Wednesday, May 20, 2009

DOD Ends Sale of Expended Military Brass to Remanufacturers

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2009

DOD Ends Sale of Expended Military Brass to Remanufacturers


AND SO IT BEGINS...
We all wondered when it was going to start--when the new administration would make their move against us as gun owners. 

Oh, everyone got upset about HR45--I'll bet I got over 100 e-mails warning me about this draconian gun registration bill that had been introduced in Congress.

I was really glad to see Tom Gresham, host of "Gun Talk Radio," an editor, writer, television host on "Self-Defense TV," and one of the foremost gun spokespersons, come out and tell everyone to stop worrying about legislation so absolutely over-the-top--it would never get out of committee.

Tom said save your energy for when we really need it--don't expend it trying to warn everyone in your e-mail list about legislation that would go nowhere.

Now, Tom just interviewed me, and Larry Haynie, owner of Georgia Arms (http://www.georgia-arms.com/), on Gun Talk (http://www.guntalk.com/)--and Tom agrees, now is the time to "...unleash the hounds..." by which he means start e-mailing and writing your senators and congressmen.

Now it has come clear...now we know what they intend to do.

It is an end-run around Congress. They don't need to try to ban guns--they don't need to fight a massive battle to attempt gun registration, or limit "assault" weapon sales.

Nope. All they have to do is limit the amount of ammunition available to the civilian market, and when bullets dry up, guns will be useless.

Think we jest?

Here are copies of two letters sent to Georgia Arms just Thursday evening--effectively cancelling a contract he had to purchase 30,000 pounds of expended military brass in .223, 7.62mm, and .50 caliber:


Dear Valued Customer:

Please take a moment to note important changes set forth by the Defense Logistics Agency:

Recently it has been determined that fired munitions of all calibers, shapes and sizes have been designated to be Demil code B. As a result and in conjunction with DLA's current Demil code B policy, this notice will serve as official notification which requires Scrap Venture (SV) to implement mutilation as a condition of sale for all sales of fired munitions effective immediately. This notice also requires SV to immediately cease delivery of any fired munitions that have been recently sold or on active term contracts, unless the material has been mutilated prior to sale or SV personnel can attest to the mutilation after delivery. A certificate of destruction is required in either case.

Thank you,

DOD Surplus
15051 N Kierland Blvd # 300
Scottsdale, AZ 85254



March 12, 2009

Larry Haynie
Georgia Arms
PO Box 238
Villa Rica, GA 30180

Re: Event 7084-6200:

Dear Larry Haynie,

Effective immediately DOD Surplus, LLC, will be implementing new requirements for mutilation of fired shell casings. The new DRMS requirement calls for DOD Surplus personnel to witness the mutilation of the property and sign the Certificate of Destruction. Mutilation of the property can be done at the DRMO, if permitted by the Government, or it may be mutilated at a site chosen by the buyer. Mutilation means that the property will be destroyed to the extent prevents its reuse or reconstruction. DOD Surplus personnel will determine when property has been sufficiently mutilated to meet the requirements of the Government.

If you do not agree with the new conditions of your spot sale, please sign the appropriate box provided below stating that you do not agree to the new terms and would like to cancel your purchase effective immediately. If you do agree to the new terms please sign in the appropriate box provided below to acknowledge your understanding and agreement with the new requirements relating to your purchase. Fax the signed document back to (480) 367-1450, emailed responses are not acceptable.

Please respond to this request no later than close of business Monday, March 16th, 2009.

Sincerely,

Government Liquidation.



Got that? From now on, remanufacturers of military brass will not be able to buy surplus brass from DOD--actually from Government Liquidators, llc.--the corporation that sells surplus materials for the U.S. government. At least, not in any form recognizable as once-fired brass ammunition.

Now all brass ammunition will have to be shredded, and sold as scrap.

Georgia Arms, who brought this to our attention, is the 5th largest ammunition manufacturer of centerfire pistol and rifle ammunition in the U.S.

"We're right up there behind Hornady," Larry Haynie told me.

He also told me with the cancellation of his contract to purchase this brass, and the ending of his ability to purchase any more expended military ammunition, he will have to severely curtail his operation--laying off approximately half his 60-person work force.

Haynie further pointed out this move is a stupendous waste of taxpayer money--reducing the worth of the brass some 80%--from casings, to shredded bulk brass.

He stated most of this will now go to foundries where it will be melted down, cast in shippable forms, and likely be sold to China, one of the largest purchasers of U.S. metals on the open market.

Haynie was manufacturing over 1 million rounds of .223 ammunition every month, which he sold on the civilian market to resellers, and to law enforcement agencies across the country.

