Newt Hits Romney On Gun Tax, And Has A Point

[twyacht]

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/01/daniel-zimmerman/gingrich-hits-romney-on-gun-tax-increase/#more-94127

Gingrich Hits Romney on Gun Tax Increase
Posted on January 10, 2012 by Dan Zimmerman

Continuing his full frontal assault on Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich (looking thoroughly befuddled by that thing he’s holding, above) lit into the a-little-too-perfectly coiffed former Massachusetts governor for raising taxes on guns by 400% when he was the Bay State executive. Sticklers for the truth that they are, guardian.co.uk points out that, “the ‘tax’ Gingrich refers to was in fact a fee on gun licenses that Romney raised in 2003 as part of his administration’s effort that year to scour the tax code for loopholes it could close and fees it could hike to close a budget deficit.” Thanks for that distinction without a difference. Tax or fee, the dollars still come out of gun owners’ pockets every time they buy a new boomstick or renew an existing license. And as we learned in Econ 101, that which is taxed is discouraged. . .

Imagine that – a Massachusetts governor raising taxes. Say it ain’t so, Joe. That’s almost as newsworthy as a politician lying. But the next primary’s coming up fast and Gingrich sees an opportunity.

    “He raised taxes on owning a gun, a topic we will talk about a great deal in South Carolina, where they think registering a gun and having it taxed by the government is not a very clever idea,” Gingrich said yesterday in Manchester, N.H.

Meanwhile, Romney’s trying to be just as pedantic as the Guardian.

    Romney has long argued that fees are not taxes because they are charged for specific services. But others, including gun owners in Massachusetts – who number about 200,000 – have rejected that distinction.

    “It’s a tax on our rights. Period,” (executive director of the Gun Owners Action League, James) Wallace said today.

Good luck making that case, Mitt.

[Timothy]

I'm not defending Romney but what tax would they be referring to?  Newt was wrong the other day about a $100.00 per gun fee that DOES NOT EXIST!

I pay sales tax on guns, nothing more!  My prices on guns are no different than guns I've seen in other states surrounding MA!

Oh, and by the way, there are nearly 800K gun owners in MA!

[twyacht]

The “tax” Gingrich refers to was in fact a fee on gun licenses that Romney raised in 2003 as part of his administration’s effort that year to scour the tax code for loopholes it could close and fees it could hike to close a budget deficit.

Romney initially proposed raising the fee for a gun license from $25 to $75, but the Legislature bumped it to $100, and Romney signed that increase into law, according to James Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners Action League, a Massachusetts gun rights group.

The following year, Romney worked with the Legislature to increase the duration of a gun license from four to six years, which had the effect of mitigating the higher gun license fee. So a gun license that used to cost $25 for 4 years ($6.25 per year) became $100 for 6 years ($16.66 per year).

All told, Romney raised fees by about $375 million and closed tax loopholes that raised another $375 million in revenue, according to Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a nonpartisan, business-backed budget watchdog group.

*****

It's an election year,.....and have posted Romney's adherence to the "reasonable" gun laws in Mass...

The Romney Campaign Flag...



 

[Timothy]

Thanks and I am a member of the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts!  Considering what we were faced with from the State Legislature, I'll gladly pay the 100 bucks...

Again, not a big Romney supporter but he was a damn sight better than our current asshat and far better than the two Republican asshats that were there before he came into office.  I don't know which one was worse, Weld or Cellucci...

[santahog]

Considering what we were faced with from the State Legislature, I'll gladly pay the 100 bucks...

But I won't.. It's the same as a Poll Tax.. You have a Constitutionally guranteed 2A/RKBA just as much as a right to vote. Neither are appropriately subject to a fee to exercise said right..
I'm glad he was better than the other guy, but that ain't good enough for me.... I'm not settling on this one..
If SC, or even Florida decides that an extra C-note, in principle, to keep the gun is a good idea, then we really have lost the Republic..
IMO..

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

Agreed Santa. I have zero problem paying a few bucks (I think its $5 in Fl.) to do the instant check. Its a fee for service. After all, someone has to man the phones and they want a paycheck. Likewise, my CCW fee, while annoying, is no more an imposition than a fishing licence. Its irritating, but its something I can live with if I have to to carry. But if you start charging me money just to own a gun, and require me to register it with you, and think that's a reasonable thing? Sorry, we have parted company.
FQ13

[Rastus]

Thanks and I am a member of the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts!  Considering what we were faced with from the State Legislature, I'll gladly pay the 100 bucks...
.......

You pay to buy a gun or to have a NICS check?  Amazing. 

In OK and LA we pay a tax on guns, a sales tax.  Is that what you are talking about? 

 

[Pathfinder]

All told, Romney raised fees by about $375 million and closed tax loopholes that raised another $375 million in revenue, according to Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a nonpartisan, business-backed budget watchdog group.

Notice that nothing was said about actually, ya know, cutting costs or not spending the money in the first place?

Mitt? No thanks.

[mkm]

Not a fan of Romney and not taking up for him.  I'm just trying to make sense of this thread.  I'm basing my response off of Tim and TW's posts.

Many of you seem to think that there is a separate, extra $100 payed as a tax or some other form of payment to purchase or own a gun.  What I got out of this is that the cost of the pistol permit was raised to $100 and then subsequently extended to six years to help make up for the extra cost.  The price went up a little, but, at $16.66 a year, they pay $1.66 more a year than I do.

[Timothy]

You pay to buy a gun or to have a NICS check?  Amazing.  

In OK and LA we pay a tax on guns, a sales tax.  Is that what you are talking about?  

No fee to buy a gun.  The only fee is your CCW license of 100 bucks for 6 years.  No fee to run an NICS check either.  People we need to keep the facts straight here.  Massachusetts, with the exception of the registration part of the equation, ain't much different than anywhere else.  In fact, it's still better than MD, NY, NJ, IL, WI and CA!

Edited per request!