Cash-strapped states raid 911 funds

More than $200 million collected from cell phone users for upgrades to the 911 system has been diverted in the last two years to plug state budget holes, keep campaign promises and, in at least one case, buy police uniforms, an Associated Press analysis has found.

Never, ever rely only on the authorities to keep you safe or help you when you need it. Especially if anyone in power has campaign promises to keep.

Oregon, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Tennessee are among the states that have dipped into their 911 money recently. New York and Rhode Island have been diverting their funds for at least five years. States started collecting the funds in the 1990s.

In the fiscal year that ended in June 2008, Rhode Island collected $19.4 million in 911 fees and used $5.8 million for 911. The rest went to the state’s general fund.

If only politicians would make campaign promises to upgrade the 911 system, they could raid the 911 upgrade funds to keep their promise to upgrade the 911 system.

Via the NRA-ILA:

On June 11, the top law enforcement officials of nearly half the states signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, expressing their opposition to reinstatement of the federal ban on semi-automatic firearms.

“We share the Obama Administration’s commitment to reducing illegal drugs and violent crime within the United States. We also share your deep concern about drug cartel violence in Mexico. However, we do not believe that restricting law-abiding Americans’ access to certain semi-automatic firearms will resolve any of these problems,” the letter said.

The letter notes congressional opposition to bringing back the ban, and calls for increasing enforcement of existing laws.

We encourage NRA members to let these state officials know we appreciate them standing up to the incessant clamor for gun control that is currently coming from anti-gun groups and their media allies.

The 23 state Attorneys General, in alphabetical order, by state, are:
(more…)

Those watching things closely may have noticed a trend:

• Gun sales jump (Utah)
• Area gun sales spike (Alabama)
• Gun sales rise in Ohio, stay flat in Ross County (Ohio)
• Gun sales shoot up after Election Day (Colorado)
• Gun sales up, supplies down (Texas)
• S.D. gun shops see rise in sales (South Dakota)
• Gun, ammo sales increase in Churchill, Lyon counties (Nevada)
• Local gun sales increase since election (Arkansas)
• Gun sales shoot way up (Maine)
• Hawaii gun sales shooting up
• Fear Fuels Gun Sales Locally (West Virginia)
• Gun Sales Are Up Since Obama Election (Kentucky)
• Fear of ban increases gun sales (Mississippi)
• Finger on safety as gun sales shoot upward (Idaho)
• Gun sales rise as owners fear stricter controls (North Carolina)
• Gun Sales Boom Ahead of Obama Presidency (Tennessee)
• Gun Sales Booming Since Presidential Election (Nebraska)
• Gun sales, permits climb following election (North Dakota)
• Gun Sales Rise As Buyers Anticipate Political Change (Washington)
• Gun Sales Shoot Upward in Springfield (Missouri)
• Madison gun sales soar (Virginia)
• Some stores see surge in gun sales (Pennsylvania)
• Firearm sales surge following election (Wisconsin)

These are all from the past two or three days and aren’t simply re-runs of AP items in different papers. All of these have considerable, if not exclusively, local content. I could easily have included many, many more.

No doubt, the media coverage is feeding the flames a bit. As is the fact that hunting seasons are kicking off or underway in most states right now. But the trend is unmistakable.

It doesn’t seem to be localized to the bitter, clingy parts of the nation. Or to the red states.

No longer sanctuaries
Linoge gets some comments from someone who was at the Knoxville UU church during the attack.

Why don’t more churches call for gun control?
Who knows? Doesn’t everyone everywhere favor gun control? I know criminals do.

D.C. City Council’s False “Findings” of Facts on Firearms
What? Misrepresenting facts in an anti-gun argument? When did they start doing that?

New Yorkers’ Gun Rights May Rest on Hot Dog Vendor’s Case
The collective right argument used to prosecute gun possession charges in New York should have evaporated in Heller.

Second Amendment News Roundup for 7/31/08
Another fine list of links at The Liberty Sphere.

Rush and the NRA
Limbaugh’s contribution to making the 1st Amendment stick is priceless.

Congress’s Duty to D.C. Residents
Just as with the First Amendment, it matters not a whit whether we reside in the state of Indiana or the District of Columbia. We are protected by the same Bill of Rights. Or Chicago, for that matter.

SCAR Demo Video
I got to try these things out in February. Good stuff.

Skorpion Photos
Nuff said.

Ode to the Toy Tec-9, and a Humiliating Defeat at the Assassination Game
They don’t make toy guns like they used to.

The Natural Right of Self-Defense: Heller’s Lesson to the World
Everyone needs to remember that the right to self-defense is not granted by law, it’s just supposed to be guaranteed by law. The right exists whatever the law says or does not say.

Bi-Partisan Bill Introduced to Restore the Second Amendment Rights of D.C. Residents
Agreement?

Burglary suspect shot while choking homeowner
Didn’t they stop to think how the guy doing the choking felt?

Friday Linkzookery
Lots more links at Murdoc Online.

Neighbor killed after threats, home invasion

A Prairie Creek resident shot and killed a neighbor who had kicked in his door Tuesday evening and tried to assault him, police said.

Johnny Hawthorne shot Mekin Kantaphone with a handgun once in the head in self-defense inside Hawthorne’s home, Benton County sheriff’s Capt. Mike Sydoriak said.

The prosecuting attorney’s office will decide whether the shooting was justified, Sydoriak said.

Kantaphone, 34, sent threatening text and voice messages to Hawthorne, 25, earlier in the day, he said.

There are allegations that the shooter was having an affair with the shootee’s wife. The shootee’s brother tried to keep him from going in, but he couldn’t.

Press Release:

Konus’ long-anticipated KonusPro M-30 Series of riflescopes for professional and tactical use has finally arrived. Fully loaded with more features than any other scope in its category, the KonusPro M-30 Series is designed for power and precision and is the ideal line of long range scopes built for hunting, military use, law enforcement and bench rest/target shooting. The product line, which consists of three beefy 30mm riflescopes – a 4.5-16×40mm (MRSP $529.95), a 6.5-25×44mm (MRSP $579.95) and an 8.5-32×52mm (MRSP $629.95) – is available immediately to members of the press for testing and will be unveiled to the public at SHOT Show in January 2008.

You can bet I’ll be taking a look at these in February at the SHOT show in Vegas.

Full press release below:
(more…)