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Bullet tax clears Senate committee; opponents vow

Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
edited June 2002 in General Discussion
Bullet tax clears Senate committee; opponents vow floor fight






June 5, 2002 Posted: 04:45:10 PM PDT

By DON THOMPSON Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A first-in-the-nation proposal to tax each bullet sold in California cleared a Senate committee Wednesday.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved the measure, but it now faces uphill fights in the Revenue and Taxation and Constitutional Amendments committees.

The bill by Sen. Don Perata, D-Oakland, would put a five-cent tax on each bullet, with the money going to hospital emergency rooms.

If it reaches a Senate vote, Sen. Ray Haynes, R-Riverside, predicted Republicans will uniformly vote against the measure.

Perata predicted he will get the single GOP vote he needs to send the measure to the Assembly.

Because it is a proposed constitutional amendment, it must clear the Assembly and Senate with two-thirds majorities, one more than the number of Democratic senators and three more than the number of Democratic assembly members.

The bill is controversial because it not only levies a tax on firearms, but does so in an election year. If it is approved by both chambers, voters would decide the matter in November.

Gun groups say Perata would be better off punishing criminals who send victims to emergency rooms, rather than law-abiding citizens who buy bullets legally.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms suggested legislation requiring anyone convicted of shooting someone to pay their victim's medical costs before they are freed from prison. The California Rifle and Pistol Association proposed a 25 cents per bullet tax credit for gun owners "for the tremendous public benefit their firearms provide."

Perata said there are no statistics on how many bullets are sold each year in California, but he estimated that $21 million could be raised annually, based on an assumption that one gun averages 50 bullets a year. He acknowledged that's a fraction of the cost of treating gunshot victims.

http://www.modbee.com/state_wire/story/3128875p-4162510c.html



"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

Comments

  • alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    Whatever happens in Kalifornia spreads across the nation so stock up on your favorite fodder!

    Never ask why but only the value of.
  • Big Sky RedneckBig Sky Redneck Member Posts: 19,752 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a business proposition for anyone interested. There will be 5 stores located in Reno NV, Las Vegas NV, Kingman AZ and Yuma AZ and Medford OR. These will be bulk ammo stores specializing in selling bulk ammo to civilians with discounts to be given to California residents to help offset the cost of driving to the store. Depending on legality we will also do mail order into California.
  • beantolebeantole Member Posts: 1,086 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    California, land of the freaks. I'd move in a moment if I lived there.
    And don't give me this job crap, you can find work elsewhere.

    Bruce
  • Josey1Josey1 Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Is anyone really surprised that Kalifornia would pass this bill?

    "If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
  • rg666rg666 Member Posts: 395 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    What a bunch of A-HOLES!!! I can only hope it falls off into the pacific ocean of course after all the pro gunnners escape!!RG
  • Rafter-SRafter-S Member Posts: 2,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:California, land of the freaks. I'd move in a moment if I lived there.
    And don't give me this job crap, you can find work elsewhere.

    I would rather pick up beer cans along the side of the road in Texas than be an electrical engineer in California.
  • RembrandtRembrandt Member Posts: 4,486 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    These people never learn...when they raised taxes on cigarettes in one state...consumers simply went across state lines and bought elsewhere. When Indiana repealed a gas tax during higher fuel prices...folks from neighboring states drove over to fill up. The same thing will happen with this...just more politicians that don't understand human nature and the consummer.

    At a nickle per bullet...a brick of .22 would end up costing an extra $25....dumb!
  • Mr. LoboMr. Lobo Member Posts: 538 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Note to Calif. Bashers: Please Stay away. Do not visit or move to our state......There are enough idiots here already.

    Jim
  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mr. Lobo,
    Please dont take offense to the members here who have a bad opinion of CA residents. I myself have lived there, and I think CA is a great place as far as the land goes. The fact of the matter is, though, that the people of the state are, as a collective whole, incredibly stupid for electing the representatives of the state as they have. If they dont have a problem with what these reps. are doing, then they truly are stupid. That doesnt make it any different than any other state as far as the people are concerned though, after all, Clinton served 2 terms, and that doesnt say much for the country as a whole either. Its just a fact that CA has the most notable and strict controls on guns, and continues to lead the way in stupidity when new laws designed to, supposedly, be for the good of the people are passed. When the rest of the states catch up to the CA residents in stupidity, in their quest for laws that are passed for the good of the people, then our country will be at last completely ruined, I hope that never happens, but it does seem inevitable. I know there are folks in CA that are not happy with what is going on there, and they are the smart ones, but the rest, and thats the majority, deserve the criticism they receive from people here on the forums. No offense, as I stated before, to you Mr. Lobo, but the spread of this mentality CA has is what elicits such strong criticism from people outside of CA. I dont want to beat a dead horse, so I'll just leave it at that, and I hope I didnt offend you personally.

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
  • LowriderLowrider Member Posts: 6,587
    edited November -1
    Hey Lobo: I don't think you have to worry about anybody on this board moving to Kalifornia. Now, if I could just figure out how to keep the Kalifornians from moving to MY state.

    Lowrider; overrun in Washington by southern liberals.

    Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
  • Mr. LoboMr. Lobo Member Posts: 538 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hi Ryan, I did not take your statements personally and I respect you opinion. I sometimes get tired of people generalizing. It could be a racial generalization an age generalization or a state generalization. We are all different and to me it shows how "Stupid" the people are that do this. oh oh did I just generalize...stupid me. I like California and I am involved in several shooting activities here where I have met some great people that are just like the people on this board as far as their feeling about the second amendment. When people make these comments about "Kalifronia" they are alienating all Californian's good or bad. We need to all work together to fight the anti-gun folks who exist in every state. I appreciate your response. I guess that I was just feeling a little pissy this morning.

    Jim
  • imadorkimadork Member Posts: 147 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Perata is an acknowledged idiot for his other efforts, including his co-authoring of AB 2222, which would have outlawed ".50 caliber sniper weapons." I'm pretty worried about the tax passing, as they'll probably justify it by saying that it "only" adds $2.50 to a 50-pack of most handgun ammo that's hovering around $6-9 already. The only time the guy goes to the range is probably for his CCW renewal training, so maybe he uses only 50 rounds in a year...as for the recreational shooters who maybe throw 1500 or the big timers with 5000, we'll probably be cited as the small minority of "gun nuts--" in his eyes the group most deserving of a tax, the group that will contribute most to his projected $21M, and the group least likely to commit crimes! Too bad none of us will buy ammo in the state after that if we can help it.
  • n4thethrilln4thethrill Member Posts: 366 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    rg666 what man stop and think if CA fell in the ocean there would be millions of dead fish from the pollution-oh what the heck who needs fish anyway sink baby sink

    you can be king or street sweeper but everyone is going to dance with the reaper
  • daddodaddo Member Posts: 3,408
    edited November -1
    Once they gain the right to tax bullets, they have control over those bullets. The .05 cents tax will become .10 cents, will become .50 cents will become $2.00. Then when thats not enough, they will tax the box, powder, brass ect. right out of the market.
    Aren't bullets already taxed? I pay tax on them when I buy them. Wouldn't a new tax be "twiced taxed"?
    Why is it the law abiding are always flipping the bill for the criminals? This is socialism in action. Right?
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