What is the NRA doing for Ca???

[robbor]

I would really like to know what the NRA is actively doing for Ca?
We seem to be suffering from frequent fire closures.
The lead BAN
There are probably 50 square miles along templin highway that have been closed for years now.
Adventure pass BS
Harassment by police
They seem to always ask for money but i never hear about them envolved on any local issues.

[cybersurveyor]

Funny you should ask. I sent them an email with the same inquiry and got this reply:

Dear Mr. ,

Rest assured that NRA shares your frustration over the anti-gun activities in California, but you can also be assured that your Association is probably more involved in the Golden State than in any other individual state. The NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), the lobbying arm of NRA, has an office in the state capital, something no other state can claim, and NRA-ILA has undertaken countless campaigns in California to defeat anti-gun legislation. While not always successful, we take pride in knowing that we put up the best fight we could. These campaigns have included alerting members such as yourself to legislative threats, and urging them to get involved in our efforts.

Furthermore, NRA is currently involved in numerous court cases challenging several "gun control" laws, including the ban on so-called "assault weapons," the ban on certain handguns, and the current system for issuing permits to carry a concealed firearm for personal protection, just to name a few. NRA has spent more than a half a million dollars on court cases in California alone over the last several years.

In addition, NRA has flooded California's airwaves with our Banned infomercial, which graphically depicts the plight of gun owners throughout the world, including in California. It is aimed at waking up those gun owners who live in your state, but have not yet joined NRA or joined in the defense of our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The Banned infomercial has helped to increase NRA's membership dramatically, although we know that we must continue working to urge all gun owners to join NRA.

Unfortunately, the simple fact is that the current political atmosphere in California leaves gun owners in a very difficult position. That is why we are not only constantly engaged in legislative battles, but in electoral contests as well. It may not happen overnight, but we must, and will, continue our efforts to elect lawmakers who understand and respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners. You can be sure that NRA will continue to move forward with our fight, and we hope you will continue to work with us.

Cordially,

Angus McClellan
NRA-ILA Grassroots

[pnkssbtz]

robbor, I see you have 34 posts.


You might want to do yourself a favor and use the search button, as this has been explained ad nauseum.


But to answer your question; the NRA has been very heavily involved in CA. Please don't believe the propaganda that other so called pro gun-owner california organizations claim.

[762cavalier]

:xeno::xeno:


:beatdeadhorse5:

:beatdeadhorse5:

:beatdeadhorse5:

:beatdeadhorse5:

[Coffee]

any links to this "Banned infomercial"?

[jamesob]

here is what the nra is doing for you.
1. they send letters to solicit money from you to fight the battle in california.
2. they have nra dinners to raise money to fight the battle in california.
3. they call you and ask for donations to fight the battle in california.
4. they ignore every issue in california.
5. they spend california members money fighting a b.s bill in another state.
i was a member and decided that they wasn't doing enough, if anything in california. i still go to the friends dinners that they have but thats about all they will get from me. dont get me wrong i believe in what they are doing but they need to do more in california.
my belief is california is the leader in gun control laws and is a testing bed for laws. try nipping it in the bud and do more here to stop this crap.

[Anthonysmanifesto]

..............

[Anthonysmanifesto]

here is what the nra is doing for you.
1. they send letters to solicit money from you to fight the battle in california.
2. they have nra dinners to raise money to fight the battle in california.
3. they call you and ask for donations to fight the battle in california.
4. they ignore every issue in california.
5. they spend california members money fighting a b.s bill in another state.
i was a member and decided that they wasn't doing enough, if anything in california. i still go to the friends dinners that they have but thats about all they will get from me. dont get me wrong i believe in what they are doing but they need to do more in california.
my belief is california is the leader in gun control laws and is a testing bed for laws. try nipping it in the bud and do more here to stop this crap.

1. it works or they wouldnt do it.
2. nra dinners are for the "friends of the NRA" which is a charitable organization and the moeny goes to assist shooting ranges and youth organizations to further the shooting sports. LOTS of $$$ is spent on our shooting culture at these dinners. Which are also a lot fun.
3. it works or they wouldnt do it
4. I disagree. how did you come to this conclusion?
5.the N stand for national

id like you to consider being apart of the action. if you dont want to pay dues right now then please just stick around and help us with letters and phone calls. make some friends and come shooting with us. weve got great stories - even ones about NRA victories-

[Kestryll]

here is what the nra is doing for you.
1. they send letters to solicit money from you to fight the battle in california.
2. they have nra dinners to raise money to fight the battle in california.
3. they call you and ask for donations to fight the battle in california.
4. they ignore every issue in california.
5. they spend california members money fighting a b.s bill in another state.
i was a member and decided that they wasn't doing enough, if anything in california. i still go to the friends dinners that they have but thats about all they will get from me. dont get me wrong i believe in what they are doing but they need to do more in california.
my belief is california is the leader in gun control laws and is a testing bed for laws. try nipping it in the bud and do more here to stop this crap.

You really have no idea do you?

Do you know that the NRA has been involved in EVERY battle fought by the members of this forum to prevent bad legislation, promote good legislation and to stop further progress in the AWB?

Do you know that when members of this forum went to hearings the ONLY progun group there with them was the NRA?

Read a bit and find out just how involved and engaged the NRA is in this State. No group is perfect (well... perhaps CGF is.... J/K:p ) and there will always be more that I'd want them to do but to dismiss and discount the NRA out of hand with erroneous statements is silly.

