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Sat, 13 Apr 2002 15:10:44 -0500

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Caesar:

Gunplay between individuals is not an acceptable form of communication.

A few details:

  a..  Worldwide annual ammunition production for small arms is estimated at
2.6 billion US dollars.
  b.. The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms reports that it is
currently collecting a 10-11% tax on firearms and ammunition -- annually
around 175-200 million dollars.
  c.. The costs to the US, annually, due to gunshot trauma have been
estimated to exceed 2 billion dollars.  This data was also presented in
JAMA, August 4, 1999.
  d.. Thus, if a bullet tax is designed to fully fund the health care with
military uses  exempt, then it could increase the wholesale cost of bullets
by a factor of 2-3 times.
For those who reject gun control and/or increased taxes on guns and
ammunition, they could consider another alternative--facilitating
reimbursement by increasing the liability of ammunition manufacturers.
Lawsuits against manufacturers have been used to some effect against the
tobacco industry.  The concept of absolute liability for ammunition
manufacturers was suggested in the Harvard Law Review, in 1995, according to
the interesting and well documented proposal on the "Second Amendment
Foundation" website at:  http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/HarvardNoteAmmo1.htm

Barry Armstrong, skeet shooter and surgeon,

Dryden, Canada

Original Message-----
From: caesar ursic
Subject: Re: Taxing Bullets-press conference update

As the originator of this thread two days ago, please
allow me to make a few observations.  I'm afraid that
this has once again deteriorated into a melee of pro
v.s. anti gun control rhetoric.  That was not my
intention.  ...

The aim of this tax proposal is to render financial
assistance to those community hospitals that are being
overrun with unreimbursed costs directly attributable
to gunshot injuries.  ...

 As far as I'm
concerned, we should add another FIFTY DOLLAR tax to
automobile, truck and motorcycle ownership that would
then be funnelled back to the trauma centers to support
care and research of blunt trauma.  Same for alcohol
consumption.  The fact that in some states these funds
have perhaps not been used for their intended purpose
in no way diminishes the validity of the tax.  The
concept is valid, we just need to refine the
execution.  Don't throw the baby out with the
bathwater...

As for those who decry a tax because it unfairly
penalizes law-abiding gun owners, I say this:  Until
we can effectively isolate only the perpetrators of
these injuries and extract (yeah, right - good luck
with THAT) we must all share equally in the cost of
addressing this problem.  After all, I pay school
district taxes yet have no children (not yet...the
twins are due in June).  ...

It will be interesting to see where this proposal goes
here in California.  It will require a two-thirds
majority vote in the state legislature.  I have little
hope that the media will focus on the real issue - the
high cost of treating gun injuries and the deleterious
effects these injuries have on other facets of trauma
care.  The pro-gun lobby is vocal, well funded, and
well organized. Yet somehow, I remain hopeful.
Stranger things have happened.

Thanks to all for your input and suggestions.

Caesar M. Ursic, M.D.
UCSF-East Bay
Oakland, California

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<BODY>
<P><FONT size=3D2>Caesar:<BR><BR>Gunplay between individuals is not an =
acceptable=20
form of communication.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=3D2>A few details:</FONT></P>
<UL>
  <LI><FONT size=3D2>&nbsp;Worldwide annual ammunition production for =
small arms=20
  is estimated at 2.6 billion US dollars.</FONT>=20
  <LI><FONT size=3D2>The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms <A=20
  href=http://www.trauma.org/index.php/community/list/url/http:list.ftech.net/pipermail/trauma-list/2002/3D"http://www.atf.treas.gov/firearms/stats/index.htm">reports =
that it is=20
  currently collecting a 10-11% tax on firearms and =
ammunition</A>&nbsp;--=20
  annually around 175-200 million dollars.</FONT>=20
  <LI><FONT size=3D2>The costs to the US, annually, due to gunshot =
trauma have=20
  been <A =
href=http://www.trauma.org/index.php/community/list/url/http:list.ftech.net/pipermail/trauma-list/2002/3D"http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5002a1.htm">estimated =

