Would You Endorse the NRA and Support Their Positions for $1 million a Year?

The Dismal Political Economist Wouldn’t, But He Might Think About It

The finances of the NRA, the people committed to making sure that there is no barrier to any American owning multiple assault weapons with large magazine clips is public information.  So one reporter at Forbes magazine decided to take a look.

The NRA is big business.  It’s revenues topped the $225 million level.  Where was the money spent?

About $33 million went to salaries and wages (not including the top brass), $28 million went to advertising and promotions. By far the biggest items were membership outreach: $57 million for membership communications, $24 million for printing and shipping, $16 million for educational programs. Just about $10 million went to the NRA’s lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action.

More than $12.7 million went to Akron-Ohio based InfoCision, a huge telemarketing company that lists a broad spectrum of blue chip non-profits as clients– including Smile Train, the American Diabetes Association, Easter Seals and Unicef—as well as the College Republican National Committee and companies like Time Warner and AT&T.

Ah yes, less than 10% of the money raised goes towards programs to promote propert gun handling, gun safety and other instructional activities.  Or other words, most of the money the NRA raises is used to spend money on raising money for the NRA and paying really nice salaries.  So working for the NRA is a nice job.

As for salaries, fifty-six people in the organization earned more than $100,000 in 2010—and 10 made more than $250,000. Lapierre does not top the list. Kayne B. Robinson, the executive director of general operations does. He was paid just over $1 million. Lapierre was second, pulling in $970,000 in reportable and estimated comp.

Chris W. Cox, the executive director of the group’s lobbying efforts, was third. He earned just over $666,000.

No, The Dismal Political Economist is not sure what any of this means with respect to the debate over gun rights and the right to possess weapons subject to zero regulation and control.  He just thought it was interesting that not only do people that work for the NRA get to fulfill their lifelong dream of making automatic weapons available for everyone, they also make a nice living off of doing so.