[jamesob]

1. it works or they wouldnt do it.
2. nra dinners are for the "friends of the NRA" which is a charitable organization and the moeny goes to assist shooting ranges and youth organizations to further the shooting sports. LOTS of $$$ is spent on our shooting culture at these dinners. Which are also a lot fun.
3. it works or they wouldnt do it
4. I disagree. how did you come to this conclusion?
5.the N stand for national

id like you to consider being apart of the action. if you dont want to pay dues right now then please just stick around and help us with letters and phone calls. make some friends and come shooting with us. weve got great stories - even ones about NRA victories-

what issue have they succefully stopped in california? lets see whe have an aw ban and a high cap ban. we have a very strict handgun ban i.e you just can't buy any handgun made. whe also have a lead ban now. a waiting period that alot of other states don't have. a microstamping bill coming up. a possible ammo limit that just might pass. strict ccw limits. should i go on? the nra has not been succesful in this state. sure they might have climed aboard a lawsuit that was already in the works and might have won the suit, but what has the nra done? they have helped other states more than this one.

[Anthonysmanifesto]

......................................

[bwiese]

So you think a half-dozen folks can make instant changes in a state that's the 8th largest economy in the world with politics jerrymandered beyond belief.

The NRA is only as strong as YOU and me and tons of other folks being on the phone. Sometimes it's not just about money, it's about boots on the ground.

Since you seem to have all the answers, go get me an extra dozen or so Assemblymen and a handful of senators. Problem solved.

I know the NRA CA leadership, and they've been doing well fighting uphill battles.

Gunrights battles in CA will be fought and won in the courts. Hunt is just the start.

One of the real issues in CA is lack of a truly viable Republican party (much of that is self-inflicted) that can keep and increase seats in the legislature.
So-called "alternate" gunrights groups like GOC and CRPA actually have screwed the pooch for us the last several years: GOC was directly responsible for the lead ammo & microstamping bills thru the incompetence of their leader, Sam Paredes.

[cybersurveyor]

any links to this "Banned infomercial"?

I can't seem to find one and I really haven't seen this Infomercial, but then again I live in a district in OC that is served by Republicans all the way around, so it'd be preaching to the choir here... I'd love to see it, though.

[tenpercentfirearms]

Since I have really been paying really close attention in about 2005, here is what I have seen.

1. The NRA was extremely active in fighting the proposed rule change against off list lowers. They wrote official letters and attended the regulation meeting. They were the only official gun lobby group there.

2. They helped stop microstamping the first time around.

3. They have helped stop ammo taxes and ammo registration.

Over the years they help quash bills that would be horrible for us.

The reality is we live in a liberal, anti-gun state. When our Republican governor signs a lead ban and microstamping bill that our liberal legislature passes through, how was the NRA supposed to stop that? We elected all of those people.

So when you don't see results in California, it isn't because the NRA isn't doing enough. It isn't because we are not doing enough. It is because we live in a hell hole liberal state with a bunch of morons who think they know what is best for everyone else.

The NRA is not stupid. They know all the hair brained schemes come out of California.

Tell you what, if you want to make a difference and turn the NRA around, we need to stay NRA members. We need to pay attention on Calguns. If we can do that, we can vote for NRA board members. We can make sure we keep California on their priority list. There is a reason so many liberals in free America fear the NRA. They are powerful.

As Bill Wiese pointed out, with the gerrymandering in this state, nearly everyone is safe, both Republicans and Democrats. So how do you stop them? Sometimes you can't.

That doesn't mean you stop trying.

[bruss01]

I am disappointed with the RESULTS that the Cal NRA has achieved over the years (past 15 - 20 or so) but in fairness I have to admit they have been hamstrung by some factors beyond their control, one of which was the ruling by the 9th district court that there is no individual right. As a previous poster noted, CA is gerymandered to the point that achieving things legislatively will never be enough, we have to regain our rights via the court system, the universal protector of minority rights (gun owners are definitely a minority in this state) in a republic.

Once the Heller verdict is announced, it will be irrefutable that there is an individual right, which will provide a foundation that will allow for further court cases. I will join NRA the day that Heller comes out with an individual right declaration. I will be generous and supportive of them for the following two years. At the end of that time, I will re-evaluate and assess whether I am getting the bang for my buck that I expect. I hope to see great things from them.

[bruss01]

I am disappointed with the RESULTS that the Cal NRA has achieved over the years (past 15 - 20 or so) but in fairness I have to admit they have been hamstrung by some factors beyond their control, one of which was the ruling by the 9th district court that there is no individual right. As a previous poster noted, CA is gerymandered to the point that achieving things legislatively will never be enough, we have to regain our rights via the court system, the universal protector of minority rights (gun owners are definitely a minority in this state) in a republic.

Once the Heller verdict is announced, it will be irrefutable that there is an individual right, which will provide a foundation that will allow for further court cases. I will join NRA the day that Heller comes out with an individual right declaration. I will be generous and supportive of them for the following two years. At the end of that time, I will re-evaluate and assess whether I am getting the bang for my buck that I expect. I hope to see great things from them.

Should add, that lobbying is great if your party has a majority, or if you can swing enough votes from the other side to make a difference. But I think we all realize that the day when CA will have a Republican majority is a long ways off. I'm not saying that endorsing one candidate over another or lobbying is a waste of time, but it is not a broadly effective strategy in CA due to the makeup of the voting public and the gerymandering that exists. Admittedly they have accomplished some worthwhile good (slowed the seemingly inexorable advance of the anti-gun legislation) but there have been significant losses also - probably due more to the (lack of) effectiveness of the lobbying tactic than to any shortcoming of CA-NRA themselves in the good intentions department. Is CA-NRA as effective as they could/should be? I hear a lot of people feeling that they expect more.

