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Florida residents, we've been robbed

5K views 52 replies 46 participants last post by  Sailorcbr 
#1 ·
Received this e-mail from the NRA.

In a last minute sneak attack on gun owners, the Florida Legislature raided the concealed weapons and firearms licensing trust fund. This not only effects resident CCW license holders, but non-resident Florida license holders as well!

They took $6 million from the Division of Licensing Concealed Weapons and Firearm Trust Fund that is intended, by law, to be used solely for administering the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program. (Read background information below)

Please Call, Fax, or Email Governor Charlie Crist IMMEDIATELY, and ask him to veto the $6 Million trust fund sweep from the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Division of Licensing authorized under Section 59 of the Conference Report of SB-2600.



Please send your email today!!!!!

And/or please contact the Governor's office by phone or fax ASAP.



Phone number: (850) 488-4441 or (850) 488-7146
Fax number: (850) 487-0801

Send your email to the Governor at this address: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

BACKGROUND:

Right now, the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program is backlogged and overloaded, due in part, to the refusal of budget officials and the Legislature to allow the Division of Licensing to use its own trust fund money to hire more employees and expand/upgrade equipment.

Crates of unopened mail containing license and license renewal applications sit in storage. The backlog of mail sitting unopened, at times, has extended beyond 90 days while existing licenses are expiring because renewal applications haven't been opened and processed.

Currently (although the Division of Licensing has been working weekend shifts to clear the backlog), it is taking 13-14 weeks to process a "perfect" application once it has been opened. That is an unequivocal violation of the law that requires issuance or denial of a license by a specific time –– a violation of law that legislative leaders are condoning by their actions.

THE LAW REQUIRES THE DIVISION OF LICENSING TO ISSUE A LICENSE WITHIN 90 DAYS OF RECEIPT OF THE APPLICATION -- or deny the license "for cause", based upon the criteria set forth in the law. Theft of operating funds by the Legislature is not "just cause" for failure to issue licenses or renewals within 90 days.

While applications sit gathering dust, legislative leaders took $6 million of approximately $8 million held in the trust fund. That $6 million is supposed to be used to pay employees, buy upgraded equipment, upgrade or replace computers or software and to otherwise administer the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program.

BUT, feigning a desperate need for funds for education and health care, legislative leaders recklessly and ruthlessly confiscated trust fund money. Why? Because they were building a so-called "working capital" fund for the 2010-12 legislative term, reported now to be in the neighborhood of $1.8 BILLION DOLLARS. This so-called "working capital fund" is for the use of future legislative leaders.

They didn't take that money for education. They didn't take that money for health care. They didn't take that money to save jobs. They didn't take that money to avoid pay cuts, or budget cuts -- they took the money to help build their own fund.

While Senate leadership reportedly fought to stop the ruthless raids on trust funds, in the end, they simply caved and let the House of Representatives prevail.



The bad behavior doesn't end there.



Obviously fearing the Governor would use his line-item veto to stop trust fund raids, proviso language was inserted in the bill in a clear attempt to intimidate the Governor.

The proviso language, states that if any portion of the moneys swept from this and other trust funds does not become law (meaning it is vetoed), that portion of the money shall be deducted from the EDUCATION BUDGET. This is clearly designed to keep the Governor from vetoing trust fund sweeps, and prevent trust fund money from being taken back out the House leadership's so-called "working capital" fund.

Money in the concealed weapons trust fund came from gun owners. No money to administer and run the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program has ever come from general revenue, or any other state fund or revenue source. The taking of these gun owner user fees is an unauthorized tax on the exercise of the Second Amendment.

AGAIN, Please call, fax and email Governor Crist IMMEDIATELY, and ask him to veto the $6 Million raid on the Concealed Weapons & Firearms Trust Fund!
 
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#6 ·
Writing a response to send to the Gov tonight...:yup: It is important that the Gov hear from all of us.
 
#12 ·
Sounds as if your residents are going to have to start getting permits from other states that Florida recognizes just to keep your right to carry. This is what is going on all over the USA. Our rights are being taken away one by one.

Most people have no clue. We just got the lottery a few years ago here in NC, but last week our teachers were told their pay was being cut, they would have to take furloughs and ohhh just in case they decided to take the days off -- they were told they can not take them on a day kids are at school. The lottery was suppose to go for education, funny we havn't seen any of it yet.
 
#15 ·
Don'cha get it?

It's for the children...................in reality it's for the votes that the damned teachers union brings to the Legislators that engage in such manipulation.........!

I can only conclude that we should NOT vote to retain ANY serving Legislator..............regardless of his or her past record!

Well, bad as it is WE didn't field a Pelosi or a Boxer.........not to even mention your State Legislators, IE: Roberti or Roos, really, wouldn't you trade your abominablel collection of gun laws for ours????

Fess up!!
 
#19 ·
Not trolling but what is the source of these trust funds? Was it tax dollars or was it receipts from permit applications? I read the ILA alert 3 times and don't see where it identifies the source of the trust fund.

Some may think it doesn't matter but if those monies are originally sourced from tax dollars then I think this could be a case of "the government and the government taketh away".

I understand that the permit application/renew process is currently taking longer than Florida statute says it is supposed to but that is an entirely different matter.

Be Safe,

NosaM
 
#37 ·
From the NRA alert:

Money in the concealed weapons trust fund came from gun owners. No money to administer and run the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program has ever come from general revenue, or any other state fund or revenue source. The taking of these gun owner user fees is an unauthorized tax on the exercise of the Second Amendment.
 
#22 ·
Email Sent....

Subject: Sign Section 59 of the SB-2600 into law and lose my vote‏

Body:

Governor Crist,

Please take advantage of your power to line item veto and scratch out Section 59 of SB-2600.

I will never support your goal to office in any capacity if you allow this section to pass.

We gun owners are getting tired of our rights being trampled on.

****
 
#24 ·
Charlie Crist was born an idiot and has been losing ground ever since.

Now he's going to run for U.S. Senate. He needs to lose that primary!
 
#28 ·
Thanks TAG

I just e-mailed the gov and threw in a little polite mention of his announcement today of his intent to run for Mel Martinez' senate seat.Just had to mention that myself and quite a few like minded people would be watching his action/or lack thereof in this matter. Cheers....Carry ok.
 
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