Gun group (morans) wants extra tax on residents of violent neighborhoods

[jpak]

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120302/BLOGS02/120309953/gun-group-wants-extra-tax-on-residents-of-violent-neighborhoods

If trauma centers don't have enough money to treat victims of gun violence, residents of violent neighborhoods ought to pick up the tab via a tax surcharge.

So says the Illinois State Rifle Association in a proposal that — I'm really biting my tongue here — you really have to read to believe.

As I reported a week ago, the association doesn't at all like a proposal by state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, to impose a 2 percent statewide tax on ammunition. The money would go to subsidize trauma hospitals, and Ms. Cassidy said she introduced it after a constituent, a little girl, was shot while sitting on her own front porch.

In essence, the association says gang violence and the like is basically a Chicago phenomenon and good firearms owners all over the state ought not to have to pay for "gang bangers, drug lords and other indigent participants in urban violence."

<more>

Tax guns not gun victims

yup

[gejohnston]

1. how about taxing pipes and bongs?

drug users fuel and finance the violence more than target shooters and hunters.

[digonswine]

2. How about legalizing drugs-

removing the monetary incentive for committing violent drug-sales related acts?

[gejohnston]

3. that is even a better idea but

so far only the idea seems to be popular with libertarians and some progressives. We have to convince the vast middle to support politicians willing to do that.

[digonswine]

4. I think about half of the populace supports legalizing pot-

I'm not sure about the stats on other drugs.

[DanTex]

6. Gallup's last poll was 50-46 in favor:

[digonswine]

10. Thanks--

[BiggJawn]

18. Legalize regulate and tax all of it.

We don't wring our hands worrying about what to do with people who can't or won't moderate their alcohol use, why should drugs be any different? Intoxicated's intoxicated, I see no real difference if it's on Boone's Farm or cheap Mexican Meth.

But then Organized Crime will just move on to the next illegal thing that people like to do...

[madrchsod]

9. it is`t always about dope..

the latest shooting we had was about some punks who were thrown out of a party . they came back a shot up the front of the house. this happened right in the middle of northern illinois.

[montanto]

5. How about jobs for inner city youth? Then they can pay taxes

instead of shooting one another.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

33. woot

[shadowrider]

39. Let's look at this realistically

Yes, jobs are definitely needed, but there is no way a 16 year old, dealing drugs on a corner and pocketing 5-10k per night or more, tax FREE is going to give that up for an $8 per hour job on which he/she has to pay taxes. Ain't gonna happen.

Legalize pot and you'll see the dealing drop by a bunch, but it won't stop, especially if they provide a higher quality product.

Personally, I don't smoke pot or do any drugs. They make me sick. On top of that, my job says I am subject to a random pee test and I refuse to lose my job because I got stupid.

Of course, parents who are very concerned about keeping their kids on the straight and narrow may end up like this poor woman:

http://newsone.com/nation/crime/ruthlogan/joshua-smith-brutally-shoots-mom-as-she-lay-sleeping/

http://www.ksee24.com/news/local/14-Year-Old-Boy-Shoots-to-Death-Mother-As-She-Slept-140648423.html

Snip from second link:
. As for motive, Roberts told the paper the boy's mother earlier had refused to let him hang out with his friends.

[montanto]

44. 16 y.o. drug dealer is already a victim of poverty and lack

of opportunity. I'm not suggesting that jobs, per se, are panacea, but that the presence of legitimate opportunity would break the cycle of violence and despair over time. People, generally, want to be legitimate rather than illegitimate and provided legitimate opportunity will more often choose that than not. I've seen it in rehabed gangsters, hardened x-cons will go to work baking bread and turn away from the old behaviors once accepted and provided with opportunity. The 16 year old corner kid? Sure, who would turn away from that kind of cash once it starts to flow? You can only hope to help that kid after he gets out of jail and if he doesn't get killed.

[shadowrider]

45. And I agree with you, but it would take a lot of time.

[JohnnyRingo]

7. It must be an option to live in a bad neighborhood

...and this idiot wants to tax people for making that free choice.

I don't even think this article has so much to do with guns or the 2nd ammendment, it's really based on social ignorance.

[pipoman]

12. This is painfully simple

they are simply countering an absurd proposal by Chicago's 1% to tax their members for the very same 1%'s failures..

[madrchsod]

8. screw the racist bastards at the illinois state rifle association

gun violence happens all over the state. even out here in republican hell!


i`m sure there`s a lot of hospitals that would like to have a cut of that tax.

[krispos42]

20. Fundamental flaw in your reasoning there.

Most guns are owned and used by non-city residents. Non-city residents also have more opportunities to use firearms, as they live in places where they can shoot on their property or at a public or private range. Ergo, the amount of ammunition shot per capita in rural counties will be much higher than in urban counties.

In other words, the tax would be paid more by rural white people than urban minorities, and the money would flow from the country to the cities. Hardly the conventional definition of racism.

[Hoyt]

22. I'm not sure that is true, but even if it is -- guns are the problem. So if more are in rural areas

then they need to pay up for the problems they impose on society.

[Callisto32]

25. It must be awfully crowded inside your head.

[gejohnston]

26. the guns in the rural areas, or rural people are not the problem

the problem are city gangsters and the white upper middle class and rich fuckers in the city and suburbs that buy the dope that puts the guns in the gangsters' hands. They need to pay up for the problems they impose on society.