Court cases in the wake of Heller and fixing the gerymandering (a ballot initiative is under way) show much more promise than trying to get folks like Don Perata to drop their anti-gun agenda or get them voted out of office. I would like to see NRA strongly involved in both of these promising efforts. That would make me feel that I would really be accomplishing something worthwhile with my contributions.

See there is such a thing as constructive criticism. The first step in fixing a problem is admitting there is a problem. There are a lot of people who have been dissatisfied with the results we have been seeing from Cal NRA and what we need to hear from CANRA is not defensive attitude ("we've done so much! You have no idea!"), but to tell us how they are going to change tactics to become more effective. We are all ready and eager to listen to that kind of response.

[yellowfin]

The biggest thing that the gun owning crowd needs to do for itself is to get out of the closet. There are more gun owners in this state than there are active voters, but no way would you ever know that. It's like there's almost a secret handshake or something. Not good! Darn near every possible "minority" group in this state is loud as all get out and demands respect, attention, and favorable support and gets it without question EXCEPT US. Citizens for wearing chartruese and purple bunny slippers get more newspaper articles and legislative goodies than we do and do a better job of raising hell with every kid, parent, neighbor, person on the street, etc. if someone steps on their toes. I can think of several religions that you can't speak a negative word about without the public instantly making you an outcast and the organization itself suing you for defamation. Do we as firearms owners establish such a grip on the public consciousness? No wonder we're treated like the bottom of the outcast pool: we step to the smallest, tiniest corner and stand there!

Or actually I shouldn't say we. There is a huge amount of fuddism. That's where our problems started in the first place. We have been stabbed in the back by our own kind. Without the fuddism the antis would have no foothold, they'd just be a bunch of lunatics banging on pots and pans looking silly. But with the Judases saying "I hunt/target shoot, but those guys are a bunch of extremists" we're more screwed than by any other means. Those guilty of such need talking to immediately, but again that's only going to happen if those of us will actually speak outside our own circles and have the guts yet craft to do it right. Divorce is another huge enemy of our cause. If kids don't have a firearms oriented dad, or one or the other parent tells the other to keep it in the closet and out of the kids' lives, we are denied growth and family support. "Honey I don't like that" or "You're not going with daddy" or "I'm not into those things" is just as bad a problem as "Be it enacted, it shall be an offense..."

Those not on board with the NRA first and foremost need to get on board. We're inadequate because we lack numbers and presence. We need people and faces, more membership for political clout, public outreach, and a lot more heft behind the message. We need to get who you see in the grocery store on Wednesday to go to the range on Saturday morning--thus far the effort to converge those two crowds is painfully slow if existant at all. The two do not resemble each other here and that is our problem in a nutshell. Every other state has made the progress for firearms rights because the non traditional firearms crowd has expanded and the public has been made a friend of ours.

To those who think it's just a political problem or judicial problem I'll frame it this way: the assembly and judiciary don't give a rat's rear end about us and they're not going to. Bear in mind that any good relations we have with some of the political critters is purely on a fair weather basis--the minute the party in power tells them to step in line they do so, and guess what that ain't towards our side. They hear us but they obey them. We do little that commands obedience. That will continue as long we're fighting alone and we don't communicate with those outside our circle, and even those in our own circle aren't united. It's the general public, the wider market they care about. We need to reach them and it isn't by anything other than everyday conversation. No amount of shows, displays, rallies, posters, articles, etc. is going to fix it. It's gotta be at the gym, the church, the backyard barbecue, the bar, the laundromat, the golf course, the post office, and the checkout line. And it's gotta be someone you've never talked to about firearms rights with. And for goodness sake have something behind your zipper when you do so. Sure, you meter out what you say and not spill it all at once so they don't shut their ears and walk the other way, you start gentle and make sense and establish that you're the good guy and not a lunatic, but don't water it down, don't validate the other side, and for goodness sake don't tolerate the status quo. None of this submissive acceptable loss crap.

[javalos]

"What is the NRA doing for Ca???"

More like what are thousands of gun owners doing in California? We have more clout than you believe, but its never used. Problem is most gun owners will not get off their keyster, call their assemblyman or state senator, write letters to the editor or anything that might possibly help the cause. I don't depend on the NRA to come to the rescue like the cavalry, its up to us, each and every individual to do something. I for one am tired of seeing the NRA blamed for the gun control ills in this state. An a anti-gun assemblyman's office can be swamped and turned upside down with phone calls from irate gun owners, but it never is. CA gun owners, where are you?

[bruss01]

"What is the NRA doing for Ca???"

More like what are thousands of gun owners doing in California? We have more clout than you believe, but its never used. Problem is most gun owners will not get off their keyster, call their assemblyman or state senator, write letters to the editor or anything that might possibly help the cause. I don't depend on the NRA to come to the rescue like the cavalry, its up to us, each and every individual to do something. I for one am tired of seeing the NRA blamed for the gun control ills in this state. An a anti-gun assemblyman's office can be swamped and turned upside down with phone calls from irate gun owners, but it never is. CA gun owners, where are you?

There's a lot of truth in what you wrote above - everybody seems to want things handed to them on a silver platter, but most anything of real worth in this world requires some real work. Having said that, it's very discouraging to call, fax and write regarding some piece of utter nonsense that is PATENTLY absurd - such as the 50 BMG ban or microstamping - and be completely and utterly DISREGARDED. In a state where there is a budget crisis, the legislature still finds a way to pass more NONSENSE into law that provides no benefit and costs money!? Lunacy!

