This is a new completely different hearing.

SB69 is scheduled to be heard thursday 01/31/2013 @3pm in conference room 224.  This bill is important for gun owners in Hawaii.

SB69- is the Guns Buy-back Program; Appropriation.  Essentially what this bill does is appropriates $100,000 to the county police departments to initiate a gun buy-back program.

These are the steps they are putting in place.  Imagine if this gets passed, it paves the way for when the machine gun ban passes.  We must oppose and resist these measures.  We all need to stand together to stand a chance.  Do your part.


If you cannot submit testimony in person, submit online testimony at the following link.
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=69

submitted short opposing testimony
no capitalization or punctuation, so i won't post what i wrote here

This is a new completely different hearing.

SB69 is scheduled to be heard thursday 01/31/2013 @3pm in conference room 224.  This bill is important for gun owners in Hawaii.

SB69- is the Guns Buy-back Program; Appropriation.  Essentially what this bill does is appropriates $100,000 to the county police departments to initiate a gun buy-back program.

These are the steps they are putting in place.  Imagine if this gets passed, it paves the way for when the machine gun ban passes.  We must oppose and resist these measures.  We all need to stand together to stand a chance.  Do your part.


If you cannot submit testimony in person, submit online testimony at the following link.
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=69

thanks we need everyone to again submit testimony.  do your part

Opposed....

Did anyone read the bill?  This bill just rants and raves about Colorado and various other shootings.  Then $100K to be distributed to all the PD's?  guess they are NOT going to pay much for your gun when they come and take it.  Also, I noticed that Espero was an introducer.   I thought he was pro gun?    Jeeez.  The powers against...

Submitted:

The bill itself is a very emotional and not a well thought out bill.  The price of freedom is much more than this.  The buy back program will do nothing to stop or curb gun violence, which statistically shows, Hawaii has very few.  This is a waste of tax dollars that the already overburdened taxpayer will have to support.  This is not just a money issue, but also a moral issue.  An open buy back will allow criminals to turn in weapons without fear of prosecution. This may even encourage more gun theft. This will more than likely increase crime and dangerous situations in which criminals are in possession of firearms.  They turn in non-functional weapons and use the monies to buy working weapons.  I implore you to use some common sense and logic to assess the firearm situation.

Also sent a letter to my senator Espero.  I would like to know his reasoning for introducing this bill.  If he even bothers to write back, I will post up his comments.

responded quite quickly...

what I asked...

Hello Sir,

I respectfully ask why you have submitted the Senate Bill 69?

 The bill itself is a very emotional and not a well thought out bill. The price of freedom is much more than this.  The buy back program will do nothing to stop or curb gun violence, which statistically shows, Hawaii has very few.  This is a waste of tax dollars that the already overburdened taxpayer will have to support.  This is not just a money issue, but also a moral issue.  An open buy back will allow criminals to turn in weapons without fear of prosecution. This may even encourage more gun theft. This will more than likely increase crime and dangerous situations in which criminals are in possession of firearms.  They turn in non-functional weapons and use the monies to buy working weapons.  I implore you to use some common sense and logic to assess the firearm situation.

I would like to understand how removing the rights of law abiding citizens will make Hawaii a safer place, and how this bill will do anything to suppress crime.

Please respond to my inquiry.

 Thank you very much for your time.

Respectfully,
(heavies)
your constituent

Thanks for your comments.

I respectfully disagree with your perspective but appreciate the feedback.

Look at all the other anti-gun bills.  How many did I introduce?

 

At the very least, if a law abiding citizen has a gun that he or she wants to get rid of, a buy-back program would help.

We do not do this often.  I believe a buy-back program at this point would be harmless to gun owners like yourself.

 

Mahalo for your interest.

Will Espero

So, Just because he only introduced one anti-gun, anti-freedom, tax money wasting, criminal loving, remove your constitutional RIGHTS bill I'm supposed to be okay with it?

I hope that anyone that is pro gun, in my district,  that voted for this guy takes this into consideration next time.... and let him know too.

Submitted opposition.

Respectfully,
(heavies)
your constituent


So, Just because he only introduced one anti-gun, anti-freedom, tax money wasting, criminal loving, rem


ove your constitutional RIGHTS bill I'm supposed to be okay with it?

I hope that anyone that is pro gun, in my district,  that voted for this guy takes this into consideration next time.... and let him know too.
[/quote]


I would definately tell him you will oppose him and support any candidate that runs against him.   Its time we turn up the heat with these politicians.

another thread responder thought a crime related weapon or two may slip under the radar via this buyback program and disappear from evidence forever.  gun laundering if you will. 

it seems the more they try to do "good" the more "bad" they create with this mess.  but oh yeah, "you never want a serious crisis go to waste". 

Testimony submitted. 

