Sunnyvale, hotbed of revolution?

The Silicon Valley suburb, ordinarily known for its high-tech office parks, 1960s tract houses and low crime, is on the forefront of a gun control debate that's snared the attention of both the National Rifle Association and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"Our federal government can't seem to set aside the partisan BS and deal with this, so it's got to start from the bottom up. Why not Sunnyvale?" said Mayor Tony Spitaleri, 69, a retired Palo Alto fire captain. "Why not Mountain View next? We've got to start somewhere."

Sunnyvale voters on Nov. 5 will decide on Measure C, a wide-ranging gun control ordinance that cracks down on gun possession and ammunition sales. If it passes, Sunnyvale gun owners would be required to report firearm theft to the police within 48 hours, lock up their guns at home and get rid of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. In addition, gun dealers would have to keep logs of ammunition sales.

The NRA has threatened to sue if the measure passes, claiming it violates the Second Amendment and overlaps with existing state laws.

"Measure C presents an opportunity to litigate some unresolved Second Amendment issues that need to be resolved by the courts, including the Supreme Court," said Chuck Michel, West Coast counsel for the NRA. "Plus, it's useless policy, given Sunnyvale's nonexistent crime problem."

The measure could cost Sunnyvale thousands to defend in court, Michel said. San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C., collectively have spent millions unsuccessfully defending gun control measures, he said.

Low violence

Sunnyvale indeed has among the lowest violent crime rates in the state. The city of 140,000 had 150 assaults and other violent crimes, including three homicides, in 2011, according to the FBI. By comparison, Hayward, which is about the same size, had 579 violent crimes, seven of which were homicides.

But crime was not Spitaleri's motivation in putting forth Measure C. Newtown was.

Spitaleri was at a mayors' conference in Washington, D.C., a few years ago when he signed a petition from a group called Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition co-founded in 2006 by Bloomberg as a way to promote gun control on the municipal level.

Spitaleri didn't think much about it until he returned home and was bombarded by the NRA. Staff sent postcards to NRA members in Sunnyvale, who in turn called, e-mailed and visited him, urging him to remove his name from the petition. So he did.

But then, in December, Newtown happened. A 20-year-old Connecticut man, using a Bushmaster rifle, killed 20 children and six adults in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. Shortly thereafter, the Senate defeated a gun control bill that would have required background checks for those purchasing firearms.

"Like everyone, I got angry. Really angry," Spitaleri said. "Are we getting numb to these shootings? Are we accepting this as normal? When are we going to start taking a stance?"

So, inspired by Bloomberg's group and with help from lawyers, the City Council and residents, he came up with Measure C. He's confident it's legally sound and that a majority of Sunnyvale residents support it. It's got the support of Bloomberg, who so far is the biggest donor to the Yes on C campaign. The New York mayor gave $3,000.

Few signs in town

Signs either supporting or opposing Measure C were scarce last week around Sunnyvale, but most residents seemed to have an opinion on the issue.

Lou Soliz vehemently supports it. A former Palo Alto police officer who now runs a barber shop, Soliz became a gun control advocate when the daughter of a longtime customer was shot to death at San Jose State in 2011.

"That hit us hard," he said Thursday. "Guns should be out of our society completely. In Sunnyvale, we don't want to be like everyone else. We don't want shootings. We don't want this violence."

Sunnyvale, despite its low crime rate, is no stranger to mass shootings. In 1988, a tech worker fatally shot seven co-workers at ESL Inc., a defense contractor, over an obsession with another employee.

Bai Nguyen, who owns Sun Liquors near downtown, thinks the city should crack down on guns. He was once held up at gunpoint in his store.

"A gun to your head is scary," he said. "The less guns, the better. We don't need that stuff."

A few doors down, tattoo artist Michael Wilson had the opposite view.

"If you don't like weapons, that's fine, don't have them," he said. "There's always been crazy people killing other people. Ban machine guns? That's not going to stop it. ... I think there's already enough gun laws."

Michel, the NRA attorney, called Measure C unnecessary and illegal, and ultimately a political maneuver.

"Measure C is put forth by a billionaire New York mayor trying to push his social agenda," Michel said. "It's a solution in search of a problem, and it's going to cost Sunnyvale taxpayers a lot of money."

Spitaleri, who in January will be termed out of office after an eight-year stretch on the council, is not daunted.

The NRA "is just trying to scare people. They're being bullies," he said. "Measure C doesn't stop anyone from owning a gun. It just makes the city safer."