[Hoyt]

28. They'll pay too. All with guns should. Should be NRA tax too.

[gejohnston]

30. should there also be a

SAF, Liberal Gun Club, Boone & Crockett tax also?

[krispos42]

27. But the effect you speak of is primarily an urban problem affecting minorities...

...that is addressed in part by a tax paid for primarily by rural white residents, then it's hardly a case of rich white people oppressing poor black people.

Also, rural guns tend to be long guns, which do not lend themselves to criminal usage as readily as handguns.

[Hoyt]

29. It's everyone's problem. Give up guns, you don't pay then.

[krispos42]

31. So you admit your charge of racism was an unthinking reaction...

...to your preconception of gun owners?

[Hoyt]

32. No. I meant I've known a bunch of racist gun owners.

And who can forget the tbag bunch.

Guns aid bigotry.

[krispos42]

34. I'd wager you've also known a bunch of racist car owners

[Hoyt]

35. Yep, but they weren't ready to kill someone with their car.

One thing that is not uncommon is a confederate flag on front of car and NRA or S&WE on back.

[pipoman]

11. Handringing and panty soiling aside..

I don't believe most respondents understand the frustration of the 99% in IL who do not have serious crime problems, being taxed to death with all of the proceeds going to Chicago. This is a response to the completely absurd proposal to tax the state's sportsmen and women who have nothing to do with the crime problem in Chicago..how about taxing the 1% in Chicago to cover the cost of their local failures instead of once again raising taxes on the 99% who can least afford it. Crazy to see how quickly some DUers are willing to side with the 1% against the 99% on this issue..

[Hoyt]

13. I think you are too easy on this right wing group's proposal to tax inner city residents.

I understand the frustration, but the proposal to tax folks in the inner city (most of whom are just trying to live decent lives and/or survive) sounds like something hate jock Rush Limbaugh would support.

[gejohnston]

14. let me see,

they are "right wing" if they disagree with you one one issue, so I guess that means Dick Cheney is a progressive because he is for marriage equality?
Does it bother you that Brady lawyers use anti 1A and 14A SCOTUS rulings for their anti 2A purposes?

How is it racist?

[Hoyt]

15. No, they are right wing if they hate inner city poor people and love guns. I think that qualifies.

I think the former is most important in labeling them right wing -- but in my experience, guns and hatred of minorities often go together.

[gejohnston]

17. no I don't think they hate inner city poor people

just don't want to be scapegoated. In my experience in the south, there were just as many minority gun owners as there were white ones. Come to think of it, that was the case in Wyoming, Idaho, and New Mexico too.

[krispos42]

21. See reply #20 n/t

[Hoyt]

23. Why read it again. It was wrong then, and would be wrong in re-reading.

[pipoman]

36. This is a simple example

of turning the tables. Not every proposal by such groups are serious attempts to get legislation enacted, it can be used as a parody to show the stupidity of some other proposal such as in this case. Again, why are you so quick to side with the 1%ers who came up with the first loony idea?

[Hoyt]

37. Why are you so quick to cover for these right wing gun groups?

Last edited Sun Mar 4, 2012, 08:23 AM - Edit history (1)

[pipoman]

38. No covering, no need,

simply pointing out the obvious, OTOH the 1%ers trying to keep from being taxed to pay for this are proposing taxing the 99%, again,,

[PavePusher]

46. You have problems with the concept of 'satire', don't you? n/t

[petronius]

16. I'm seriously doubting that this 'proposal' was meant to be taken seriously

It looks like an obviously tongue-in-cheek, ridiculous suggestion intended to highlight the essential unfairness of the bullet-tax bill...

[DonP]

24. Of course it's sarcastic

Rahm has no intention of using any tax revenues "to fund hospitals" and if you actually believe that you are flat out stupid.

Just like they sold in the state lottery to "help fund our schools", but all that revenue went into the general fund too.

In the meantime Rahm refuses to meet with the teachers union, the fire fighters or the police unions leaders. Now tell me what a great Democrat Rahm fucking Emmanuel is again?

Any incremental tax money goes directly into the general revenue funds and is used for contracts to "friends", like the 17 million dollar contracts for wrought iron fences and flower planters in Chicago or the $41 million to rent trucks the city didn't need. Rahm's intention is to try and tax all the gun owners in the state, then claim that since the majority of the violence is in Chicago, he should get all or most of any extra revenue.

As for "Right Wing Racists", then most of them have a D after their name because the GOP holds very few seats in our legislature and only one state wide office. I posted an editorial by one Dem from last week saying this is all a scam by Rahm.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/117218515

As usual the OP doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. But then again, we shouldn't expect much from anyone that applauded Scott Walker on DU for banning guns in the Wisconsin statehouse.

[krispos42]

19. I figured you'd be for anything that makes owning and operaing a gun more expensive n/t

[slackmaster]

40. Idiocy is rampant on both extremes of the gun control v. gun rights issue

[Atypical Liberal]

42. How about we tax drugs instead?

Since this crime is almost always drug-related, why not legalize and tax drugs instead?

[SteveW]

43. some want an ammo tax, some want a neighborhood tax...

Sounds like a meaningless fart-cutting contest to me, Jpak.