NRA: Does anyone on AH know what is REALLY going on?

[JimP]

The nice thing about getting emails from them is that you can delete them without even reading them, click and they are gone.

As for their mailings you can opt out of them, all it takes is a email or letter to them telling them to stop.

Back to the issue of what is going on, I too would like to know and it wouldn't be a bad idea if there was a total house cleaning done from the top down. Just like any organization the bigger it gets them more problems it creates for itself.

I highly doubt that any of us will ever really find out just what is going on, you would need to be a member of the board to even get a hint of what is happening.

 

[badsection]

The very minute we lost trust in the NRA management , heads need to roll!

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

One can contact the NRA and tell them to STOP soliciting you for money, to buy NRA endorsed products and services, and any other crap their marketing department dreams up.

The NRA's current focus is on protecting our 2nd Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. Many other things the NRA once did superbly have slowly degraded to a fossil what they once were. I shoot NRA Precision Pistol (bullseye) and no one in that community thinks the NRA supports us anymore. The NRA does however put much emphasis on action shooting that makes for exciting videos. I figure they can market those videos. Long ago I shot NRA High Power Service Rifle. That discipline is now also lacking the once high level of NRA support. All that said, I'd rather have the NRA doing a great job of defending our gun rights than having great support for shooting competitions.

Now, as for Wayne's $5,000,000 annual salary and $500,000 expense account cutesy of clever but unimaginable slight of hand in the accounting, what the ****? Yes, I mean that. Granted running the NRA is much like running a very large successful company. Wayne's salary is commensurate or even lower than the compensation of a similar-sized commercial or non-profit (Red Cross...) CEO. But aren't there highly successful and well qualified patriots who would do the job for a dollar a year or perhaps $500,00 rather than $5 million?

Where is LtCol Oliver North? I hope he returns to straighten out this Charlie Foxtrot.

 

[wesheltonj]

. . .

Where is LtCol Oliver North? I hope he returns to straighten out this Charlie Foxtrot.

I do not. He was part of the problem in that he was also under contract with the Ad agency and apparently from what I have read was supporting the ad agency’s position.

I really don’t have a problem with the clothing allowance that Wayne was running thru the agency, that’s typical for TV.

It was a mistake to fire the chief lobbyist Chris Cox, thats where you have to spend your money and he had stroke in Congress and was a known player.

 

[Saul]

The NRA only seems to care about raising money. When Philando Castile was shot and killed by police because he was legally carrying a concealed weapon, the NRA did nothing. If the NRA wants to survive, then they need to actually support gun owners and our rights.

 

[Shootist43]

Wesheltonj, I wouldn't mind a reasonable clothing allowance. Men's Warehouse or Joseph H Banks and an occasional trip to the Dry Cleaners will keep a guy looking pretty sharp.

 

[JimP]

Wesheltonj, I wouldn't mind a reasonable clothing allowance. Men's Warehouse or Joseph H Banks and an occasional trip to the Dry Cleaners will keep a guy looking pretty sharp.

I agree, I can buy a dozen suits and pairs of shoes for a few thousand dollars and throw in the shirts and ties. $500K is at least $450K too much for a clothing allowance a year.

 

[mdwest]

Wesheltonj, I wouldn't mind a reasonable clothing allowance. Men's Warehouse or Joseph H Banks and an occasional trip to the Dry Cleaners will keep a guy looking pretty sharp.

I literally used to run around in the highest political circles in DC (as a strap hanging functionary.. not as anyone truly important.. but still in the room with SECSTATE, SECDEF, POTUS, VPOTUS, FLOTUS, folks from the hill, lobbyists, etc).. in nothing but suits bought at Joseph A. Banks and the Brooks Brothers Outlets.. those were the only two places I shopped for business clothing back then...

I did get them all tailored and didnt wear them "off the rack".. but that was a minimal additional expense..

and never looked out of place.. or under dressed..

Hell.. the President of the World Bank at the time used to shop at both Joseph A Banks and the BB Outlet (he is who told me about the 346 "traveler" suit at the BB outlet that was about $500 when I was living in DC.. im sure its a little more now.. it looks awesome, and is still one of the best "packable" suits I have ever seen)..

My current DC attorney, who is a senior partner at a very prominent K street firm probably doesnt spend $20K a year on suits and other accouterments... and is one of the sharpest dressers I know.. he makes north of $1.5M a year, and is very particular about his clothes.. and still doesnt spend 1/10th of what LaPierre is spending it would appear..

A $250K annual wardrobe allowance is preposterous.. and totally unnecessary for a DC based executive.. and frankly pisses me off if thats truly where NRA funds are being spent..

 

[Red Leg]

I do not. He was part of the problem in that he was also under contract with the Ad agency and apparently from what I have read was supporting the ad agency’s position.

I really don’t have a problem with the clothing allowance that Wayne was running thru the agency, that’s typical for TV.

