NRA Made $348 million last year

[macville]

So here is the article: http://patriotoutdoornews.com/13465/nra-made-348-million-in-the-surge-year

 

Seems like we (I am a life member) have plenty of money to start a crap load of lawsuits to get laws back in line with the Constitution. We really need to focus many challenges at the state level because we are only going to get so far with the current Supreme court.

[EssOne]

Agreed.  If we now have over 30 states with Republican majorities in their legislatures and Republican governors to boot, that would seem to be a fertile field for the NRA to plow in.

[LagerHead]

Agreed.  If we now have over 30 states with Republican majorities in their legislatures and Republican governors to boot, that would seem to be a fertile field for the NRA to plow in.

 

You would think that. And then you would look at "conservative" states like Tennessee where we have the same thing and can't get a decent bill out of committee and would lose some of that optimism.

[Will]

Sounds like a lot,until Bloomberg drops fifty million at a time  to defeat NRA and other wealthy anti-gun people  doing the same. With 80 million gun owners in USA

and only 5 million NRA members  it is more of an uphill battle than it should be.Time to pass some of the blame to gun owners who sit by and do nothing. The

NRA can only do so much with their funding.

[Worriedman]

Agreed.  If we now have over 30 states with Republican majorities in their legislatures and Republican governors to boot, that would seem to be a fertile field for the NRA to plow in.

We have a supermajority in both houses of congress in TN to go along with the governor's mansion.  We passed far more restorative measures re Article 1 Section 26 when we had a Democrat for governor and a basic 50/50 split for the legislature .  The more one sided it gets, the less we get done in Tennessee.

NRA loves Lamar Alexander, the only Republican Senator to vote against the permit carrier to be allowed to keep their lawfully owned firearm in a Federal Park.

We shgould not back parties, bur rather principals, and individauls.

[macville]

We have a supermajority in both houses of congress in TN to go along with the governor's mansion.  We passed far more restorative measures re Article 1 Section 26 when we had a Democrat for governor and a basic 50/50 split for the legislature .  The more one sided it gets, the less we get done in Tennessee.

NRA loves Lamar Alexander, the only Republican Senator to vote against the permit carrier to be allowed to keep their lawfully owned firearm in a Federal Park.

We shgould not back parties, bur rather principals, and individauls.

 

This is the problem. I feel like the NRA has somewhat ignored TN now that we have a republican super majority. It's like they think they will automatically vote for restoring our gun rights. Yet, as we've seen from the past few years, and especially this year, that's simply not the case. The NRA needs to be breathing down the necks of our legislators since obviously they don't listen to us or read our constitution. I would love to see a one strike and you're out threat from the NRA. One bad vote and they will work hard against you. But having balls would help and GOA is far better about that then the NRA...and again I say this as a lifetime NRA member.

[Whisper]

I would love to see a one strike and you're out threat from the NRA. One bad vote and they will work hard against you,

Yep. That would be the Debra Maggart case. She turned toward the dark side, and the NRA abandoned her. Most excellent.

Part of the problem is that our Republican supermajority is mostly lukewarm on the Second Amendment. I think the next election may be a good time for the NRA to exert some influence in TN.

Cheers,
Whisper

Edited November 14, 2018 by Whisper

[Worriedman]

But having balls would help and GOA is far better about that then the NRA...and again I say this as a lifetime NRA member.

I get you macville, and I am a Benefactor member myself.

[Jonnin]

That really is not a lot of money nationally.

 

The NRA is killing itself though ... slowly.   The constant money grubbing scams (yes, scams!) have caused people like me to hang up on them rather than give anything.   The wording of the articles in their mags and the phone calls is a constant "give or lose your guns" -- its an *emergency* and a *crisis* and they gotta have your $200 (yep, the last time they called me, that asked for TWO HUNDRED BUCKS)  NOW or DOOM.  DOOM I SAY!   Its been the same story in terms of fighting gun control since at least 1960, its a daily battle and I get that.   But the last 5 years or so the NRA has been using more and more disreputable tactics to get funding.   I cant even remember the last time I felt they called me with an honest approach and made me feel like a few dollars would get something done.  Instead, their phone calls make me feel like I am talking to the guy that wants my IP address and password so he can remotely "FIX" my computer.

 

And they still have not apologized for the assault on the first amendment (wayne's blame video games foot in mouth screw up @ sandy hook). 

