Got an email from Lisa Knight this morning

[Camaro_nut2001]

Like the title says, lol. Sure enough, here is what she said: I have good news for you, your permit was issued this morning and you should receive your permit with ten (10) business days from our print farm.  Sometime if I’m in the area I would like to come by the TGO club just to visit with the good folks in East Tennessee.  Occasionally I work gun shows up that way if you attend the gun shows look for our booth and stop by, we give away free eye and ear protection along with chamber flags.  Thanks again for the kind words it’s people like you that make my job so enjoyable.  Have a great day!

 

I sent her the link to our awesome forum and told her she was spoke of very highly here. I'm pretty happy about such a quick turn-around and I may start shopping for a holster for my new SD40 and G29.

 

[JayC]

Why is TDOS wasting money on attending gun shows and giving away free swag?  Should we cut this wasteful spending and reduce permit prices instead?

[tnhawk]

Congrats on getting your permit!

[Omega]

Why is TDOS wasting money on attending gun shows and giving away free swag?  Should we cut this wasteful spending and reduce permit prices instead?

I would rather my permit money go to shooting safety programs, or safety awareness than squandered on some back country road to nowhere.

[monkeylizard]

Why is TDOS wasting money on attending gun shows and giving away free swag?  Should we cut this wasteful spending and reduce permit prices instead?

 

Because their mission is "To serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee." That includes promoting firearm safety. Having a presence at gun shows and passing out low-cost safety gear and pamphlets on safe-handling/shooting is in-line with that mission.

 

I would rather my permit money go to shooting safety programs, or safety awareness than squandered on some back country road to nowhere.

 

This x 1,000

Edited October 30, 2014 by monkeylizard

[Oh Shoot]

I met Lisa personally at gun show here maybe two years ago now. Haven't seen them have a presence at any since, but then I don't go but to about every 3rd one anymore.

 

Very personable in conversation -- the one thing I remember well was she said that no permit would be issued before all components of the background check came in, regardless of the 90 day mandate in statute.

 

- OS

[mikegideon]

I met Lisa personally at gun show here maybe two years ago now. Haven't seen them have a presence at any since, but then I don't go but to about every 3rd one anymore.

 

Very personable in conversation -- the one thing I remember well was she said that no permit would be issued before all components of the background check came in, regardless of the 90 day mandate in statute.

 

- OS

 

It's refreshing to see somebody like Lisa working for the state. She has helped a lot of folks over the years. 

[Glock30]

Why is TDOS wasting money on attending gun shows and giving away free swag?  Should we cut this wasteful spending and reduce permit prices instead?

 

In my non-researched opinion, if they cut the "wasteful spending", it wouldn't have a meaningful enough effect to reduce the cost of a permit. They could be giving away manufacturer's samples for all we know. 

 

Further, if we are truly the patron state of shooting stuff, isn't it better to promote safety and awareness? It's something that I think the state is doing here, as a reasonable extension of their bonafide mission. Also, I'd much rather the state make an appearance in this manner, as opposed to what some of our northeastern neighbors' agencies (read: New England and New Yawk) do... raid, agitate, and try to run off lawful, peaceful gun ownership. 

[Camaro_nut2001]

Congrats on getting your permit!

Thank you.

 

Because their mission is "To serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee." That includes promoting firearm safety. Having a presence at gun shows and passing out low-cost safety gear and pamphlets on safe-handling/shooting is in-line with that mission.

 

 

This x 1,000

I agree 100%. How can you promote anything related to firearms without showing or voicing yourself.

[Camaro_nut2001]

In my non-researched opinion, if they cut the "wasteful spending", it wouldn't have a meaningful enough effect to reduce the cost of a permit. They could be giving away manufacturer's samples for all we know. 

 

Further, if we are truly the patron state of shooting stuff, isn't it better to promote safety and awareness? It's something that I think the state is doing here, as a reasonable extension of their bonafide mission. Also, I'd much rather the state make an appearance in this manner, as opposed to what some of our northeastern neighbors' agencies (read: New England and New Yawk) do... raid, agitate, and try to run off lawful, peaceful gun ownership. 

Heck Yeah!!

[Oh Shoot]

In my non-researched opinion, if they cut the "wasteful spending", it wouldn't have a meaningful enough effect to reduce the cost of a permit. They could be giving away manufacturer's samples for all we know. 

 

Further, if we are truly the patron state of shooting stuff, isn't it better to promote safety and awareness? It's something that I think the state is doing here, as a reasonable extension of their bonafide mission. Also, I'd much rather the state make an appearance in this manner, as opposed to what some of our northeastern neighbors' agencies (read: New England and New Yawk) do... raid, agitate, and try to run off lawful, peaceful gun ownership. 

 

Yup, drop in the bucket money wise for the PR effort. Per diem food allowance for employee or two already on salary, a few branded knickknacks and literature, and a table rental.

 

Overall a plus to promote firearm carry/safey overall, even though the HCP process itself is unconstitutional. :)

 

- OS

[JayC]

I disagree, the current HCP background check system is currently one of the most wasteful departments in TDOS...  TICS is able to do the same basic background check at a cost of less than $10 per check, and they do a LOT more checks per hour per employee.  NICS has an even better track record and that is the federal government.