Where are the public service announcements in the mass media that expose this idiocy? Unless you have your ear to the ground looking for this stuff, you will NEVER SEE IT, NEVER HEAR OF IT. THAT'S WHY millions of CA gun owners are asleep at the wheel, no one is waking them up! Did I ever while an NRA member get a note or a call from them saying something like "we need your contribution to this PLEDGE DRIVE to put an ad on the TV showing how stupid this proposed law is and how it will cost the taxpayers money and accomplish nothing". No, they just try to build up the slush fund (which I'm sure is put to good use somewhere somehow) but c'mon, pitch me for a specific effort, let me know that my $x is going to somethign I can see and hear (like a billboard or a radio spot or a TV ad). Get people involved, get them off their arses, get them angry at the stupidity in Sacramento. And then I guarantee you will see a lot less of this nonsense. Remember Jerry Brown's campaign ad about the 50 BMG? The anti's are not above going public, and we (gun owners and our supposed representative the NRA) need to get out there and make our voices heard too.

[rkt88edmo]

grassroots rules say - We (members of the NRA) are the NRA - see what we are doing here - that is what the NRA is doing.

[Anthonysmanifesto]

..................

[bulgron]

"What is the NRA doing for Ca???"

More like what are thousands of gun owners doing in California? We have more clout than you believe, but its never used. Problem is most gun owners will not get off their keyster, call their assemblyman or state senator, write letters to the editor or anything that might possibly help the cause. I don't depend on the NRA to come to the rescue like the cavalry, its up to us, each and every individual to do something. I for one am tired of seeing the NRA blamed for the gun control ills in this state. An a anti-gun assemblyman's office can be swamped and turned upside down with phone calls from irate gun owners, but it never is. CA gun owners, where are you?

I had lunch with a "California gun owner" the other day. He spent a good portion of the lunch ranting about how guns need to be heavily regulated, how insane it is want to let "any yahoo" carry a concealed weapon, and how if we let them then all these nut jobs out there will be running around with "semi-automatic belt-fed machine guns that can shoot hundreds and hundreds of bullets."

It was a most unpleasant experience.

I felt like I'd slipped into a surreal corner of the twilight zone.

He's a moderately wealthy business owner in a county that only gives CCWs to the politically well-connected. As I was leaving (escaping) lunch, I found myself wondering if he was one of the couple of hundred people with a CCW in this county. But I didn't want to go back into the belly of the beast to find out.

Anyway, given that "California Gun Owners" include guys like this, it's a small miracle that the state hasn't done door-to-door confiscation by now. All in all, I'd say Cal NRA is doing a bang-up job, considering the type of people that live here.

[Paladin]

Good grief! Not another one of these threads. :rolleyes: No, I'm not going to go through and read all the posts. Instead, I'll offer a possible solution to this sort of thing.

A suggestion to Admin/Mods: How about offering the NRA/CalNRA a locked sticky on this subforum where only their official rep can post what their organization has accomplished in CA? ETA: They can add to the thread (either via edits or posts) as changes occur.

You can make this an open offer to all pro-2nd RKBA orgs. This will serve at least 3 purposes: put an end to these threads which waste our time and confuse newbies at best and demoralize many of us at worst; make it clear as to who is truly having an impact in CA, both legislatively and judicially, in Sacto and locally; and last, perhaps encourage some groups to either put up or shut up/shut down.

[GuyW]

One of the real issues in CA is lack of a truly viable Republican party (much of that is self-inflicted) that can keep and increase seats in the legislature.


You've said this before.

What makes you think the Republican Party exists only to protect gun issues?

It exists to defend and forward its core principles, which are much broader in scope than merely guns.

It's too bad that you don't share Republican core principles, but the principles aren't (or shouldn't be) compromised.

Make your own party, and stop trying to hijack ours.

[GuyW]

I can think of several religions that you can't speak a negative word about without the public instantly making you an outcast and the organization itself suing you for defamation.


They have the benefit of the First Am. Following Heller, we will have the benefit of a personal right 2nd Am. Then we may engage in similar actions against our enemies...

[rkt88edmo]

A suggestion to Admin/Mods: How about offering the NRA/CalNRA a locked sticky on this subforum where only their official rep can post what their organization has accomplished in CA? ETA: They can add to the thread (either via edits or posts) as changes occur.

Sounds like a good idea - don't know who would write it but anyone is welcome to approach the mods with ideas for sticky threads if they are willing to do the work to edit the content.

[mblat]

You've said this before.

What makes you think the Republican Party exists only to protect gun issues?

It exists to defend and forward its core principles, which are much broader in scope than merely guns.

It's too bad that you don't share Republican core principles, but the principles aren't (or shouldn't be) compromised.

Make your own party, and stop trying to hijack ours.

With all due respect it seems that Republican party in this state exist only to protect positions of R. assembly and senate members.
You can't protect your principals if you guaranteed to be minority party for any conceivable future. People like winners and Republicans has been on loosing side of all major battles in the last G.d knows years.
This is not fighting for principals, this is making sure that your principals will never get a hearing in the court of public opinion.

[GuyW]

...Bear in mind that any good relations we have with some of the political critters is purely on a fair weather basis--the minute the party in power tells them to step in line they do so, and guess what that ain't towards our side. They hear us but they obey them. We do little that commands obedience.


There are ways of gaining political influence that involve inflicting "pain" on our enemies (and fair-weather friends). It is the subject of a different thread, but it involves legally making a politician's life difficult. The problem is that obtaining workers is difficult, because the goal of the work and expense is not to "win" a seat, for example, but to gain influence over a politician by inflicting"political pain" (they want to avoid future political pain).

A quick thought:

Some people think that when a pol takes your call, you have political power.

Wrong - you have access (a good thing, however).

You have power when you tell a pol to vote "NO" (or yes) on a bill...and they DO it.

[yellowfin]

You've said this before.

What makes you think the Republican Party exists only to protect gun issues?

