L.A. councilman wants city to boycott companies with NRA ties
A Los Angeles lawmaker wants the city to cut ties with companies that are linked to the National Rifle Assn., saying that its opposition to "common sense gun safety laws" is at odds with the city.
City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell introduced a proposal Wednesday asking city staffers to provide a list of all businesses and groups that have a "formal relationship" with the NRA and lay out options for boycotting them.
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O'Farrell said he also had asked the City Council to hold off on approving an agreement between FedEx and the Harbor Department to operate a warehouse and office space. FedEx has faced pressure from gun control advocates to stop providing
discounted shipping for members of the NRA.
"We have a choice — and they have a choice," O'Farrell said, arguing that FedEx could follow the path of other companies such as Delta Air Lines that have
ended such discounts or other ties. "They could join in this sensible movement to discourage the proliferation of guns."
The council postponed voting Wednesday on the FedEx agreement, which city officials say could generate up to $155,000 for the port.
A FedEx spokeswoman said the company was looking into the city decision Wednesday.
In a
statement last month, FedEx said its corporate stand on gun policies was not in line with the NRA — it "opposes assault rifles being in the hands of civilians" — and stressed that the group is one of hundreds of organizations whose members get such discounts.
"FedEx has never set or changed rates for any of our millions of customers around the world in response to their politics, beliefs or positions," it said in that statement.
Maybe the gun control nutters can use O'Farrel to start their NRRA.