gun owners.

We can do many things to improve the current background check system (www.fixnics.org) and to reform our badly broken mental health system (www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/12/how-to-bring-sanity-to-our-mental-health-system), but we need real reform not more expensive and unenforceable regulatory boondoggles.

Charles Ely

Bremerton