It exists to defend and forward its core principles, which are much broader in scope than merely guns. *BUZZER* Wrong answer. The Republican party exists for one reason: to broker power to get people elected. Everything else is a means to an end. Their "positions" are merely the lines they sell that they're placing their bet on will work on the voters--if they figured pushing laws mandating that the only food allowed to be sold on Sunday being pretzels would get 75% of their candidates or better elected, you'd see billboards, TV ads, and speeches nonstop 24/7 pushing pretzels on Sunday as the cure for every societal ill from crime to gas prices. Positions are more disposable than toilet paper, as are voters. It's just a question of how high a threshold for ignoring you exists. Both major parties are businesses pushing a product: power. People buy power from the party and candidate by contributing and the party sells that candidate power in the form of votes and support. If parties were principles first both would shuck about half of the folks they have with the (R) or (D) label. There would be no such creature as J. Sidney McWeasel if the party had any adherence to principles whatsoever.

Belief to the contrary is myopic and futile.

[GuyW]

*BUZZER* Wrong answer. The Republican party exists for one reason: to broker power to get people elected. Everything else is a means to an end. Their "positions" are merely the lines they sell that they're placing their bet on will work on the voters--if they figured pushing laws mandating that the only food allowed to be sold on Sunday being pretzels would get 75% of their candidates or better elected, you'd see billboards, TV ads, and speeches nonstop 24/7 pushing pretzels on Sunday as the cure for every societal ill from crime to gas prices. Both major parties are businesses pushing a product: power. People buy power from the party and candidate by contributing and the party sells that candidate power in the form of votes and support.

Belief to the contrary is myopic and futile.

To grassroots Repubs, it's all about principles.

They are in revolt against the party because it is too much of what you describe. So long as the Repub Party compromises principles, they will fail to generate votes, enthusiasm, and money from the grassroots....and will not accomplish much...

[bwiese]

You've said this before.
What makes you think the Republican Party exists only to protect gun issues?

It exists to defend and forward its core principles, which are much broader in scope than merely guns.

It's too bad that you don't share Republican core principles, but the principles aren't (or shouldn't be) compromised.

Make your own party, and stop trying to hijack ours.

I've never said it was there for guns. I said that CA gun issues are a result of CA Republican overall decreasing viability in the last 15 years.

And yes, I'm a Republican. I care about guns first, then taxes.

But I recognize a defective organization when I see one.

The R's leadership being hijacked in CA to hold onto 100% nonwinnable positions (abortion/choice and all sorts of 'family' codewords about gays) renders them unelectable to statewide office or outside of core areas (where their base is shrinking). They've also done 'risk management' over the years to keep safe seats but guaranteee minority status - a form of 'affirmative action'.

Their marketing is seriously flawed when a voter base that should be (and was) their core constituency - educated/professional mid- & upper-income suburban metro homeowners w/families - just won't vote for them anymore, so much so they're willing to pay higher taxes by voting for Dems.

It's uncomfortable, but true. The R's only chance is for a CA financial disaster so bad that they accidentally get back into some measure of power-wielding, and somehow manage to use that responsibly. Right now they can pretty much only sh*t disturb in relation to budget vs. 2/3ds vote as their only leverage.

If CA Republican leadership team were marketing directors for consumer products - i.e,, something that has to be sold, with results reflecting in their paychecks - they'd've been out on their arse 7 years ago.

[yellowfin]

There are ways of gaining political influence that involve inflicting "pain" on our enemies (and fair-weather friends). It is the subject of a different thread, but it involves legally making a politician's life difficult. The problem is that obtaining workers is difficult, because the goal of the work and expense is not to "win" a seat, for example, but to gain influence over a politician by inflicting"political pain" (they want to avoid future political pain).

A quick thought:

Some people think that when a pol takes your call, you have political power.

Wrong - you have access (a good thing, however).

You have power when you tell a pol to vote "NO" (or yes) on a bill...and they DO it.Problem is they have a very, VERY high tolerance for pain, or they fear reprisal from their true masters much MUCH more. Sure I like what we can do but it isn't enough. I won't stop doing it, but we need a lot sharper pointy object to prod them with THAT THEY MUST OBEY. AB2062 proves that the pain isn't effective enough--we shelled out enough to make them feel like rusty screws through their feet. It appears that they will keep doing what they're doing with impunity even with acid soaked fence posts wrapped in razor wire. We need something as a mechanism we can use that cannot be circumvented.

Interestingly enough, there used to be one located in the Constitution somewhere...oh wait, Constitution is meaningless in CA.

[dfletcher]

I have no idea what sort of representation San Francisco has on Calguns or in the NRA. Safe to say most of the Calguns membership is outside of San Francisco. I am in San Francisco and as most know, we went through 2 years of litigation over the Prop H handgun ban.

While nearly every California gun owner knows the irritation we endure at the hands of the state and the uncertainty our particular interest may be restricted, those in San Francisco have faced the reality that without the NRA's agressive stance handguns would have been banned. Maybe for only a short while, maybe "temporarily" confiscated like in New Orleans while a few citizens or other pro gun group came up to speed - but things would not have worked out as well as quickly without the NRA. How would you like to have spent a few weeks or months with suddenly "illegal" handguns in your home, deciding whether to move or sell your guns or hope SFPD didn't somehow come knocking on your door? That didn't happen and is one of the reasons I went from 5 years to Life Member. I'll admit our idiot Mayor crowing about closing the Cow Palace was a bit of a catalyst also.

For those who choose to not support the NRA, which pro - gun group in CA do you support and if not, hopefully you always get out there and vote. Every bit helps.

[GuyW]

And yes, I'm a Republican. I care about guns first, then taxes.