He will start tomorrow sending cancellations of orders for .223 to law enforcement agencies all over the country.

You can expect this to affect every bullet you purchase in the future--with no reloaded ammunition available, the already strained new manufacturers will be unable to meet demand. They are already turning out everything they can build for the military market. The civilian market is stressed to the point even reloading components have become hard to find.

Now, with this hit, ammunition prices will go through the roof in the next year.

Your quality piece, sitting in your gun rack, will become a very expensive wood and steel, or plastic and steel club.

What can you do?

Google "contact members of Congress" or simply type inhttp://www.congress.org/.
When you reach that site, type in your zip code--it will give you all your representatives, senators, and their web pages.

Or you can find the addresses and e-mails of your own senators and congressmen by going tohttp://www.senate.gov/ and http://www.house.gov/. Both pages have locator aids at the top of the page.



Here is a letter I just sent to Representative Bill Cassidy, Congressman from the 6th District of Louisiana, and Senator David Vitter of Louisiana. I will be sending it to every member of our congressional delegation. Feel free to copy it and paste in your own e-mail, sending it to your legislators.

We have to stop this now!


The Honorable Bill Cassidy
Member of Congress from Louisiana

Dear Congressman Cassidy:

It has come to my attention that the Department of Defense has issued a directive that all expended military brass (fired cases) will now be shredded and sold for scrap material, rather than resold by Government Liquidators LLC to the civilian market for remanufacture.

You may not be aware of it, but there is a severe shortage of ammunition available for sale to the public across the country, causing problems for shooters, hunters, and reloaders everywhere.

Now, apparently the Obama administration, realizing they cannot move against private firearms ownership since the landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Washington D.C./Heller case, has made their move in another way.

By cutting off the resale of expended military ammunition to remanufacturers, they have put a stranglehold on the nation's ammunition supply.

Further, they have reduced the return to the government on expended brass by 80%. What was sold for remanufacturer at a fair return to the government, will now cost the taxpayers untold sums of money as the cost of scrap brass is far below the price per pound for expended military ammunition.

In addition, the use of remanufactured ammunition is a huge asset to law enforcement agencies across the country who buy millions of rounds of reloaded ammunition a year from these manufacturers for practice rounds.

With this market gone, law enforcement will no longer be able to purchase inexpensive reloaded ammunition, and with the continuing combat status of military forces across the Middle East, original manufacturers of new ammunition are turning out everything they can make to the government, thus exacerbating the shortage of new ammunition in both the civilian and law enforcement market.

Lastly, in these harsh economic times, does it not strike you as cold and calculating that the Obama administration has no compunction against ruining an industry that employs thousands of American citizens in the remanufacturing of sporting and military ammunition. One major resupplier, Georgia Arms, the fifth largest manufacturer of centerfire pistol and rifle ammunition has informed me he will have to quickly lay off half his 60-person workforce, as he has had to cancel contracts with dozens of police agencies who had contracted with him to supply them with remanufactured .223 ammunition.

Georgia Arms has been practically put out of business by this directive that all expended military brass must be shredded. His current contracts have been canceled, and he is notifying his customers across the country he can no longer supply their ammunition needs.

Please look into this immediately. This move by the Obama administration is nothing but a back-door strike against firearms ownership in this country--if shooters can't buy ammunition, the guns are little better than steel clubs--and this is obviously the intent.

Thank you for your time and efforts in this serious attack against the Second Amendment rights of the American citizenry.

Sincerely,

Gordon Hutchinson

Author "The Great New Orleans Gun Grab"

Firearms Columnist for Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Mississippi Sportsman magazines.

taken from: theshootist.net's blog!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Economic stimulus


This was an article from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday.
The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?"
I thought this was the BEST idea....
I think this guy nailed it!

What a Great Economic stimulus Idea, that will work.


Dear Mr. President,
Patriotic retirement:
There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force - Pay them $1 million apiece severance with the following stipulations:
1) They leave their jobs. Forty-million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty-million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.
3) They either buy a house/pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.
It can't get any easier than that!
PS If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and cabinet members pay their taxes for change........


A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Power of the People and the Disgrace of the Media!! (GOPUSA.com The Loft.. Posted by Bobby Eberle on 041609)

- The Loft - http://www.gopusa.com/theloft -

The Power of the People and the Disgrace of the Media

Posted By Bobby Eberle On April 16, 2009 at 8:04 am

Thousands and thousands of people took to the streets on Wednesday to send a message. They gathered in groups large and small, waving signs, shouting slogans, and calling for real change. Was this a one-time event or the start of something bigger? I'll look at it further, but one thing is clear, in many places across the country, people had to brave the wind, rain, and cold in order for their voices to be heard... and they still showed up.

