Hit piece on the NRA (...but you better read this one)

[Libertarian01]

I don't know who is right or wrong in this case. I have yet to understand, in detail along with broad brush, exactly what the nature of the conflict is.

That said, I do have a serious concern on one (1) point: the length of time Mr. LaPierre has been in a position of power. He could be a GREAT guy, he could be a wonderful guy, but being in power since in the organization since 1991 seems way too long to me. I believe the same of politicians as well.

Over that length of time it can become a very corrupting, even for he best of people. Someone on the board knows a friend and invites them to run, then you have a friend, and friends of friends, and so on. Until no one is willing to see the severe faults in others because they're all friends.

Even if Mr. LaPierre is great at his job, so what? There are many people that could do as well but won't get the chance so long as he is there. And I do not mean to disparage him or his service at all. This applies in my mind to all organizations and groups. We let people get to the top, we get comfortable with them, then we get afraid of change.

Just because someone like Mr. LaPierre would, in my world, have faced a term limit would in no way stop his ability to contribute. Imagine his contribution as a voice inside a state civil liberties organization pushing the protection of the 2A! He would be great with the ACLU or as a writer for a major publication.

None of this means I support Oliver North! The Contras were terrorists, just terrorists the American Government preferred to the then current government. We have gotten into bed with slime on many occasions just to fight slime we don't like, and Col North was part of that. All that aside, he may well be in the right on this issue, or the wrong. I don't know.

Regards,

Doug

 

[2A_Tom]

 

[BugI02]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/nra-chief-wayne-lapierre-questioned-on-travel-expenses
NRA Chief Wayne LaPierre questioned on $240G travel expenses

National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre charged the organization’s ad agency more than $240,000 for expenses related to trips he took to Italy, Hungary, the Bahamas and other locales without providing adequate documentation, according to a letter from the ad agency given to the group’s board last week and described by people familiar with the matter.


Some of Mr. LaPierre’s expenses were charged to one of the ad firm’s credit cards, the people said, and overall costs included a 2014 stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Budapest and expenses related to trips to Palm Beach, Fla., and Reno, Nev. The ad firm, Ackerman McQueen Inc., was reimbursed over time by the gun-rights group, these people said.

This is getting ****ing ridiculous. Why does he even have access to an Ack-McQ credit card/account? $200,000 for clothes and $240,000 for travel. Why weren't these expenses routed through and approved by the board? The article says spokesmen for LaPierre/NRA say certain expenses were routed through Ack-McQ for security purposes. It just doesn't pass the smell test. If security was the issue, set up a seperate account not easily traced to the NRA or it's officers through some captive LLC (but still vetted, approved and paid by the board).

The whole thing reeks of sweetheart deal/corruption. LaPierre made $1.4 million in 2017, you'd think he could afford to pay for his own **** and then get re-imbursed by the NRA after expenses were reviewed and approved

That's the dues of 4445 ordinary members for clothes and an additional 5334 members for travel. Wonder if he would have stayed at The Four Seasons if he was paying his own bills. Sooner or later, CEOs want to be treated like royalty but there is far less excuse when you represent a non-profit citizen's advocacy group that pleads chronic shortage of funds

Well ... bye!