to exceed 2 billion dollars.</A>&nbsp; This data was also presented in =
<A=20
 =
href=http://www.trauma.org/index.php/community/list/url/http:list.ftech.net/pipermail/trauma-list/2002/3D"http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v282n5/abs/joc90626.html">JAMA, =
August=20
 4, 1999.</A>&nbsp; 
 <LI>Thus, if a bullet tax is designed to fully fund the =
health=20
 care&nbsp;with military uses&nbsp; exempt, then it could increase the=20
 wholesale cost of bullets by a factor of 2-3 times.</LI></UL>
For those who reject gun control and/or increased =
taxes on guns=20
and ammunition, they could consider another alternative--facilitating=20
reimbursement by increasing the liability of ammunition =
manufacturers.&nbsp;=20
Lawsuits against manufacturers have been used to some effect against the =
tobacco=20
industry.&nbsp; The concept&nbsp;of absolute =
liability for=20
ammunition manufacturers&nbsp;was suggested in the Harvard Law Review, =
in 1995,=20
according to&nbsp;the interesting and well documented proposal on the =
"Second=20
Amendment Foundation" website&nbsp;at:&nbsp; <A=20
href=http://www.trauma.org/index.php/community/list/url/http:list.ftech.net/pipermail/trauma-list/2002/3D"http://www.saf.org/LawReviews/HarvardNoteAmmo1.htm">http://www.sa=
f.org/LawReviews/HarvardNoteAmmo1.htm</A><FONT=20
face=3DVerdana> 
&nbsp;
Barry Armstrong, =
skeet shooter=20
and surgeon,
Dryden, Canada
&nbsp;
Original Message----- From: caesar =
ursic Subject: Re:=20
Taxing Bullets-press conference update As the originator of =
this=20
thread two days ago, please allow me to make a few =
observations.&nbsp; I'm=20
afraid that this has once again deteriorated into a melee of =
pro v.s. anti=20
gun control rhetoric.&nbsp; That was not my intention.&nbsp; =
...
The aim of this tax proposal is to render=20
financial assistance to those community hospitals that are =
being overrun=20
with unreimbursed costs directly attributable to gunshot=20
injuries.&nbsp;&nbsp;...
&nbsp;As far as I'm concerned, we should add =
another FIFTY=20
DOLLAR tax to automobile, truck and motorcycle ownership that =
would then=20
be funnelled back to the trauma centers to support care and research =
of blunt=20
trauma.&nbsp; Same for alcohol consumption.&nbsp; The fact that in =
some=20
states these funds have perhaps not been used for their intended=20
purpose in no way diminishes the validity of the tax.&nbsp; =
The concept is=20
valid, we just need to refine the execution.&nbsp; Don't throw the =
baby out=20
with the bathwater... As for those who decry a tax because it=20
unfairly penalizes law-abiding gun owners, I say this:&nbsp; =
Until we can=20
effectively isolate only the perpetrators of these injuries and =
extract=20
(yeah, right - good luck with THAT) we must all share equally in the =
cost=20
of addressing this problem.&nbsp; After all, I pay school district =
taxes=20
yet have no children (not yet...the twins are due in June).&nbsp;=20
...
 It will be interesting to see where this proposal=20
goes here in California.&nbsp; It will require a =
two-thirds majority vote=20
in the state legislature.&nbsp; I have little hope that the media =
will focus=20
on the real issue - the high cost of treating gun injuries and the=20
deleterious effects these injuries have on other facets of=20
trauma care.&nbsp; The pro-gun lobby is vocal, well funded, =
and well=20
organized. Yet somehow, I remain hopeful. Stranger things have=20
happened. Thanks to all for your input and =
suggestions. Caesar M.=20
Ursic, M.D. UCSF-East Bay Oakland,=20
California </BODY></HTML>

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