Judge upholds Seattle 'gun violence tax' despite challenge from gun rights groups

[The Legion]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/23/judge-upholds-seattle-gun-violence-tax-despite-challenge-from-gun-rights-groups.html?intcmp=hpbt3

 

 

Published December 23, 2015

Associated Press

SEATTLE –  A judge upheld Seattle's so-called gun violence tax Tuesday, rejecting a challenge from the National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups.

King County Superior Court Judge Palmer Robinson dismissed arguments that Seattle's tax, adopted last summer, exceeded the city's authority under state law.

The measure — one of only a couple of its kind in the nation — adds $25 to the price of each firearm sold in the city, plus 2 or 5 cents per round of ammunition, depending on the type. Officials expect it to raise up to $500,000 a year to help offset the costs of gun violence. The measure is set to take effect next month.

"The NRA and its allies always oppose these commonsense steps to shine light on the gun violence epidemic," said City Council President Tim Burgess, who sponsored the law. "Judge Robinson saw through the NRA's distorted efforts to put gun industry profits ahead of public safety."

The NRA did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment, but another plaintiff, the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, promised an immediate appeal. The groups have argued state law puts responsibility for regulating firearms solely in the hands of the Legislature, not local governments.

"It is unconscionable for Mayor Ed Murray and the City Council to codify what amounts to social bigotry against firearms retailers and their customers," Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb said in a written statement.

But the judge found the measure falls within the city's taxing authority and is not an impermissible regulation.

The City Council modeled the tax after a similar one in Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago; the NRA has said Chicago is the only other city with such a measure. The revenue would be used for gun safety research and gun violence prevention programs.

Between 2006 and 2010, there were on average 131 firearms deaths a year in King County, according to Public Health-Seattle and King County. An additional 536 people required hospitalization for shooting injuries during that time.

Officials say the direct medical costs of treating 253 gunshot victims at Harborview Medical Center in 2014 totaled more than $17 million. Taxpayers paid more than $12 million of that. City officials estimate the new tax would bring in $300,000 to $500,000 a year, but gun shop owners told council members those numbers were inflated. They said the law would cost them customers and sales and could force them to move out of the city.

"Guns now kill more people in the United States than automobiles," Seattle's mayor said. "Our community will not stand by as so many in our city, particularly young people of color, continue to pay the highest price for inaction on gun violence at the national and state level."

[hipower]

"Guns now kill more people in the United States than automobiles," Seattle's mayor said.

I may be wrong here, but I would question that statement. I'm going to see what I can find on this.

[kckndrgn]

"Guns now kill more people in the United States than automobiles," Seattle's mayor said.

I may be wrong here, but I would question that statement. I'm going to see what I can find on this.

 

Agreed, and Doctors/Hospitals kill more people than gun violence, so perhaps Dr.s should be taxed more?

[krunchnik]

Where are the voters when it comes to these unfair taxes-oh wait-thats right look who these voters put into offices across the nation.

[hipower]

"Guns now kill more people in the United States than automobiles," Seattle's mayor said.

I may be wrong here, but I would question that statement. I'm going to see what I can find on this.

 
 

Agreed, and Doctors/Hospitals kill more people than gun violence, so perhaps Dr.s should be taxed more?

Well, after a quick, internet check, the statement may be correct. I am a little surprised I guess.

According to the latest compiled Wikipedia figures from 2013, there were 32,719 automobile related deaths in the US.

The first quick figure I found was from drugwarsfacts.org, and it posted for the same year of 2013, a total of 33,636 deaths from firearms violence. But this was not broken down into causes nor catagories. So that may be questionable.

In any event, the statement would appear to be correct on the face of it.

[Chucktshoes]

Well, after a quick, internet check, the statement may be correct. I am a little surprised I guess.

According to the latest compiled Wikipedia figures from 2013, there were 32,719 automobile related deaths in the US.

The first quick figure I found was from drugwarsfacts.org, and it posted for the same year of 2013, a total of 33,636 deaths from firearms violence. But this was not broken down into causes nor catagories. So that may be questionable.

In any event, the statement would appear to be correct on the face of it.

The statement is correct, but what isn't being said is that it is only correct because cars have finally become as safe as guns. That is the first year ever that gun deaths have not been less than car related deaths.