Then throw out the social conservatives and see how powerful your "Republican" party is...

[bwiese]

Then throw out the social conservatives and see how powerful your "Republican" party is...

With the changing demographics in CA, those may well become irrelevant, whereas the "min.effective gov't/freedom-for-all/low taxes" mindset can reach more voters in the areas of which I wrote.

[bulgron]

With the changing demographics in CA, those may well become irrelevant, whereas the "min.effective gov't/freedom-for-all/low taxes" mindset can reach more voters in the areas of which I wrote.

Yep. I'm a "Declines to State" voter who mostly votes on gun issues, although I sometimes vote based on other issues if I think they're more compelling.

That said, I would happily become involved in the Republican party if they'd give up the God stuff, go silent on abortion and gay rights, and focus instead on minimum government and fiscal conservatism. Oh, and gun rights of course.

But so long as the Republican party is the party of controlling a woman's body (whether she likes it or not), I'll just have to keep them at arm's length, thank you very much.

Anytime a political party decides that what it wants to do is take away rights (both the Democrats and Republicans want to do this on many levels and in many different ways), then on average they aren't worth spending any time or money to support. The caveat is that if I think a politician is solidly pro-2A, then I'll support him or her, regardless of their political party.

[Paladin]

I would really like to know what the NRA is actively doing for Ca?
We seem to be suffering from frequent fire closures.
The lead BAN
There are probably 50 square miles along templin highway that have been closed for years now.
Adventure pass BS
Harassment by police
They seem to always ask for money but i never hear about them envolved on any local issues.

Not sure if anyone posted the below, so I thought I'd do you a favor. I got them from: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/member.php?u=8092

Be sure to ck out Paul's signature line too.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?p=965013#post965013
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=74239
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=81543
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?p=1126420#post1126420
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=91904

And be sure to click around over at http://www.calnra.com/

If you live in the PRK (formerly known as California), and you want to do something to improve your 2nd A RKBA, you'll join the NRA and your local Members' Council.

[GuyW]

But so long as the Republican party is the party of controlling a woman's body (whether she likes it or not), I'll just have to keep them at arm's length, thank you very much.


And so long as the "Declines to State" and Dems party are the parties that promote sucking the brains out of live babies' skulls, (whether the babies like it or not), I'll just have to keep them at arm's length, thank you very much.

[bwiese]

And so long as the "Declines to State" and Dems party are the parties that promote sucking the brains out of live babies' skulls, (whether the babies like it or not), I'll just have to keep them at arm's length, thank you very much.

You won't be keeping them at arm's length. You just embolden them because you've enabled "your" party to be losers.

For decades, "choice" ranks #1-#3 on list of CA voters in various surveys, way way way above gun issues (#6-#9) on list of CA political concerns.

It's a dead issue in CA and will remain so; if R's keep touting this issue they should rename themselves Whigs to more appropriately indicate their political relevancy. I think it's one of the two reasons Rs are fairly dead in CA.

My feelings about the issue are moot and only reflect my concerns re: realities of California politics... it's an issue clung to by the politically walking dead in CA, and was lost years ago. Pulling out the already-illegal PBA method (as compared to culling 1st trimester tumor-like cell growth) is also a poor argument in support of 'pro life' beliefs.

[tango-52]

This was just posted on CalCCW.com. How about this for what the NRA is doing:


CITY OF COVINA ELIMINATES ILLEGAL CCW PERMIT FEE IN RESPONSE TO NRA/CRPA DEMAND

The City of Covina has recognized that the $2,420 "fee" it was charging to apply for a California concealed weapons permit (CCW) is illegal, and has reduced the fee to within the legal limit of a few hundred dollars.

Covina has a policy disfavoring the issuance of CCW permits in general. The higher fee had the likely intentional effect of eliminating CCW permit applications. Not a single person was issued a CCW permit under the City's exorbitant $2,420 "fee" requirement.

National Rifle Association ("NRA") grassroots activists brought the illegal fee to the NRA's attention. Lawyers for the NRA and California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) then sent out a cease and desist pre-litigation demand letter to the City demanding that the City lower the illegal fee. Through public records requests and an investigation into the City's practices, the lawyers discovered that the City ignored the statutory limitations on CCW fees that can be imposed despite clearly noted warnings regarding statutory fee caps in a Fee Study submitted to City officials before the illegal fee was imposed. The lawyers also discovered that the nearly 1000% increase in the fee was not put before the public for comment, as required under the Brown Act, and that the City was using an outdated application form.

In light of the information brought to the City's attention by the attorneys the City changed its policies. Firearm owners in Covina seeking a CCW can now only be charged maximum fees totaling around $400 to get through the entire process. The initial fees to start the process are less. Covina has also abandoned its out-of-date CCW application, and is now basing their new policy and application on the form developed by the California Department of Justice.

For City of Covina residents, the new CCW procedures, application, and fee structure are available by contacting Sergeant Trevor Gaumer from the City of Covina Police Department at (626) 858-4461.

http://www.calccw.com/Forums/general-ccw-discussion/4743-city-covina-eliminates-illegal-ccw-permit-fee.html

[GuyW]

Guns are a dead issue in CA and will remain so; if gun-rights extremists keep touting this issue they should rename themselves to more appropriately indicate their political irrelevancy. I think it's one of the reasons gun-rights extremists are fairly dead in CA.

My feelings about the issue are moot and only reflect my concerns re: realities of California politics... it's an issue clung to by the politically walking dead in CA, and was lost years ago.

And the illegal Partial Birth Abortion method is only illegal because people of principle clung to the issue and kept touting it...saving untold innocent lives...

