August 31, 2004
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor,
I am a former long time California resident, thirty voting and taxpaying years to be exact. I left California last year to become an Idaho resident. I figure I am taking with me about $6,000 to $10,000 in taxes to be spent somewhere besides California. I made this decision because my primary hobby, shooting, is being legislated into oblivion by the California legislature.
In the past fifteen years Sacramento has banned rifles and shotguns because they look “evilâ€, but are functionally the same as “good†rifles and shotguns. I defy you or anyone else to explain why an AR-15 or AK 47 series rifle is more dangerous than a M1A or a Mini-14.
Sacramento has also decided to get involved in the handgun safety business, mandating expensive safety testing for every model of handgun, even if the only difference between one model handgun being tested and another like model is barrel length. Again, I defy you to explain why barrel length makes a difference in handgun functioning and safety. The result of this law is many safe and high quality previously owned handguns cannot be taken in trade by dealers and resold. Again, this means the State Board of Equalization collects fewer sales taxes.
Governor, you have four more gun bills on your desk for your consideration when you return from the Republican National Convention: AB50, SB1152, SB1140, SB1733. These are petty bills, which will have little effect in reducing crime, enhancing safety, etc. However, three of them will probably have the unintended effect of reducing tax revenues.
AB50 bans .50 caliber rifles. Why? I suspect because the “girly-men†in the legislature fear one will assassinate them. The .50 caliber rifles that will be banned weigh close to 30 pounds, are not very concealable, and fire ammunition that costs $2-4 a round. These are hardly the weapons of choice of criminals and gangs. What will happen is another source of tax revenue will be denied. These rifles cost anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 or more. Your aides can figure the sales tax.
SB1152 will institute ammunition sales registration. Said registration was tried before and found to be a worthless crime fighting measure. President Reagan signed the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986, which did away with ammunition sales registration. Again, chartering SB1152 may mean many small retail outlets that sell ammunition may decide it just isn’t worth the bother and will quit selling ammunition. Again, loss in sales tax revenue.
SB1733 will ban gun shows at the Cow Palace. Will this prevent crime? I doubt it. Will it result in reduced tax revenues? I think so.
Finally, if your aides haven’t brought it to your attention, if AB50 is chartered Ronnie Barrett, CEO of Barrett Firearms, has promised he will no longer sell his rifles to law enforcement agencies in California. Plus, he will not support and maintain the rifles already sold to law enforcement agencies in California. Can you imagine what will happen if this catches on with other firearms manufacturers? The state bans a certain make or model and that manufacturer cuts off sales to California agencies. Soon your Highway Patrol will be reduced to patrolling the highways and protecting state property with slingshots.
Please Governor, examine the crime fighting and safety utility of these bills and realize they are minimal and have no value in California. Veto all of them.
Bruce Stanton
P.O. Box 2246
Hayden, ID 83835-2246