[TMF]

Well, after a quick, internet check, the statement may be correct. I am a little surprised I guess.

According to the latest compiled Wikipedia figures from 2013, there were 32,719 automobile related deaths in the US.

The first quick figure I found was from drugwarsfacts.org, and it posted for the same year of 2013, a total of 33,636 deaths from firearms violence. But this was not broken down into causes nor catagories. So that may be questionable.

In any event, the statement would appear to be correct on the face of it.

And nearly 2/3 of those gun deaths are suicides, and the remaining third include criminal deaths from other criminals, criminal deaths from justified police shoots, and criminal deaths from self defense shoots. So that number may be large, but the number of innocents killed is very low.

[JohnC]

FBI Homicide statistics show a more realistic picture. 

 

https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2014/crime-in-the-u.s.-2014/tables/expanded-homicide-data/expanded_homicide_data_table_8_murder_victims_by_weapon_2010-2014.xls

[JohnC]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Garufa]

Interesting stats from the FBI.  The CDC lumps murder in with "gun related homicides" which include justifiable shootings if I'm not mistaken.  Their total is just over 11,000....maybe 11,200 for 2012 or 13.  I'm not going to go look it up right now.

 

By that one can infer that there are roughly 3.000 justifiable "homicides" per year.

[hipower]

Yes, the FBI stats are more in line with what we would place in the area of gun homicides. Not a tremendous number of difference in total, but the numbers do place a bit of a shadow on the mayor's statement.

[MP5_Rizzo]

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/23/judge-upholds-seattle-gun-violence-tax-despite-challenge-from-gun-rights-groups.html?intcmp=hpbt3

 

 

Published December 23, 2015

.......................Officials say the direct medical costs of treating 253 gunshot victims at Harborview Medical Center in 2014 totaled more than $17 million. Taxpayers paid more than $12 million of that. City officials estimate the new tax would bring in $300,000 to $500,000 a year, but gun shop owners told council members those numbers were inflated. They said the law would cost them customers and sales and could force them to move out of the city.   "Guns now kill more people in the United States than automobiles," Seattle's mayor said. "Our community will not stand by as so many in our city, particularly young people of color, continue to pay the highest price for inaction on gun violence at the national and state level."

 

Taxpayers paid $12 Million, how did they calculate this figure?

 

"They said the law would cost them customers and sales and could force them to move out of the city."

 

Bottom line is that this is what they really want.  Chip, chip, chip one small piece at a time.

[ehull20000]

Just means people will buy guns and ammo outside the city. Too bad for the in city businessman.

[Jonnin]

"Guns now kill more people in the United States than automobiles," Seattle's mayor said.

I may be wrong here, but I would question that statement. I'm going to see what I can find on this.

 

It is a flat out lie,  and only possible by doctoring the data to filter it in a way that makes it true (difficult, but possible, for example they can include deaths in war/combat).

 

The current trend is to classify all gunshots as "violence" including

- self defense

- police work

- suicides

-accidents

 

while at the same time

- suicide by car (sucking the exhaust for example)  is not classified as an automobile death

-having a car fall on you when servicing it is not an automobile death

- etc

 

so they tamper with the data to get the answer they want.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Jonnin

[hipower]

It is a flat out lie,  and only possible by doctoring the data to filter it in a way that makes it true (difficult, but possible, for example they can include deaths in war/combat).
 
The current trend is to classify all gunshots as "violence" including
- self defense
- police work
- suicides
-accidents
 
while at the same time
- suicide by car (sucking the exhaust for example)  is not classified as an automobile death
-having a car fall on you when servicing it is not an automobile death
- etc
 
so they tamper with the data to get the answer they want.

Yes, a good computer guy, not me, can really make things look bad. And the Govmt sure has some fine ones to make it all seem kosher for them and not the people like us.

[Grand Torino]

I wonder how much tax money they are actually collecting from the dirtbags actually committing the crimes?

[leroy]

Folks...

Ya need to remember that Seattle is San Francisco north... Ya have all these hippie idiots that have migrated to the pacific northwest and wrested control of Seattle from the indigenous natives...They are plague on the state... Seattle is no different from Kalefornia and New York when it comes to these things...

 

leroy