Gun Control & RKBA
Related: About this forumCook County mulling violence tax on guns and ammunition
Yep... punishing the law abiding gun owners, for the actions of the gang-banging garbage polluting Chicagos streets, is the right thing to do.
Such a tax alone wouldnt close a $115 million budget gap in 2013, but it could at least funnel money into the countys $3 billion operation where roughly two-thirds of the budget pays for both the countys public health clinics and two hospitals along with the criminal justice system that includes the courts and jail.
If we were to pursue a tax on something like guns and ammo, clearly that wouldnt be popular with the [gun lobby] out there, and it may not generate $50 million, but ... it is consistent with our commitment to pursuing violence reduction in the city and in the county, Kurt Summers, Preckwinkles chief of staff, said on Monday.
The idea is to curb the number of guns in circulation, he said, citing a report issued last summer showing that nearly one-third of the guns recovered on Chicagos streets were purchased in suburban gun shops. Other statistics are more dire: Murders in Chicago are up 25 percent this year, according to recent police statistics, and the county jail is filling up with 9,000-plus inmates, nearing the 10,155 capacity.
Along with the tragic human toll, gun violence takes a toll on government coffers.
It impacts law enforcement, both at the city and the county [levels]. It impacts the courtrooms, the public defender and states attorney that are in there, the judges that are in there, the clerk of the court that has to sit there, the sheriffs deputies that are in that courtroom and it impacts the jail the folks that are sitting there at $143 a day, he said, referring to the daily cost of keeping an inmate behind bars.
http://www.suntimes.com/15644719-761/cook-county-mulling-violence-tax-on-guns-and-ammunition.html
Ohhh.... and spare me the predictable Chris Rock routine (you know the one).
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)Remmah2
(3,291 posts)nt
petronius
(26,602 posts)with an enumerated civil liberty, I have to guess that that makes pro-Constitution lawyers grin a bit wolfishly...
Clames
(2,038 posts)They'll have the luxury to cut the SAF another 6-figure check for being idiots.
Glaug-Eldare
(1,089 posts)I mentioned that to my own rep when gun bills came up in the GA:
"Our state has enough budget problems without contributing millions of dollars to Alan Gura and the Second Amendment Foundation."
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)DonP
(6,185 posts)You know where this is going, right?
Cook County will pass it and make speeches about how vigorously they are fighting crime, making themselves feel all warm and fuzzy, the NRA, SAF and ISRA will take them to court and Voila!
Cook County, following in the steps of San Francisco, DC and the City of Chicago among others, will be sending a nice 6 figure check or two to them to offset their legal bills, plus any punitive the judge thinks is appropriate. If you recall the Appellate court already slapped them around for trying to game the system on the McDonald Case and told them literally "Stop trying to be too cute by half and abide by the decision."
But who cares, it's just taxpayer money they spend on lawyers, right?
One County higher up already said to a newspaper this AM that this is really designed to put a damper on gun and ammunition sales and they don't really expect any impact on street crime. Yeah, that's smart, keep pointing out that what you are really trying to do is consciously violate a SCOTUS ruling you lost.
(FYI speaking of McDonald Otis McDonald has been in the hospital with cardiac issues for a few days but is expected to be released this week sometime with a pacemaker IIRC)
discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,479 posts)...anti-gun, they certainly are good at shooting themselves in the foot.
DonP
(6,185 posts)Then they shoot the other foot even before they have staunched the bleeding on the 1st foot.
When it inevitably happens we'll get the usual number of control "fans", telling us how evil the NRA is for "taking school lunch money" "Cop/firefighter salaries et. al" from an already stretched County budget.
discntnt_irny_srcsm
(18,479 posts)...You can't argue with a sick mind.
4th law of robotics
(6,801 posts)in surrounding counties.
DonP
(6,185 posts)Along with another $1 on ever pack of cigarettes, $800 for every slot machine (there are none in Cook County) and $25 per gun and $1 for every cartridge, whether it's a brick of .22 LR or a .50 BMG.
The ISRA and SAF are already setting up the lawsuit if it passes, relying on the precedent of the Minneapolis Star Tribune v. Minnesota Commissioner of Revenue where SCOTUS said you can not tax an enumerated right, like voting, freedom of speech etc. The last time I looked the 2nd was still there.
On behalf of the SAF and ISRA, I'd like to thank the idiots that run Cook County for the massive contribution they are about to make to the legal fund. Wonder what they are going to tell the union people they have to lay off?
petronius
(26,602 posts)I don't know if that Act has ever been tested, but one question will be how a tax on firearms and ammunition for wildlife preservation can be OK, while a tax on the same items for health services is not.
I suppose the clear intent to infringe would be one distinction, but I'll be pretty pissed if this posturing gun-grabber stunt ends up causing a loss of funding for conservation...
gejohnston
(17,502 posts)ten percent per unit is different than a buck per round. I don't picture any ammo sales in Cook County if it passes.
Glaug-Eldare
(1,089 posts)who proposed a $1 per bullet tax on all ammunition sold in Baltimore City. I suspect Otis is not aware that there is a grand total of zero gun shops in Baltimore City.
spin
(17,493 posts)He was probably just trying to garner votes in a gun unfriendly city. Mayors in such cities love to pass "feel good" laws and hate to spend the necessary money to combat the crime problem. It makes the voters feel that their elected officials are trying.
DonP
(6,185 posts)Yeah, I'd say that's a barrier to exercising your 2nd amendment rights.
There are only 5 or 6 gun shops in suburban Cook County now, but this will rive them all out of the County and that's just plain wrong.
These assholes need to be spanked again and again, until they either actually obey the SCOTUS decision or until they close enough firehouses, schools and police stations to pay their legal bills that the voters throw their ass out of office.