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Ron Ramsey statement


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The permit system is supposed to be self funding, and not spent on anything else.  The key word is supposed to be.  In theory if you cut the funding completely only the make work jobs related to the HCP program would be cut.

 

We still need to press the issue of Constitutional carry but you're right about it having little chance of passing, but not impossible in the future. I still think the biggest barricade standing in the way of Constitutional carry would be the loss of revenue the permit system generates. Last I read there are about 480,000 active HCP's in the state and that was some time back, I bet it's close to 500,000 now if not a little more. Even if you don't count the $115 for the initial fee, 1/2 million paying $50 renewal fee to the state generates $25 million in revenue every 4 years. While that may not be much for a state government it's not chump change. I'm assuming the legislature can use that money for anything they want to, I haven't heard or read if permit revenue was specifically delegated to any one department. The number 1 motivator to most all politicians no matter what party they belong to is $$$MONEY$$$. Actually giving up a sweet source of revenue/money is probably one of the most offensive, horrible, evil thoughts a career politician can have.

 

 

EDIT:

Here you go.

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They are the problem... not Ramsey...


Completely disagree here. You are free to ask for special treatment for your government...everyone is. However, politicians that give it to them are definitely the problem. The fact is, our politicians are bought and paid for by special interests. The average citizen, i.e. the one whose rights politicians are hired to protect, just doesn't have the funds to carry a politician in his back pocket.

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The permit system is supposed to be self funding, and not spent on anything else.  The key word is supposed to be.  In theory if you cut the funding completely only the make work jobs related to the HCP program would be cut.

 

In actual costs, once the state has a program and database set up, it's hard to imagine that it would cost the state $50 to check on little ol me every 4 years. There has to be a surplus, they didn't have to hire too many extra employees, the state already had them at the DOT. 

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In actual costs, once the state has a program and database set up, it's hard to imagine that it would cost the state $50 to check on little ol me every 4 years. There has to be a surplus, they didn't have to hire too many extra employees, the state already had them at the DOT. 

 

Since they all work for agencies with plenty of other work to be done, I can't think of any state employee that wouldn't have a job if the HCP went away, and I'm even thinking about things like server maintenance and janitorial staff at all the facilities that have some piece of the process.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no special job just for carry permits and nothing else.

 

Renewals should be a buck and some change to cover the cost of the card and ink for the machine.  Everything else is padding the coffers.

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Since they all work for agencies with plenty of other work to be done, I can't think of any state employee that wouldn't have a job if the HCP went away, and I'm even thinking about things like server maintenance and janitorial staff at all the facilities that have some piece of the process.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no special job just for carry permits and nothing else.

 

Renewals should be a buck and some change to cover the cost of the card and ink for the machine.  Everything else is padding the coffers.

 

Unless the state is still using AOL dial up, I would "assume" that a criminal/mental health background check would be pretty quick to conduct also, or at least it should be. We are talking about the government, state and federal so that isn't a guarantee but they "should" be able to type, Joe Shmoe Anytown USA, criminal, mental health, record into the state/federal database and get an answer within a minute. Joe Shmoe (No records found), Okay he's clean, renew his permit. I don't have a problem with registering REAL criminals with felonies or people with a history of running down the interstate naked flapping their arms holding two big peacock feathers claiming they are the Bird Of Paradise. Besides, that was over 10 years ago.     :hyper:

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Some of that money goes to the local sheriff to fill out a form...  forget the exact amount but $15-25...

 

Plus they waste a lot of HCP money.  They print up a lot of materiel and give it away at gun shows, there is a ton of travel expenses related to them going to gun shows...  they have educational outreach about the permit program...  They get very creative in how to waste the money.

 

Also, they're supposed to be running a 60-80 day backlog on permits...  what is the current turn around time?  14-21 days?  Trust me there is a LOT of fat that can be cut.

 

I remember having lunch with John Harris years ago, and him commenting on how they got caught the last time the TFA reviewed their books spending a bunch of money on employee salaries unrelated to the HCP program and had to go back and redo a bunch of stuff. 

 

My guess is if somebody took them time to go down and ask for the budget, you'd be shocked just how easy they waste that $50 per person.

 

In actual costs, once the state has a program and database set up, it's hard to imagine that it would cost the state $50 to check on little ol me every 4 years. There has to be a surplus, they didn't have to hire too many extra employees, the state already had them at the DOT. 

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Talking about the government and spending many people have missed out on understanding the privatization of so many things in our state. For example it would probably be 1,000 or less for the equip and and nice salary for some one to print them for everyone in the state. But some company paid the politicians to not do that and pay a company so much per license to print them. The politicians get the money from the company and he company makes big profit off the investment. The end result is it cost us more money out of our pocket and puts more money in a private company and elected officials. While I agree government is not the answer for everything the first thing I wish more people would get on board of getting rid of both establishment and start fixing issues. But that will never happen. Neither side of the isle is without fault but greed is the real root of the evil.
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