It’s looking more and more like the legalization of concealed carry in Wisconsin on November 1 wasn’t just a good thing for personal defense. And second amendment rights. It was also a boon to the local economy. The added traffic and sales at a recent gun show in Green Bay revealed just how much pent up demand there was in the Badger State. Dealers and firearms trainers there are doing land office business. So why not spread the wealth?
The gun show was seeing higher traffic and more sales than ever. And dealers from all around the Midwest were there to cash in. From greenbaygazette.com:
“I’ve been at these shows before myself and no one was looking for small guns then,” said Kurt Munchoff of Nelson Tactical, 1367 Velp Ave. in Green Bay.
Tom Hardell of Tom’s Military Arms & Gun Shop Discount Store in Fond du Lac was expecting plenty of handgun sales during the show. He sold two handguns within the first hour and a half.
“Sales are up — way up,” he said.
And it’s not just heater dealers that are seeing more shekels in the til.
Concealed carry also has triggered a new business opportunity for area gun ranges.
George Butz Jr. of Wisconsin Tactical Training has been planning to open a gun range in Grand Chute for about two years. His original plan was to use the range for law enforcement training, but the rising interest in concealed carry showed him there’s a need for a place where civilians can practice shooting.
“There’s a huge interest. I’m already getting phone calls on a daily basis,” he said. “It only made sense that I went down the civilian route.”
So why should cheddarheads be the only one to benefit? If so much business is being done in relatively small Green Bay, just imagine the economic dynamo that would be unleashed with a little gun law liberalization in – oh, I don’t know – New York? Maybe California? Those are just a couple of states that immediately come to mind.
The federal government racked up a trillion dollars in “stimulus” spending with no discernible effect. Can anyone say where those dollars went? What jobs were created? There seems to be a general correlation between states with stricter gun control laws and higher unemployment rates. Surely those cash-strapped jurisdictions would be only too happy to have the added sales taxes and jobs that would result from relaxed gun laws. Right?
OMG! Close the Gun Show Loophole! Whatever that is?
“There seems to be a general correlation between states with stricter gun control laws and higher unemployment rates”.
Along with higher state debts, more crime, etc. Modern liberalism as practiced by the PC progressive crowd is a mental disorder.
“Surely those cash-strapped jurisdictions would be only too happy to have the added sales taxes and jobs that would result from relaxed gun laws. Right?”
I’m terribly sorry, old chap, but the only progressively acceptable method of raising revenue in leftist states is through increased taxes on businesses and individuals (aka, “the rich”). See, that is the only FAIR way to raise money. And it does an excellent job of increasing business opportunities in conservative states. Ask Buck Knives why they left Kalifornia after 75 years there, and moved to northern Idaho a few years ago.
Sounds like Scientific Socialism in action.
Actually, there’s probably an even bigger gold mine in drug legalization. Right now, we’re spending billions per year trying to suppress the distribution and sale of various products in demand when we could be taking in billions regulating and taxing those products. Additionally, a lot of the violent crime around the drug trade would disappear if it became legal. That’s what happened with alcohol prohibition. Bootleggers and gangsters killed each other and bystanders over barrels of whiskey, but when was the last time you heard of a distiller settling his business disputes with a tommy gun? Legal markets settle disputes with courts and contracts. Illegal markets settle things with guns and knives.
If we did both at once, liberalized gun and drug laws, it would be a grand slam for public safety and the economy. A populace that’s better equipped to protect itself would present more of a deterrent to crime, there would be less crime because prohibition would have ended, and the increase in normal commerce in both the firearms and drug sectors would drive the economy forward.
Absolutely 100% spot on.
New York City actually has a gun range right in the heart of the Flatiron District. It has seven lanes, and they’re always busy. The City also has three gun stores, and they are also always busy. And New York City also has 35,000 cops, some of whom spend a lot of time checking on people at the run range and at the gun stores when they’re not busy stealing apples. Sic semper something or other.
$1,000 for a picture of the Midget Bloomberg at target practice
Idaho Pete and Carlos have it about right.
If we loosen up gun laws, then the Brady Campaign will want to light more candles. Not only will gun sales go up, but candle sales as well. Win-win as far as I’m concerned.
When I first got my permit to carry back in ought-three or so, I sent away to NH to get their permit too. No brainer; you send them $20, a pic and a copy of your va;id PTC and they send you a NH one, good for I think it was 5 years, same as the MN one. So a couple of years back I see my NH permit needs renewing, hop on their website to get the address and find out that it’s now eighty bucks. I guess they weren’t happy with getting $20 for a $0.50 piece of plastic and 5 minutes of a secretary’s time and they figured they’d cash in.
Oops.
Not a single one of my carry friends renewed his/her NH permit.
I was at this show 45 minutes after it opened and ended up standing in line for a half an hour just to get in.