On the other end of the spectrum was the behavior of the so-called mainstream media. Their actions, comments, and coverage of the tea party protests were beyond unprofessional. They showed in one brief day that there is no such thing as journalistic standards and that they will do everything they can to belittle the voice of concerned Americans if that voice runs counter to their left-wing agenda. Pathetic.

First, the good news. The Tax Day Tea Parties were a huge success. Hundreds of protest rallies occurred on Wednesday, ranging in size from the hundreds to the thousands. From the reports I received, the energy level was tremendously high.

In Cincinnati, 700 WLW radio reported 7,000 people at noon time on Fountain Square. It is pretty big, and it was packed. No politicians speaking just some citizens. It looks like better than 25,000 people attended 12 events in Ohio.
Bill Kintner

The estimate I heard on the turnout in Lansing, Michigan was 4,000 on the Capitol steps/lawn. I ws there, the turnout was fantastic, and the natives are indeed restless!! Joe the Plumber spoke, as well as a few others, but perhaps the most important points made were to the effect that it's not Congress' job to keep an eye on Congress, it's OUR job!
Cheryl Singleton-Thompson

We had 5,000 patriots at Lagrave Field in Fort Worth, Texas! Governor Rick Perry was there and gave a rousing speech to the excited throngs of people! The amazing thing was the diversity of the crowd. There were a lot of vets, and I met two active duty Marines who were in uniform at the event. It was GREAT!
Billy Haas

I attended in Santa Clarita, CA. There were 1000+ I'd estimate. I talked to the organizers. They were simply ten people who were fed up. They all pitched in to get it going, and none of them were "professionals." Massive drive by support - we connected with thousands. Kids with families, empty nesters, young adults in attendence.
Mike Kennedy

We had about 6,000 in Sacramento. Great group of people, mostly first timers. The silent majority is waking up. Lots of great signs.
Bob Lackner

And now some pictures:


Oklahoma City, Samantha Votaw -- The turnout here was great. I'm not a great estimator, but it was more than 5000, could have been 7500, or so. Good stuff!


Ann Graper Manion -- They estimated 5000 people on the capital grounds. There were a lot of enthusiastic and passionate people. This kind of passion can truly bring about CHANGE!


Greg Henson -- It was a great turn out in St. Louis. Some estimates I heard were over 5,000. ACORN was a no-show. I walked around for over 2 hours and only found 1 lonesome counter protester.


Eric Scroggin -- From the Louisville, KY Tea Party


Michael Koffenberger -- From the Harrisburg, PA Tea Party


Becky Flowers -- Tremendous, awe-inspiring turnout! Jones Plaza was full! The overflow was spread all around the perimeter, into the streets. Channel 11 had a helicopter overhead.


Nancy Hite Duerstine -- We were at the San Angelo, TX Tea Party. We had a crowd of 1200! What a day!

It was often asked by some of the Fox News anchors last night about the meaning of the tax day protests. To me, the meaning is clear. People are fed up. They are fed up with taxes, fed up with spending, and fed up with having no voice. The other point that should be mentioned is that Americans from both political parties turned out on Wednesday. From reports I received, some speakers were booed if they got too partisan. The point? The point is that we've seen both Republicans and Democrats turn their back on the American people. Spending, spending, spending, and taxes, taxes, taxes. It is too much, and we've all had enough.

As my friend Shaun Barcelow commented, "I heard somebody on the local radio station suggest that attendees shouldn't bring their kids. Why not? They're the ones paying for it!"

Now, for the media. The coverage was pathetic... but not only that... it was how it was covered that really showed the complete bias and agenda-driven nature of today's "journalists." First, we have this clip from a CNN "reporter."

Anderson Cooper on CNN also carried on with a phrase that was echoed on MSNBC as well. Rather than referring to yesterday's events as tax day protests or tea party protests, these Cooper and others referred to the events as "teabagging" and the attendees as "teabaggers."

In this case, "teabagging" is a sexual reference, and I'll leave it to you to look it up. The main point here is that the media have thrown all credibility aside in the pursuit of their left-wing support for Obama and a socialist agenda. Just imagine if this had been an anti-war protest!

Yesterday, during the day, I was monitoring some of the news web sites to see what kind of coverage was being generated by the tea party protests. Around noon, there was nothing on CNN, MSNBC, or ABC. There was a story on the CBS web site about the tea parties, but it was not such much about the fed-up Americans across the country as it was trying to make the events some kind of Republican operation.

Many Americans are finally speaking out. We need it to continue. We need to keep up the pressure on both the media and Washington. There is so much at stake, and this is just the beginning.