[bwiese]

Guns are a dead issue in CA and will remain so; if gun-rights extremists keep touting this issue they should rename themselves to more appropriately indicate their political relevancy. I think it's one of the reasons gun-rights extremists are fairly dead in CA.

My feelings about the issue are moot and only reflect my concerns re: realities of California politics... it's an issue clung to by the politically walking dead in CA, and was lost years ago.

Your parody rephrasing of mine aside, I can far more easily elect a *California* candidate waving a bag of dead babies wearing a bandoleer + AK47, than one touting "pro-life" along with gun control.

As I said, the priority scale plays the key part. Choice = #1-2, guns = #6-#9 concern and they can be played against each other.

[ttboy]

California is a lost cause my friends, it will never get better. I currently work and live here but will move to free American, Arizona in the near future. Arnold the RINO is a traitor!!!!! In 2010 the Mayor of San Francisco or LA mayor will run and win the governorship of Kalifornia and you think things are bad now you just wait!!! The 2nd Amendment is DEAD in Kalifornia!!!! I'm sorry I'm so negative, our cause is just but we don't have the numbers for change.:surrender:

[bwiese]

California is a lost cause my friends, it will never get better.

Post-Heller, a lotta things can change. Hold on.

In 2010 the Mayor of San Francisco or LA mayor will run and win the governorship of Kalifornia

Neither of these guys have the funds/backing/etc. that Jerry Brown does.

[RRangel]

California is a lost cause my friends, it will never get better. I currently work and live here but will move to free American, Arizona in the near future. Arnold the RINO is a traitor!!!!! In 2010 the Mayor of San Francisco or LA mayor will run and win the governorship of Kalifornia and you think things are bad now you just wait!!! The 2nd Amendment is DEAD in Kalifornia!!!! I'm sorry I'm so negative, our cause is just but we don't have the numbers for change.:surrender:

I'm optimistic, simply because I'm keeping track. You go right ahead and surrender. It's attitudes like that that have gotten us where we are at. Just wait until after the Heller vs DC ruling. The Ninth circus is about to have their collective right argument tossed. Do you realize how huge that is?

[ttboy]

Forumguy I hope you are right, because our cause is just! I will continue to contribute my hard earned money to the N R A but from my vantage point with few if any victories in Kalifornia to show for it, justifying it gets harder every time I open my check book.

[Coffee]

Neither of these guys have the funds/backing/etc. that Jerry Brown does.

Interesting, thanks for that tid bit.



I'm still searching for that NRA "banned Infomercial"...

[cybersurveyor]

With all due respect it seems that Republican party in this state exist only to protect positions of R. assembly and senate members.
You can't protect your principals if you guaranteed to be minority party for any conceivable future. People like winners and Republicans has been on loosing side of all major battles in the last G.d knows years.
This is not fighting for principals, this is making sure that your principals will never get a hearing in the court of public opinion.

Congressman John Campbell (A ratings from NRA & GO of A)
Senator Dick Ackerman (Staunch RKBA supporter)
Assemblyman Chuck Devore (http://www.gunownersca.com/articles/display/?id=8)

These are MY republican representatives and they FIGHT everyday for my right to keep and bare arms. Please be careful about dismissing their hard work. Who are YOUR representatives? The problem in this issue NOT Republican, but the PINK Socialists who've co-opted the Democratic party. How can you bash the minority in this State when it's them who has trodden our rights?

[M. Sage]

here is what the nra is doing for you.
1. they send letters to solicit money from you to fight the battle in california.

And nationally. Every NRA member gets that. You thought lawyers and lobbyists were free?

2. they have nra dinners to raise money to fight the battle in california.
3. they call you and ask for donations to fight the battle in california.

The dinners are a good way to network and get to know the rest of the people in the fight.

4. they ignore every issue in california.

Wrong. Very wrong. NRA is even active on this board. Sign up for NRA-ILA email alerts.

5. they spend california members money fighting a b.s bill in another state.

What, and you don't complain when they spend money from Iowa NRA members to fight things in this state? :rolleyes:

i was a member and decided that they wasn't doing enough, if anything in california. i still go to the friends dinners that they have but thats about all they will get from me. dont get me wrong i believe in what they are doing but they need to do more in california.
my belief is california is the leader in gun control laws and is a testing bed for laws. try nipping it in the bud and do more here to stop this crap.

NRA shot down the idiotic handgun ban in San Francisco and has helped Calguns become an actual power in CA politics. But I guess that's not enough. :rolleyes:

[bwiese]

Congressman John Campbell (A ratings from NRA & GO of A)
Senator Dick Ackerman (Staunch RKBA supporter)
Assemblyman Chuck Devore (http://www.gunownersca.com/articles/display/?id=8)


Have these guys carried any passable/useful legislation lately?
Or have they just voted against bad bills?

We certainly need the latter, but you can't win a football game if you can't carry the ball.

[WokMaster1]

To OP,
do you vote? did you call your representative when we asked for help in voicing your opposition on AB 2026? Did you help with Jeff Denham's fight against Perata's recall? Do you know BWO? Have you heard about Milpitas incident? OLLs? Have you been to your local NRA Council meeting?

If not, please let us know where you're at & we invite you as a friend to join us. You don't have to pay for anything. Just sit thru one meeting & get to know your local NRA friends.

If you're not an NRA member, I would like you to join as my guest. PM me your info & I'll sign you up for a year.

I used to hate the NRA with a passion but someone here invited me to a meeting & that opened up my eyes & I would like to return the favor.

Thanks. Welcome to the forum.

[cybersurveyor]

Have these guys carried any passable/useful legislation lately?
Or have they just voted against bad bills?

We certainly need the latter, but you can't win a football game if you can't carry the ball.


