[Musket]

I did not see this posted anywhere, so hopefully I am not duplicating. It annoys me that the antis just won't give up--they can't outright ban guns now, but they are doing their best to think up new and creative ways to keep law abiding citizens from owning guns.

Any members in MA should forward this to all friends and family and make sure they complain loudly

Two alerts below from NSSF & NRA

***********************

From the NSSF:
Alert: Bill would increase fees for FFLs and CCWs
Massachusetts Governor Puts Law-abiding
Retailers in the Crosshairs

Your Action Needed

Governor Deval Patrick (D) is up to his usual tricks of harassing law-abiding citizens and federally licensed firearms retailers in Massachusetts . On Sunday, July 13, the governor filed a special budget appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008. The bill calls for increasing the licensing fee for Massachusetts firearms dealers – a move that could ultimately force many of the state’s retailers out of business. The proposed fee change would increase a three-year license from $100 to $450.

The governor is also proposing to increase license-to-carry fees on law-abiding citizens, both resident and non-resident. The license fee for residents will go from $100 for 6 years to $200, while the non-resident license will balloon to $250 a year from $100.

“Governor Patrick feels he can now try to supplement the budget deficit on the backs of small mom-and-pop businesses and law-abiding gun owners,” said NSSF Director of Government Relations Jake McGuigan. “Clearly, the goal of this administration is to further restrict the rights of its citizens and businesses through a hefty Second Amendment tax.”

NSSF is encouraging all Massachusetts sportsmen, hunters, firearms enthusiasts and retailers to contact their local representatives and senators and urge them to oppose Governor Deval Patrick’s appropriations bill. If you are from a neighboring state, call the governor's office at 617-725-4005 and express your concern about the license fee increase.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, has sent you this message. Legislative Action Aerts are made possible through the generous support NSSF receives from its members. To become a member of the NSSF, please visit http://www.membershipmeansbusiness.org.
**********************************************

FROM THE NRA:

Massachusetts: URGENT: Governor Patrick’s Anti-Gun Bill Heads to Committee!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Please Contact the Members of the Committee Today!

Yesterday, the Governor's appropriations bill was assigned a number H.4971 and was referred to the House Committee on Ways & Means. As reported earlier this week, sections 24-27 will drastically increase certain firearm license fees.

Sections 24 & 25 will increase state licensed firearm dealer's fees from $100 for three years to $250. In addition, licensed dealers will be charged an additional $100 inspection fee per year during each of the three years. This proposed bill would turn a $100 three-year dealer's license into a $450 three-year license.

Section 26 would increase a resident License to Carry fee from $100 for six years to $200 for six years and Section 27 would increase a non-resident License to Carry fee from $100 for one year to $250 for one year.

Please contact the members of the House Committee on Ways & Means TODAY and respectfully request that he or she oppose any attempt to increase firearm license fees in the Governor's Appropriations Bill. You can find contact information for the members of the committee by clicking here.

[Dillinger]

You know, that is just childish - Where do these people of power get their morals and sense of purpose from? Of course I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that they have ANY morals to begin with...

So, under this new bill, a small gun shop will have to come up with an additional $100 per year just to have a license to legally sell firearms. A resident will have to shell out an additional $100 for their CCW license and us Out of Staters that might visit have to shell out an extra $150.

This sounds more like a tax on the lower classes to me. Mass has long been a Have's and Have Not's state - I would assume that the upper crust is fine with shelling out another $100 for their chrome plated revolver that hasn't seen the light of day since they bought the damn thing, but we don't want any licensed working peeps to continue to have legal access to carry theirs...

This is just chickensh!t politics by my scope view. Me thinks it might be time for the good, law abiding folks of Mass to have a good old fashion fire sale on the elected seats under their vote....

JD

[BigO01]

This is just the kind of stupid law that after Heller will have to be chopped down one by one at the Federal level .

It's rather hard for a person to exercise his already established Individual Right to own a gun when you can' find a place that sells them or if you do the cost is prohibitive now isn't it ?

One can only hope that the NRA has been stashing away a sizable percentage of all the contributions it's been soliciting for decades now and is prepared to attack this garbage with all it's might now that we have found a weak spot in the enemies armor .

[Musket]

They can't outright ban guns anymore, so they figured they will pee all over mom & pop gunsellers to make it extra hard to do business. This is not just anti gun, it is anti business. Your state government is broke--why not make all the elected officials pitch in half of their salaries? After all THEY are the ones who created this mess in the first place....

Expect this and more as the antis look for new and improved ways to antagonize the law abiding gun owner.

oh, and is if this is not bad enough already, the MA permit process for carry is a major pain in the hiney....this was done intentionally, again to discourage people from owning guns. There have been some articles about how drastically the permit requests have dropped since the new process was instituted.

so--the remainder of people they could not scare away with onerous procedures, they will tax out of existance so they cannot afford a gun.

This really frosts my nuggies something awful.

Boston Harbor needs more Tea!!

[Musket]

PS--I did call Gov Patricks office and spoke with his head of staff (said staff person was prickly)

I was polite--but explained that I live on the MA line and if this passes, I will NEVER buy another MA product or service and I will encourage all my friends/family/neighbors to do the same. I explained that this was anti business as well as anti gun and they need to to victimize some other group besides law abiding gun owners.

Now I plan to put my thoughts to paper and follow up with a letter.

They might not care much about little old me....but I will make my thoughts known.

I would encourage others to write/email/call too--whether you are a resident or not. We as gun owners should not take this abuse. period.

Here is some contact info if you want to put in your two cents. Remember--if MA does this, don't think other states won't do it too.....

Addresses, Phones and Faxes:
Please include your phone number on any written correspondence to facilitate a prompt response from the Governor's Office.


Boston, MA Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor
Office of the Lt. Governor
Room 360
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617.725.4005
888.870.7770 (in state)
Fax: 617.727.9725
TTY: 617.727.3666 Springfield, MA

Western Massachusetts Office of the Governor
State Office Building
436 Dwight Street
Suite 300
Springfield, MA 01103

Phone: 413.784.1200

Washington, DC
Office of the Governor
444 N. Capitol Street, Suite 208
Washington, D.C. 20001

Phone: 202.624.7713
Fax: 202.624.7714

If you would like to send an email, they have a form you must complete on their website: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3utilities&sid=Agov3&U=Agov3_contact_us

[Dillinger]

Originally Posted by Musket

Boston Harbor needs more Tea!!

Or perhaps a few cut up "meat sources", wrapped in butcher paper and sunk to the depths Kuklinski Style....

JD

[ScottG]

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Or perhaps a few cut up "meat sources", wrapped in butcher paper and sunk to the depths Kuklinski Style....

JD

I think another appropriate way would be the old "horse's head in the bed" trick. But because we're discussing politicians, it should be a horse's @$$ instead....

[bkt]

When it becomes too onerous to sell a product in demand under the rules of law, people will sell that product illegally. Prohibition never works.

I'm just sayin'...

[Musket]

This is the one instance where gun owners can be robbed and not be able to defend themselves.

I hope everyone reading this at least zips off an email to Gov Patrick to let him know his plan stinks...........