Monday, March 11, 2013

Raising Taxes on Guns and Ammo

 The Los Angeles Times

Efforts are underway in Congress and at least half a dozen states, including California, to raise taxes on firearms or ammunition to pay for programs targeting gun violence. 

In Congress, a group of Democrats, led by Rep. Linda T. Sanchez of Lakewood, is pushing for an additional 10% tax on handgun purchases that could generate tens of millions of dollars nationwide to fund gun buybacks, firearms safety campaigns and anti-violence programs.

Legislation that would impose taxes on guns or bullets has also been introduced in Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington state. In Sacramento, a bill by Democratic Assemblyman Roger Dickinson would impose a nickel tax on every bullet sold in California to pay for screening and treating young children for mental illness.

The proposals are designed after similar taxes placed by federal, state and local governments on cigarettes to fund anti-smoking campaigns and healthcare programs
Most former smokers and non smokers think that people who smoke are stupid or addicted. Maybe a similar change can be brought about with gun ownership.  Or do we already have that?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

3 comments:

  1. Moron mikeb said: "Most former smokers and non smokers think that people who smoke are stupid or addicted."

    That must mean that most former meat eaters and non-meat eaters think that people who eat meat are stupid and addicted to meat.

    Or how about, most former drivers and non drivers think people that drive are stupid and addicted to driving.

    Should I go on?

    orlin sellers

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  2. Smoking is not a Constitutionally enumerated and protected right. Owning a gun is not like smoking, since a person can own a gun and carry a gun without causing harm to any innocent person, while smoking cannot be done safely. This effort in Congress will fail--can you imagine the Republican-controlled House raising any kind of tax, much less one like this? As for California, just like Mississippi in the days of segregation, it will take a ruling from the Supreme Court to force that state to stop infringing on basic rights.

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  3. Guess folks will just have to start making more black market ammo to dodge these taxes--same as black market cigarettes and moonshine.

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