I'm looking.... I know they've been on the defensive for so long, they might have forgotten what a good offense is.... Of course when your side has 15 guys and the other side has 25 guys (state senate) it gets kind of hard to mount any kind of offense don't you think?

[cybersurveyor]

Have these guys carried any passable/useful legislation lately?
Or have they just voted against bad bills?

We certainly need the latter, but you can't win a football game if you can't carry the ball.

Alright, I looked and couldn't find any sponsored or co-sponsored bills that would support 2A.. (it was a quick look... I could be wrong). But as I was looking, it occurred to me that we DONT need any more LAWS regarding guns... I wish they'd STOP passing laws in regards to firearms... so in my way of thinking, they can only support my RKBA is to use their voting button... and whatever politicians do to change the outcome in our favor... do you agree? What sort of legislation do you think would help get us back our 2A rights?

[taloft]

When I'm working the NRA booth at the local gunshow someone always asks, "What is the NRA doing to protect my 2nd Amend. rights? I don't see them doing anything but, asking for money."

I usually respond with, "What are you doing to protect your rights? I'm at least voluteering at this booth trying to educate you when I'd rather be inside the show."

If changing the gun laws is so easy as some seem to think, why are they not able to succeed where the NRA has failed? What nifty solutions are you proposing, hummm?

I'm a committee member for the San Diego Friends of NRA. I spend a fair amount of time and energy stumping for these dinners. We raise considerable money for the NRA Foundation. This is the non-profit, non-political part of the NRA that supports and promotes our hobby through grants and scholarships. People forget that this is the original mission statement of the NRA. All the Political stuff came later. This is only one aspect of my involvement with the NRA.

I'm also actively involved politically. This means I support local candidates via money and stumping for them. I also call, write, and email for every new bill that comes down the pipe, both pro and con. I bring new shooters to the range whenever I can. I talk to people about the issues facing all of us. PR folks, lots and lots of PR. I do my bit, and the funny thing is I know people who do so much more. Most of us don't get paid for it. We do it because we know how important it is. The one common thread is that we all are concerned about the possible loss of our rights, our way of life, and we all belong to the NRA. Politics is the key.

I don't think I've ever listed it all out like this before. Probably because I'm not looking for Kudos. I do it because I feel it is my duty. I really don't care what others think. The NRA is excellent at coordinating, planning, and mobilizing actions to protect our rights. This means Lobbyists, Lawyers, and funding political candidates. It is expensive, ever see the numbers for a campaign? Unfortunately, only the members and the donations in time and money that they give make this possible. Folks forget that WE The People are the power.

The next time you feel like bemoaning the ineffectual efforts of the NRA, please feel free to give us a call and share your solutions to the problem. We'd be delighted to hear them. Better yet, come out to a members meeting of your local Members council or Friends chapter and share your insight. Tell us what earth shattering changes you were instrumental in implementing.

Yes, to some degree the last is tongue in cheek; However, we'd embrace a solution no matter the source. It gets tiring hearing the same tripe over and over again from people who don't even bother to do their own fact checking. Well, here's a freebie. This link will show you every current political issue in California that the NRA is working on. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/State/Specific.aspx?st=CA
Look around on the rest of the site for more information. I'm too tired to do it tonight.

Good night everyone.

[Kestryll]

That said, I would happily become involved in the Republican party if they'd give up the God stuff, go silent on abortion and gay rights, and focus instead on minimum government and fiscal conservatism. Oh, and gun rights of course.

As soon as they do that they will completely lose my vote, money and any positive endorsement I might offer.

Yes, firearms are a incredibly important topic to me, you might have guessed that.
However I can hold that position and still hold my convictions on other topics. There is no conflict for me.

[norcal13]

do i think the NRA does enough in california?
well i'm not picking up an uzi from a class III dealer tomorrow.
i'll never be satisfied. i'm a gun nut.
they will receive my money every year whether or not i think they deserve it.
why?

my mother told me the other day "we dont need the second ammendment any more":eek:

i'm a member just to cancel her out.

cancel out a kook - join the NRA :cool:

[dfletcher]

Your parody rephrasing of mine aside, I can far more easily elect a *California* candidate waving a bag of dead babies wearing a bandoleer + AK47, than one touting "pro-life" along with gun control.

As I said, the priority scale plays the key part. Choice = #1-2, guns = #6-#9concern and they can be played against each other.

First, in discussing it I look at abortion from a political problem point of view. Others elsewhere can discuss it as a moral issue, that's not my intent here.

If Barack Obama and Democrats can publicly state they support the 2nd Amendment, then do everything they can to oppose it, why can't John McCain and Republicans publicly state they support "a woman's right to choose" then work to oppose it? Republicans need to at least treat the abortion issue in the same manner the Democrats treat gun control. Sorry, I mispoke - "gun safety".

"I support a woman's right to chose" - now how can that statement be twisted? Well, is a 16 year old girl a "woman"? Some folks could assert a woman is not a woman (much as a man is not a man) until she become a parent. So a Republican could publicly state he supports a "woman's" right to chose and be referring to a very narrow group of people - of course the voters might not understand that distinction.

And "the right to choose" - why is this not treated as "the right to keep and bear arms" by Republicans in public discussion? In other words, yes you have a right - well, sort of.

How about banning clinics within 5 miles of a church or school, all while saying they support a woman's right to chose? Or proposing all sorts of restrictions on the clinic (all in the name of safety for the woman) while publicly supporting "the right to chose"?

Should Republicans adopt pro - choice for real? I don't know and perhaps that will never happen. But why not at least do the same weasel wording on abortion that the Democrats do on guns? Democrats still know their party wants gun control, Republicans would still know their party opposes abortion.