Gun-rights groups decry proposed surtax on Illinois ammo sales

An Illinois lawmaker wants gun owners to shell out extra taxes in order to finance a new grant program for trauma centers, a move firearms advocacy groups say amounts to a "sin tax" on law-abiding hunters and target shooters.

State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, in a bill introduced earlier this month, proposed a 2 percent surtax on ammunition. The proceeds would go toward a "high-crime trauma center grant fund," which would then send the tax money to trauma centers in "high-crime areas."

The idea is to begin to offset the high cost of gun violence. Mark Walsh, campaign director for the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, told FoxNews.com that cost often ends up being shouldered by these urban trauma centers.

"(The money would go) into communities here in Illinois that have been damaged with gun violence," he said. "I think it's a legitimate way to pursue funding."

But Richard Pearson, director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said the bill effectively saddles gun owners -- hunters, target shooters and those who own firearms for self defense -- as a whole with the cost of gang violence in high-crime areas like Chicago.

"We aren't causing the problem. They are," Pearson said. "It's an attack on firearm owners and their rights. ... They think that because we like to target shoot and hunt, we're bad people, and we should pay for all the ills of the city of Chicago."

Since gun owners in Illinois have to have a special ID card which requires a background check to obtain, Pearson said those committing crimes of gun violence aren't likely to be paying much into the proposed tax fund.

"They're not buying their ammunition (legally). They're not paying any part of the tax. They're getting their stuff illegally," he said.

He estimated a typical box of ammo runs for about $25 in Illinois, meaning the average tax per box would be about 50 cents.

Cassidy, a Democrat who represents a district in the North Side of Chicago, did not return a request for comment.

Her proposal would exempt ammunition purchases by the state's Department of Natural Resources.

All the surtax proceeds from other ammo sales would go toward the grant fund.

The National Rifle Association is also opposed to the bill. Spokeswoman Stephanie Samford said "law-abiding citizens should not be saddled with a tax on ammunition to pay for the acts of violent criminals."

"This sends a message that responsible gun owners are somehow responsible for violent crime, which is certainly not true," she said.

Considering the person who introduced this bill, Kelly Cassidy it doesn't surprise me. She is one of the most outspoken people for gun control and considering she represents Chicago's north side should tell you something. She also introduced a bill to ban texting while riding a bicycle!!!

These people fail to see that law abiding citizens who owns guns are NOT the problem. It's these stupid idiots that target the law abiding people because they don't know how to solve the problem with guns getting into the hands of gangs, etc.

Edited to cut out her personal preferences.

Her stand on gay rights doesn't really matter. There are plenty of heterosexual people who are frighted by guns of any description.

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.”
― Groucho Marx

Criminals are the problem but the "Rambo's" in the legal gun owner's community don't help with some of the reactionary and even borderline threats they make. The most effective means to counter the anti-gun crowd is to may them look like the hysterical, misinformed and self righteous bigots that they are in reality. The NRA and the NFA in Canada know that politicians don't want to hitch their wagon to a cause that opens them up to public ridicule. If I owned a gun in Illinois I would write to every newspaper etc. and point out that since criminals don't buy ammo legally it's the farmers, hunters and target shooters paying the tax. Also, since every tax requires everyone from store owners to the state to administer remittance and collection, how much will actually get to a trauma center who should be concentrating on treating traumas and not on making claims to yet another government bureaucracy . In the end this is simply a politician living up to Groucho's quote. It is something to be laughed at by the public. Ms. Cassidy is the type of politician that makes for good humor. Maybe Ms. Cassidy should try coming up with a real solution to illegal gun use instead of punishing the wrong people for her inability to come up with that solution.

MacD

I edited out her personal preferences as thinking about it was the wrong way to go about this.

MacD: I have met this person and she is on her soapbox all the time and a force to be reckoned with. She is set in her ways and like I said in my earlier post, she fails to see that law abiding citizens who owns guns are NOT the problem

we can be fined for txting on a bicycle or using cellphone. most rules that apply to a car apply to other modes of transport, Im told you can be done drunken in charge of a skateboard too!!!
as for ammo tax thats just plain dumb.
If chicago has a problem that is area specific put a 50cent per litre fuel tax within a 50mile radius and fund crap with that!!! if people dont like it dont live there.everyone gangbangers included drive cars so the funds would come right across the board.

Elvis wrote:

we can be fined for txting on a bicycle or using cellphone. most rules that apply to a car apply to other modes of transport, Im told you can be done drunken in charge of a skateboard too!!! as for ammo tax thats just plain dumb. If chicago has a problem that is area specific put a 50cent per litre fuel tax within a 50mile radius and fund crap with that!!! if people dont like it dont live there.everyone gangbangers included drive cars so the funds would come right across the board.

Elvis ,, thats a good idea, but most of our politician don't think (that would be something new) that way , got to have the pinons on the government tit,so they can be reelected.

Elvis, you are a wee bit wrong with texting on a pushbike and drunk in charge of a skateboard....but hell yeah put 50 cents a litre into a general tax and you can't go wrong.

OH goodie do put me straight ol bean as Ive been too scared to txt on my bike since they changed the rules . and fill me in on the DIC while your at it as I would like to have more than 2 stubbies before biking home . the 50 cents tax has been my idea to solve Dorklands transport woes but sofar nobody has done it the jaffas up there will pay $6 for thier morning latte so maybe a tax on that would be better and make it $1 on soy lattes aye

How about using funds confiscated from drug dealers and gang sweeps to fund the trauma hospitals. At least that way those responsible would be paying.

Now you are talking Paul...but unfortunately, if the Govt over there is the same as here...that money...Proceeds of Crime we call it...goes straight into general revenue once the Courts have decided that it was legally confiscated and isn't to be returned. The politicians have to fund their retirement somehow mate.

What about the idea of not treating gangbangers who are injured perpetrating a crime, or fighting other gangs etc...let them deal with the consequences of their actions...or is that just too hard-nosed an idea.

Cheers, Vince

Its called Proceeds of Crime in most commonwealth countries and in the US its RICO. ree ko (Rackateer Influenced Corrupt Organizations)
And it doesn't matter what country it is but they never seem to be able to give the dollar amount of how much was put into the general revenue. The government hates competition!