Take the time to read this one.  It's embarrassingly bad.  To think that bills like this are actually considered!  I have no college education and I could write a more sensible, persuasive bill.  SMH

another thread responder thought a crime related weapon or two may slip under the radar via this buyback program and disappear from evidence forever.  gun laundering if you will. 

it seems the more they try to do "good" the more "bad" they create with this mess.  but oh yeah, "you never want a serious crisis go to waste". 

Yep, just like how they made it illegal to use the restroom in Waikiki after a certain time of night, then all the people started pissin and pooping on the ground all over the place to avoid getting arrested for using a toilet.  Now the whole place smells like a shit hole.  Perfect example to this whole gun control debacle, I think..

Yep, just like how they made it illegal to use the restroom in Waikiki after a certain time of night, then all the people started pissin and pooping on the ground all over the place to avoid getting arrested for using a toilet.  Now the whole place smells like a shit hole.  Perfect example to this whole gun control debacle, I think..

Is it seriously illegal to use the restroom I'm Waikiki after a certain time?   I didn't know this.

then all the people started pissin and pooping on the ground all over the place to avoid getting arrested for using a toilet.  Now the whole place smells like a shit hole.

Pics please.

 

Is it seriously illegal to use the restroom I'm Waikiki after a certain time?   I didn't know this.
Pics please.

 

HAHAHA! No point in going to Waikiki for those 40+....so like me, you're an old bastard too!

But yeah public restrooms are closed from 12am-5am for "public safety reasons".

they closed the public restrooms because they were trying to stop the homeless from setting up shop in bathrooms.

they closed the public restrooms because they were trying to stop the homeless from setting up shop in bathrooms.

yep, now they shet and piz all over the place, and the drunk guys from the bars don't make things any nicer...

What a lovely turn this conversation has taken! 

Good point, though.

Submitted opposing testimony. For your reading pleasure:

"Aloha,

I am writing to voice my opposition to Senate Bill 69.

I support the idea of voluntary gun buy back programs by which potential criminals with illegal guns can safely dispose of those weapons with no questions asked. I do not believe, however, that this bill will facilitate such a buy back program.

Of primary concern is that the bill does not specify any protections for people turning in illegal or illegally unregistered guns. By omitting such protections the resulting buy back programs will only encourage people who have legal avenues to sell their unwanted weapons to take advantage of this taxpayer funded buyback program. It is my opinion that people who can legally sell their firearms should do so via the various firearms dealers instead of via the expenditure of much needed general funds.

Of secondary concern to me is Section 1 of the bill. While the first paragraph clearly represents the increase in gun ownership and even greater increase in gun registration, the remainder of the section in largely irrelevant. Atrocities in other parts of the country have no bearing on Hawaii's already restrictive, and effective, curbs on gun ownership and on gun violence.

In terms of gun violence, Hawaii is among the safest states in the Union according to FBI statistics. By comparing our increasing gun ownership to violent incidents in other parts of the country, Section 1 is implying that Hawaii has a gun violence problem that it doesn't have. It also implies that a gun buyback program will address that supposed problem. It will not for the reasons I explained above.

In short this bill is proposing to spend $200,000 of our already over-extended taxpayer funds, over a 2 year period, to weakly address a problem that Hawaii doesn't have.

For these reasons I oppose SB69 and encourage others to do so, as well.

Maholo for you time and service."

Testimony opposing submitted. 

 I am against SB 69 because I believe it's a waste of money and will actually hinder Law Enforcement rather then help it. Gun buyback programs in other states haven't been successful at all, and there are better ways of curbing crime than the proven failure of a gun buyback program.

Persons purchasing firearms at this point in time are paying as much as $4,000.00 for an AR-15, and some costing even more. Offering even $1,000 per AR-15 recovered will mean only 100 recovered AR-15's. Offering a minuscule $200 or $300 per AR-15 or AK-47 is laughably low post-election, as most people can easily get 1,000%-1,500% of that selling it on consignment or outright to a gun store.

Gun buyback programs typically involve amnesty for those who turn in firearms. It's been shown that criminals would turn in "hot" guns, having committed crimes, and would now be off the hook for the crimes associated with those guns by turning it in during the amnesty. To top it off, they're given money to fund their next illegal gun purchase!

As for the guns that aren't stolen, most gun buyback programs on the mainland have turned into miniature gun shows, as enterprising persons can offer more than the police can budget. Most of the time, these enterprising fellow recover more firearms than the police. Seattle is an excellent recent example. It's true as guns are being taken off the street, however, they're making their way into new owners' safes, which is not the intent of this bill.

In conclusion, our taxpayer monies can be spent better in other was than funding silly notions such as a gun buyback program. It's a useless waste of money, hinders Law Enforcement investigations, funds criminals' new purchases, and many more guns will end up in firearm enthusiast safes.