Article printed from The Loft: http://www.gopusa.com/theloft

URL to article: http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=1315

Click here to print.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Fallen Police Sergent Posthumously Named County Officer of The Year!! (04302009) Prince George's to hold Valor Awards Luncheon Today......by Aundrea




Thursday, April 30, 2009

Fallen police sergeant posthumously named county Officer of the Year

Prince George's to hold Valor Awards luncheon today

The Prince George's County Valor Awards are reserved for public safety officials who have faced danger or risked their lives in the line of duty. Today Sgt. Richard Findley will receive two of the highest awards given by the county police department, the Gold Medal of Valor and the Officer of the Year Award, for giving his life in the line of duty.

Findley, 39, was killed June 27, 2008 in Laurel when he was hit by a stolen truck that he was attempting to stop as part of his job with the District 6 special assignment team.

"He unfortunately was killed doing what he loved to do. He enjoyed going out there and catching bad guys," said Sgt. Jeff Schreiber, who oversees the special assignment team that Findley was a part of. "We know it can happen. If we don't do [our jobs] then society would be running amuck."

His widow, Kelly Findley, 30, will accept the award on his behalf.

"He always liked being recognized for his larger busts and getting the recognition that he deserved," she said. "Unfortunately in order to get this honor you have to die."

A supervisor or co-worker usually nominates a recipient of the valor awards. Each department selects an employee as official of the year and also awards gold, silver and bronze awards for valor, depending on the danger the official faced.

Kelly Findley said her husband enjoyed his 10 years in the police department, particularly his time spent on the street.

"His sergeant's test came in April [before he died] and he said 'Go ahead and file that in the trash,'" Kelly Findley said. "If he would have taken that [and been promoted] he would have been babysitting a larger group."

Findley was a corporal when he died and was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant.

"He did great police work, he loved to go out and find drugs and guns," said Schreiber, adding one of Findley's biggest busts on the team was recovering more than 80 pounds of marijuana in March 2007. "He has definitely made his mark in the Beltsville area."

In the time since his death, Kelly Findley, of New Windsor in Carroll County, said the last few months have been a blur but the Beltsville Volunteer Department, and members of the police department have been a huge help to her and her two daughters, Lauren, 7, and Nicole, 10,

"The fire department, any time I call and need something they are there," she said. "They don't abandon their own. It is a true family and you don't realize how big and strong it is until you need them."

Richard and Kelly Findley met at the Beltsville fire department, where Richard volunteered for 20 years and Kelly regularly volunteered up until the birth of her daughters.

Benefits and charity rides have raised thousands of dollars for the Findley family and Kelly Findley said so far she and her daughters have been able to make it by.

"His pension is meager and we get that and the girls get Social Security benefits," she said.

She said her neighbors have helped with a lot of handy work around the house as well.

"Rich wasn't too handy around the house to start with," she said. "But he was able to pull some handiness together for his Christmas in April project."

Christmas in April is an annual nonprofit program in which project teams work to renovate and refurbish homes in the county. Findley was in charge of a team that renovated an elderly woman's house in 2007. He even donated $1,500 of his own money to buy the woman a new water heater.

"When it was all done it was about $15,000 worth of donated supplies," said Schreiber, who added that projects usually come in at around $4,000 to $5,000 at the most.

Kelly Findley said he was always trying to give people a hand.

"He was the type of person that if you saw something you liked, he was about finding the bargain for you so you didn't have to pay full price," she said. "[After his death] I had so many people coming up to me say they knew Rich when he was a kid and he was a great person and he is truly going to be missed."

Her daughters were especially hard hit by the loss.

"Nicole is my very sentimental and emotional child. I can hold it together until I see her cry," Kelly Findley said. "I look at my kids every day and I'm blessed to have them because I have a piece of him with me."

A lot of anonymous gifts were set to the girls. Standing out among them are matching heart pendants with Findley's picture laser cut into them. The girls wore the pendants — their favorite gifts — at the April 21 engraving ceremony of their father's name on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C.

"They try not to wear them too often so they don't get ruined," Kelly Findley said.

Schreiber said at least the girls will be able to see the awards their father received and understand that people were grateful for the work that he did.

"His girls can look back on that, and so can Kelly, and know he was a hero," Schreiber said.

E-mail Andrea Noble anoble@gazette.net.

IF YOU GO

The Valor Awards luncheon is being held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today at the Camelot located at 13901 Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro. An official from the county police, fire and EMS, and corrections departments and the sheriff's office and Public Safety Communications Center will each be honored with the official of the year award. Nine officials will receive gold medal valor awards, 10 will receive silver and 40 will receive bronze. The awards are distributed based on the level of danger each employee faced.