As every good Boy Scout knows, it’s good to be prepared. Know thy enemy. As such, it’s always good to remember the viewpoint(s) from which the government (all of them, federal, state and local) operates. Its world view. How it looks at things. One of its main precepts is, no matter how big the deficit or how close we get to the fiscal precipice, the problem isn’t too much spending, it’s not enough revenue. That’s right, America, you’re just not paying enough taxes. What’s the latest brainstorm from the Administration for raising more tax dollars? It’s called the vehicle miles traveled tax (VMT) and it’s a scheme for taxing drivers based on the miles they drive. Yes, this has something to do with guns . . . .
You may not know it, but you’re already paying 10 percent on handguns and 11 percent on ammo to your favorite Uncle Sammy. Just like we’re already paying taxes on gas. Now I’m not saying Uncle Sam’s going to propose putting a tracking device on every heater in the land. Not that they wouldn’t love to. But given the fiscal state of affairs, lots of constituencies are going to have to bite the bullet. So to speak.
Well except for the unions, obviously. And environmentalists and companies that make stuff that the environmentalists love, even though they’re not profitable without Uncle Sam’s help (i.e. your tax money). But companies that “hurt” the environment? Easy pickens.
OK, gun owners aren’t that easy, given that the NRA’s stalking the halls of power. But they have a soft underside: lead. Lead poisoning. Lead poisoning from billions of bullets just . . . left there. In the wild. Working its way up the food chain. It’s a deadly problem. Allegedly.
We’ve already seen environmentalists attempt to ban lead ammo outright. The NRA et al. beat that one back. But what the Obama administration can’t achieve through legislation, it attacks by regulation (e.g. their ongoing attempts to create a long gun registry by executive fiat for 6,500 southern gun dealers). So . . . what about a lead ammo tax?
During the lead ammo battle, defenders of the ban claimed that a lead ammo prohibition wouldn’t effect federal tax revenues, earmarked for conservation. As the feds seek to twist the screws on taxpayers, rather than cut themselves down to size, they’re going to figure out that they could simply ADD tax to lead ammo to save the bald eagle.
Of course, they could always tear down the ring fence preventing some of the money from being used for “deficit reduction.” Who could be against that?
Does the Executive branch have the power to levy taxes? I think that’s still one of the powers of Congress that has not been grabbed by the Executive branch.
However, one power they have grabbed (albeit, unconstitutionally) is that of regulation. They’ll put the regulatory lead screws to ammo suppliers and range operators and, by extension, gun owners. I don’t see so much of a revenue stream as much as plain ‘ol tyranny and oppression.
This is why I ordered bulk from AmmoToGo. They also warned me of price increases coming, they offer per 500 rd deals, Speer 9mm+P+ readily available,specials all the time and are fast. My shipment was a 4 box, 5000 rd mix. My UPS delivery guy hates me, I think.
I just wish they would offer flashbangs again!
“The power to tax involves the power to destroy”
Marshall, McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Here we go again, after Obama was elected, all we heard was he was going to raise taxes on ammo by 500%. Never happened! But what did happen was, every conspiracy theorist, and Obama hater started buying up ammo in lots of 5,000 to 10,000, which in turn created a shortage, which in turn made ammo manufactures and retailers raise the price of ammo. So the 100 round box of 9MM Winchester ammo that I was paying $18.95 a box for, with an 8% tax of $1.52, now was going for $27.95 with an 8% tax of $2.24, a difference of $9.72 more in cost. If he (Obama) had increased the sales tax on ammo by 500%, that same box at $18.95 plus $7.60 in taxes would be $26.55, still $3.64 cheaper.
Folks I’m with you when any politician goes after our rights, but I won’t be lead around by groups or individuals with an agenda to push, or an unproven conspiracy. And yes I appreciate those that keep the (factual) information updated, but when it makes people do irrational things, because of fear of the unknown, which in turn effects us all, I won’t follow as a lemming.
I believe that before President Obama took office, he had an anti-gun mindset, but as most politicians, okay all politicians he/she wants to get reelected, and unless they are in a 100% democratic or republican district like Feinstein of California, they will not do anything to jeopardize that goal, and I believe Obama is no different. He learned from Clinton with the AWB and the elections of 1994, and will not harm the democrat’s chances in 2012 or 2016 with any more gun control. And if he does, I’ll be right there fighting him or any anti-gun politician whether they be dem or rep, because you see I don’t think either side is with us, I mean really, what did the GOP do for us with the presidency, congress and the courts for six (6) years?
Taurus 609, I think you’re on the mark. I hate to say it but I believe once Obama IS elected, and I think he will be, he won’t have anything left to lose politically, and he will become so draconian with ALL our rights, that he and his cronies will make Mussolini look like a pushover. We’ll see!!!
Legion7, I believe he will be reelected, and with what the GOP has to offer, it might be a land slide. But as I said earlier, he won’t jeopardize his reelection or those in his party. It was political suicide in 1994, and would be even more so now, and I think that is why he has done nothing to curtail our rights. I mean if you look at his opportunities since 2008, a democratic controlled congress, and the Gabby Giffords shooting, he should have been able to get just about any gun control legislation passed, but quite the contrary, because of recent past history and many blue dog democrats, our rights expanded, plus he was told in a letter from many democrats, to not bring back the AWB.
What I see from many right leaning websites, the NRA, and the republicans, is the chicken little syndrome, where eventually people will stop listening, and then when the real scenarios happen, no one will pay attention, and it will be too late!
Think about it, how many times have have you gotten emails or seen articles from websites like this one, where they have scared everyone in to contacting their congresscritters (and yeah I like that one), about HR 45, SB2099, and the ammo accountability act, not to mention Carolyn McCarthy’s dead on arrival magazine capacity bill. All of these died a very quick and justifiable death, but they pop back up and then everyone fires off an email to their reps, and guess what the staffers and politicians think of us, Crazy Gun Nuts! We do ourselves no justice when we run around yelling the sky is falling, the sky is falling!
I wish that those that write these articles, or at least monitor them, would give us up to date information (as in the date of the preposed legislation), and throw out those that are old rehashed scare tactics.
“their ongoing attempts to create a long gun registry by executive fiat for 6500 southern gun dealers”
While I admit that I haven’t read the latest incarnation of this registration push, I did read the first one and there were no geographical, or time restraints that every one including those that oppose it keep telling us was in it. Which means that every gun dealer in the country would be required to record all data from nearly every sale of long guns, except those with tubular magazines. Anyone with multiple children that buys them each their own Ruger 1022, would be included in this scheme. So it is not the narrowly crafted executive order that even those on our side seem to think it is, but yet another broad overreach by this administration.
They are coming for your freedoms and are using the Constitution as they would use toilet paper. This includes long arms, for those of you who believe your gun is safe.
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