[A.J. Holst]

I support the NRA because it's cool to have a Lobbyist.

Make no mistake about it and being such it's about the money because what that $348 mill can do.

These guys are using our donations to gain access to elected servants to wine and dine them in order to HOPEFULLY influence what these clowns SHOULD be doing.

This is how we protect our rights and freedoms today just as others use their Lobbyists to stifle our rights and freedoms all the while trying to promote their agenda.

If the NRA spends a 1/4 each for operating expenses (salaries, etc) marketing/awareness (all media) and safety programs that would leave 87 mill in the budget for direct interactions with legislators and key staffers...very rudimentary math but that about $162,000 for each of the 535 congressional offices...

[btq96r]

Seems like we (I am a life member) have plenty of money to start a crap load of lawsuits to get laws back in line with the Constitution. We really need to focus many challenges at the state level because we are only going to get so far with the current Supreme court.

 

The Second Amendment Foundation does a good job at waging the court battle for firearms rights.  They provided the lead counsel in McDonald v. Chicago among others.  Here is a list of their current caseload. 

 

 

Sounds like a lot,until Bloomberg drops fifty million at a time  to defeat NRA and other wealthy anti-gun people  doing the same.

 

That $50 million Bloomberg spent was very poorly placed.  It bought a lot of advertising that was preaching to the choir.  Not money well spent.

 

 

Make no mistake about it and being such it's about the money because what that $348 mill can do.

These guys are using our donations to gain access to elected servants to wine and dine them in order to HOPEFULLY influence what these clowns SHOULD be doing.

If the NRA spends a 1/4 each for operating expenses (salaries, etc) marketing/awareness (all media) and safety programs that would leave 87 mill in the budget for direct interactions with legislators and key staffers...very rudimentary math but that about $162,000 for each of the 535 congressional offices...

 

Few things to address in the parts I put in bold italics.  Lobbying reform after the Abramoff scandal pretty much killed the ability for a lobbyist to engage in a dining and golf offensive to woo a congressman.  Besides, with the rules on campaign finance today, they'd much rather have the cold hard cash on their side.  Donations from PAC's to a candidates committee are at $5K per election cycle, but money from PAC to PAC is open season, and each serious candidate either has a PAC of their own, or one doing the heavy lifting on their behalf.

 

As to the spending of political funds...targeted effect needs to be the order of the day.  Forget those districts that are super safe ones for anti-gunners, and concentrate on members who represent a pro-gun area, and would not want the NRA funding an opponent either in the primary or the general election.  Next, look at who you want to put on notice.  Members of committees with oversight of the Justice Department, and the judiciary committees should be tier 1 targets, with party leadership being tier 2.  Don;t just spread the money around willy nilly to each district, use it to make a point and pick your battles.

[A.J. Holst]

I'm glad we have representation in DC and I assume the NRA is well managed.

What an awesome business model for the Lobbyist industry: get paid to peddle pull and influence to protect the 2A (or put forth / push back an agenda)

This leech of an industry which generates hundreds of millions per year in fees shouldn't exist and because of the state of politics. The NRA (and by default, us) are forced to participate in these questionable practices upon which our guv'mint operates. Edited March 31, 2015 by Gotthegoods

[A.J. Holst]

Think what the NRA could do with all the funds directed to lobbying efforts.

[sgjay]

That really is not a lot of money nationally.

 

The NRA is killing itself though ... slowly.   The constant money grubbing scams (yes, scams!) have caused people like me to hang up on them rather than give anything.   The wording of the articles in their mags and the phone calls is a constant "give or lose your guns" -- its an *emergency* and a *crisis* and they gotta have your $200 (yep, the last time they called me, that asked for TWO HUNDRED BUCKS)  NOW or DOOM.  DOOM I SAY!   Its been the same story in terms of fighting gun control since at least 1960, its a daily battle and I get that.   But the last 5 years or so the NRA has been using more and more disreputable tactics to get funding.   I cant even remember the last time I felt they called me with an honest approach and made me feel like a few dollars would get something done.  Instead, their phone calls make me feel like I am talking to the guy that wants my IP address and password so he can remotely "FIX" my computer.

 

And they still have not apologized for the assault on the first amendment (wayne's blame video games foot in mouth screw up @ sandy hook). 

 

I agree 100%   How many times have you heard that "Your membership dues are NOT enough..."