 

By law HCP fees are only supposed to go to running the HCP program and nothing else... so every penny we save in that program reduces the cost to law abiding citizens who are forced to pay for the privileged to gain access to a God given right.

 

I think if you want to start an organization to promote safety and awareness (btw there are a couple good one's already out there), I'll be happy to write a check and donate to the cause...  I completely disagree with spending tax dollars on such a program...  Because if I disagree with the message of your program, I can stop donating...  if I disagree with the government run program I don't have the option or removing my funding from it. (obviously without giving up my permit)

 

If we forced the HCP department to run as well as the the horribly managed TICS system, it would reduce the cost of permits from $105 down to around $50, and renewals down to $25-35.  I don't know about you, but that sounds like a good deal to me. 

 

In my non-researched opinion, if they cut the "wasteful spending", it wouldn't have a meaningful enough effect to reduce the cost of a permit. They could be giving away manufacturer's samples for all we know. 

 

Further, if we are truly the patron state of shooting stuff, isn't it better to promote safety and awareness? It's something that I think the state is doing here, as a reasonable extension of their bonafide mission. Also, I'd much rather the state make an appearance in this manner, as opposed to what some of our northeastern neighbors' agencies (read: New England and New Yawk) do... raid, agitate, and try to run off lawful, peaceful gun ownership. 

 

[JayC]

Just remember that salary employees in Government are treated differently than in the real world...  So if they're at a gun show on Saturday, they get comp time...

 

Which means for everyday they're at a gun show goofing off and waste tax dollars, there is another day during the week where they aren't doing they real job.

 

BTW, if they get more than 240/480 hours of comp time accrued they can get cash payments for the extra time.  So yeah the cost is probably much higher than you're describing.

 

Least anybody think I'm making this stuff up, here is the TDOS employee handbook:

 

http://www.tn.gov/dohr/employees/pdf/Employee_Handbook.pdf

 

Yup, drop in the bucket money wise for the PR effort. Per diem food allowance for employee or two already on salary, a few branded knickknacks and literature, and a table rental.

 

Overall a plus to promote firearm carry/safey overall, even though the HCP process itself is unconstitutional. :)

 

- OS

 

[Omega]

Again, I would rather have my money used in this manner than just wasted.  Though I too would rather have constitutional carry, I know that the US will most likely never go that way in its entirety so a CCW permit will be in my future for life.  As far as how employees are compensated, I don't see an issue with it; I would not do volunteer work for my employer, its my job, not my hobby.  If I were to run a booth for say, TGO, then yes volunteers are necessary.  But running a booth for your job should be on the clock in one way or another.

[300winmag]

It doesn't seem much different than police and fire departments doing DWI awareness with the crashed cars at schools or other community events.  I doubt the cost of a handgun carry permit will ever go down in this state.

 

We do need to work with these folks so that we can get more benefit out of the handgun carry permit, such as the whole city park mess that needs to be fixed.

[Oh Shoot]

Just remember that salary employees in Government are treated differently than in the real world...  So if they're at a gun show on Saturday, they get comp time...

 

Which means for everyday they're at a gun show goofing off and waste tax dollars, there is another day during the week where they aren't doing they real job.

 

BTW, if they get more than 240/480 hours of comp time accrued they can get cash payments for the extra time.  So yeah the cost is probably much higher than you're describing.

 

Least anybody think I'm making this stuff up, here is the TDOS employee handbook:

 

http://www.tn.gov/dohr/employees/pdf/Employee_Handbook.pdf

 

 

Ooo, you're such a nitpicker. Still all just a drop in the bucket. I've worked for the state too. Matter of fact, being eventually in highest non-exempt bracket in the state, I did so many extra hours there were years that my overtime pay was more than my base salary -- could never take comp time as option, because, well, there wasn't time and still get the various tasks done.

 

But these obviously rare little trips, if they still even do them, are still just small change in the scope of things (much less than just your Faithful Correspondent's overtime pay for example) and seem well worth the effort to me. You're just trying to eject some sort of hair-splitting strict efficiency to one small division of state government, and we all know there's no room for that sort of thing anywhere in that entire bureaucracy. :)

 

- OS

Edited October 31, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[JayC]

I think the best option would be to completely do away with the make work department and fire all of the leeches that work there...  but that's just me ;)

 

Ooo, you're such a nitpicker. Still all just a drop in the bucket. I've worked for the state too. Matter of fact, being eventually in highest non-exempt bracket in the state, I did so many extra hours there were years that my overtime pay was more than my base salary -- could never take comp time as option, because, well, there wasn't time and still get the various tasks done.

 

But these obviously rare little trips, if they still even do them, are still just small change in the scope of things (much less than just your Faithful Correspondent's overtime pay for example) and seem well worth the effort to me. You're just trying to eject some sort of hair-splitting strict efficiency to one small division of state government, and we all know there's no room for that sort of thing anywhere in that entire bureaucracy. :)

 

- OS