It was a mistake to fire the chief lobbyist Chris Cox, thats where you have to spend your money and he had stroke in Congress and was a known player.

I have been on the periphery of the good Lieutenant Colonel North since he decided to run his own personal foreign policy initiative during the Reagan Administration. I could think of no one more likely to create a chaotic situation in any organization he joined than him - well, maybe Che Guevara would be more destructive put not by much. I went so far as to express that concern to several senior members of the association before and after he assumed his new role. We are now paying that price. Isn’t celebrity a wonderful thing.

Leaders of organizations like the NRA (or SCI, the Red Cross, whatever) are paid whatever the organization determines he or she should be paid. If a salary offends you, then raise a hand - get involved. I would simply note running complex organizations takes talent - fairly rare talent in my experience. One reason CEO’s don’t earn an hourly wage.

 

[Mike Van Horn]

Does anyone know why Chris Cox resigned?

 

[curtism1234]

At best the NRA is a criminal enterprise with many infractions regarding the movement of massive sums of money. The cleansing happened because there was an attempt to clean the org up. Instead, the leadership wants to keep running it like the mob and keep their people out of spending the next 20 years in federal prison.

 

[wesheltonj]

The clothing allowance of 250k or what ever it was was not for one year, that was over the length of the NRA TV contract.

While am sure he did not shop around for his suits, Zenga suits are about the same price point as Hickey-Freeman. It’s not like they were Brioni, Kiton or Oxxford suits.

 

[Red Leg]

At best the NRA is a criminal enterprise with many infractions regarding the movement of massive sums of money. The cleansing happened because there was an attempt to clean the org up. Instead, the leadership wants to keep running it like the mob and keep their people out of spending the next 20 years in federal prison.

What absolute BS.

So tell us @curtism1234 are you even a member, served on the board, involved in any way? What is your relationship with the organization that gives you such a unique understanding of it's leadership and members' alleged criminal activities?

 

[mdwest]

At best the NRA is a criminal enterprise with many infractions regarding the movement of massive sums of money. The cleansing happened because there was an attempt to clean the org up. Instead, the leadership wants to keep running it like the mob and keep their people out of spending the next 20 years in federal prison.

im not sure there are any facts that support that argument..

if so.. links please...

 

[mdwest]

The clothing allowance of 250k or what ever it was was not for one year, that was over the length of the NRA TV contract.

Missed that.. good catch..


That said.. the channel ran roughly 3 years.. launched mid 2016.. killed mid 2019..

250,000 / 3 = $83,333K annually.. IF this is the real number (I havent seen any proof of this yet.. only allegation and speculation)..

still a preposterous amount of money for a clothing allowance for a part time appearance requirement on an online only TV channel IMO..

 

[wesheltonj]

I have no idea what he bought, other then the Zenga suits, but when you start adding in custom shirts, ties, shoes it adds up. For example, a Hermès tie will set you back $225 each, a pair of Alden shoes $800 to a $1000. And the problem with TV, is you generally can be seen twice in the same thing, plus other public appearances.

 

[Eric Anderson]

What absolute BS.

So tell us @curtism1234 are you even a member, served on the board, involved in any way? What is your relationship with the organization that gives you such a unique understanding of it's leadership and members' alleged criminal activities?

Let’s say I am on a board member of a non profit. I vote to pay 80 million a year to a marketing firm.
Then the marketing firm hires me, and pays me $250k to show up at the non profits annual convention.

WTF.........

 

[Deleted member 11879]

The clothing allowance of 250k or what ever it was was not for one year, that was over the length of the NRA TV contract.

While am sure he did not shop around for his suits, Zenga suits are about the same price point as Hickey-Freeman. It’s not like they were Brioni, Kiton or Oxxford suits.

Actually, Zegna (the correct spelling) suits run from about $2,500 to over $22,000. Either way, not the way I want to see my dues being spent.

 

[Philip Glass]

Dont know much about the ongoing legal battles between the NRA and Ackerman McQueen...

But I do know that DSC has a pretty close relationship with Ackerman McQueen.. and uses them extensively to produce informational videos, marketing materials, and other things..

It will be interesting to see how things shake out between AMc and the NRA.. a 40 year relationship going into the toilet and multiple lawsuits being filed is certainly not an indicator of good things to come..

Ackerman McQueen is who filmed the DSC videos I was in. They are a big ad agency in Dallas. I really don’t know all of it but the bottom line is our grass roots organization has been loose with the money and not keeping board members and employees accountable. Hopefully it will get better.
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

Well they just fired their chief Lobbyist, Chris Cox. And yes I know was a resignation, but they suspended him last week. Also in other news they have shut down NRA TV. I think it's past time for Wayne to go.

It’s a shame because Chris Cox is a great speaker. He spoke at SCI a couple years ago. I guess they need to clean house.