On Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:42:21 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Ed Huntress fired this volley in
:

I don't see that anywhere in the related acts, describing what ATF is
supposed to monitor and regulate (18 U.S.C.A. Chapter 40). Where is
this charter?

Ok..."charter" was the wrong word. It's codified in their various
mission statements they make to the public and the three industries they
regulate and control.

For what it's worth, they really DO live up to that, too. I've only ever
once met an ATF field inspector who had any purpose except to simply make
sure that we knew HOW to comply with the regs, and subsequently did.
They are not 'tyrants', but helpful and courteous in their work.

This woman safety chief I'm talking about was just the opposite. She
publicly stated her objection to the whole industry's existance, and
swore it as her mission to destroy it. And subsequent to that, BATFE
destroyed her. Fitting. The industry didn't have to lift a finger. ATF
didn't want her type representing them.

I've had one other inspector who demonstrated the same attitude she did.
Not even our complying to the letter of the law was adequate for him --
he'd invent new 'regulations'on-the-fly in order to cite us for possible
license revocation.

At the time, I was the GM of a small company that was the 4th largest
producer of close-proximity pyro in the world, supplying the
entertainment trade. We had a LOT to lose; millions.

I personally fought him for two years through letters and calls to the
director's office, and personal visits to regional offices. I can
proudly say I _personally_ got the ******* completely out of ATF. After
I got done with excoriating him (and proving it through their own
regulations and his own written statements), they demoted him, reduced
his pay, and offered him a post similar to being exiled (they don't seem
to be able to fire anyone, so that's their standard 'death-sentence') --
and he resigned his post.

So... yes... their 'charter' is to serve the industries they regulate,
even if that's not in the congressional record.


LLoyd


On the other hand..their gun division...another story altogether.