here is THE PLAN:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The plan is simplicity itself. Abolish the BATF. This would drive the
gun prohibitionists insane, and would be a major accomplishment on
levels beyond that of even gun ownership. "But that's impossible" you
think? No, it's easy! Read on.
First, we recognize that the BATF (the old "Bureau of Prohibition") is
not necessary today. All of its tasks can be performed by other
government agencies. It is just a relic from the days of prohibition. I
mean, come on, a special bureau in the Treasury Department to handle
taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and firearms, that has police powers? Come
on! It's ridiculous. Even the BATF knows this.
Second, the central problem with getting rid of any government
bureaucracy is that the bureacracy resists. Strongly. In the case of the
BATF, there will be hoards of agents, employees, their families,
businesses that depend upon them, etc., all putting pressure on
Washington to prevent such a terrible thing from happening. This is not
something specific to the BATF, mind you. It happens with all government
bureaucracies. In my lifetime, there has only been one bureacracy in the
US that was eliminated (the CAB, by Reagan).
So the only question is, how to do it? Well, we need a plan that would
get the BATF on our side! In other words, make abolishing the BATF so
appealing to the BATF infrastructure that they actually want it! If they
fight to abolish their own agency, we simply can not lose.
So how do we do that? Pretty simple really. We get Congress to pass a
law that says that, contingent upon the abolishment of the BATF, all
BATF employees will continue to draw a salary, and get all benefits
(health, pension, life insurance, etc.), for the remainder of their
working lives (and of course retire as if they had worked until the
maximum retirement age, thus gaining maximum retirement benefits). And
we also allow those same employees to "double dip:" that is, they can
get another job, even in the Federal Government, and still keep that old
salary and all benefits, on top of what they might make in a new job!
For example, suppose a BATF agent under this plan becomes a washroom
attendant after the BATF is abolished. He would still get paid his old
salary (indexed for inflation, etc., the GAO and OPM is very good at
this), his old health plan, old retirement benefits, etc., as well as
whatever he makes as a washroom attendant, and whatever benefits he
would get there. Or he could decide that the life of a washroom
attendant didn't suit him, and just stay at home and watch Rosie
O'Donnell and collect his check every two weeks.
BATF agents would become the most drooled over people in the world while
this plan was going into effect. Wouldn't you like to get paid two
salaries? Or one salary for doing nothing?
Now, the only drawback to this plan is the cost. But that is negligable
in terms of Federal spending and the benefits received. Eventually, when
the last BATF veteren dies, presumably sometime in the next century, the
plan will end. In the meantime, there will be no BATF, there will be a
gigantic cost savings by folding its functions into other, more
efficient agencies, and we will have stopped the egregious abuse of our
rights at the hands of these (now rich, but what price our rights?)
jackboots.
That's it. Now NO ONE is going to object to such a plan without
revealing themsevles to be either incredibly envious cheapskates (I
admit this goes counter to the American Work Ethic <tm> but then again,
so does banning guns), or total statists. That's the beauty of my little
plan. And remember, if you were a BATF agent and presented with this
plan, you'd be lobbying your butt off to get it, and you'd tell all your
family and friends to start writing letters to get such legistlation
passed.
For once, the BATF would be working FOR us, not AGAINST us. And would be
happy to destroy themselves. Very happy. A good happy ending for
everyone involved, except the gun prohibitionists.
If this is pulled off, the ramefications will ripple through Washington,
and cause a few other effects, but that's another plan.
[/quote]
So obviously you need more Federal control and some LEOs not beholden to the locals to make sure the taxes get paid. More of the same "you don't know what's good for you, we do, and please pay at the front desk on your way out" mentality from your friendly Federal Gubmint.