Date: Sat, 15 Jul 95 15:36 EST From: Peter Nesbitt <0005111312@mcimail.com> To: Firearms Alert Subject: ANTIS: Hawaii Firearms Control Coalition. [You think that HCI is the only anti-gun group organizing Freedom-limiting- zealots? Read on! Here is an anti-gun group in Hawaii who has received funds from the STATE OF HAWAII. They are also conducting their meetings in offices of the local police department and of the Attorney General. So here you have State Funds being utilized to infringe on your Right to keep and bear arms. When will you get involved? When will you stand and fight? When will you realize that this is not a game? -- Peter D. Nesbitt] MEETING NOTICE What: HAWAII FIREARMS CONTROL COALITION When: 12 Noon Wednesday, July 19, 1995 Where: Office of the Attorney General 425 Queen Street 2nd Floor Conference Room HAWAII FIREARMS CONTROL COALITION Wednesday, June 21, 1995 Present: Evelyn Bender, Criz Caraang, Robert Fraser, Deborah Goebert, Nancy Marker, Patty May, Susan Meisenzahl, Bill Montgomery, Nadine Onodera, Pauline Osborne, Ina Percical, Brandon Stone. The meeting began at 12:10 PM; the May 31st minutes were approved. Surveillance Pilot Project Update The project is underway, with the literature review having been completed. Currently instruments from other states and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being collected to assist us with developing our form. Bill Montgomery is also writing a summary on the project. Work Plan Development Legislative Package The Coalition needs to develop a strategy for the upcoming legislative session. A discussion was held as to whether the Coalition should go with the same legislative package as last year. Those present agreed that last year's package was a good one and very viable. The Colaition should move forward on the issue of insurance liability, work to build support and make it a strong issue in the coming year. IPCP's recent injury expense report graphically illustrates the community-wide costs of firearms injuries. Cost and tax revenue information will be of prime interest to both the legislature and the general public in the upcoming year. The insurance liability question will be a good topic to gain a wider audience. It's important to push this issue now while it's hot. The liability is a drain on both tax dollars and on insurance rates. In addition, many Medicare funds are being expended to treat firearms injuries. It was suggested that a subcommittee be set up to study the liability issue. A subcommittee was formed, with Nancy Marker as its chairperson. The topic of charging fees for registering firearms purchases was discussed, and it was agreed that this is still a prime source of revenue for local government. With approximately 800 license applications being submitted every month, both for new firearms permits and for renewals, a considerable amount of incoming money could be generated. At the present time, HPD takes fingerprints with the applications, but these are not submitted to the FBI on a routine basis, due to lack of funds. Only if an applications is questionable in any way are the prints checked. Therefore, an avenue for improved security is currently not being utilized. The question of the revenue that the handgun fees could generate is one that should be brought up with public officials at all levels of local government in the coming year -- with City and County Councils, with Mayors, with Legislators and with the Governor. Business Update Fund Status An application has been filed for a General Excise Tax License to cover the sale of T-Shirts. For everything else, an exemption from the General Excise Tax was filed. There will be a waiting period of approximately 3 months until the completed paperwork is received. The Coalition has also filed with the I.R.S. as a non profit organization. Presently, there is approximately $4,000 in the bank account. A check from the State was recently received in the amount of $5,366.00. $1,750.00 is still owed for the printing of the Firearms Strategic Plan. However, There are no more big bills due at present. Currently, the only recurring bill is the telephone bill. Expenditure/Fundraising Plan Information was recently received on the Entertainment Hawaii coupon books. Each book, which contains a large number and variety of coupons, would sell for $38.00. The Coalition would then pay #30.50 to the publisher, keeping $7.50 for each book sold. The sale of these books was approved, and arrangements are being made to place the first order. Members noted that people are more likely to make contributions for a specific project. It was suggested that the Coalition do targeted mailing through sympathetic organizations to ensure its message and information about its goals reach more people. Many organizations will include in their mailings a flyer from a group which has similar goals. A subcommittee was formed to write the information for the brochure. Brandon Stone was appointed as the chairperson of this committee. The subcommittee will meet on Wednesday, July 5th at 12:00 Noon in his office at HPD, 4th floor. It was discussed as to whether the Coalition shyould print this brochure over the summer, since limited funds are available. Everyone agreed that it would be better to do such a printing later in the year when the upcoming legislative session could be targeted. There has been an offer from a local newsman for us to buy time for the Coalition. It would be better if free publicity could be secured. One possibility is to look into radio PSAs. It was suggested that a subcommittee be set up to look into avenues for publicity. Announcements Newspaper articles from Toronto, from USA Today, and from the Atlanta Constitution were distributed. A request was made for all to contact Mayor Jeremy Harris and encourage him not to veto the Tobacco Bill. It was discussed as to wheather he had already made his decision and signed the bill, and the point was brought up that he had a news conference scheduled this afternoon. The meeting adjourned at 1:10 P.M. Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 19, 1995 Office of the Attorney General 425 Queen Street 12:00 noon [Note: This group may be contacted via the Injury Prevention and Control Program, 1350 South King, Suite 206A, Honolulu, HI 96814, 808-594-1012.] __ Date: Fri, 21 Jul 95 17:08 EST From: Peter Nesbitt <0005111312@mcimail.com> To: Firearms Alert Subject: ANTIS: HFCC - "Strategic Plan" Hawai'i Firearms Control Coalition P.O. Box 1245 Kanoehe, HI 96744 Phone (808) 235-4222 o Fax (808) 236-2242 [Date] [Address] Dear [Name]: Thank you for your interest in the prevention of firearm injuries and death. The Hawai'i Firearms Control Coalition is a large and diverse community groupmade up of private individuals, public and private agencies and organizations. We are staffed and supported by the Injury Prevention and Control Program at the Hawai'i State Department of Health. I have enclosed a copy of our strategic plan, along with a fact sheet related to firearm injuries here. Our coalition meets at least once a month, and weekly during the legislative session. Minutes are taken and distributed to members and interested individuals. We will add your name to this mailing list. Please take time to let us know about related activities in your community. By working together, we can create safter and healthier communities across the country. Sincerely, [signed] Nadine Onodera, Co-chair FIREARMS IN HAWAI'I GUNS ARE KILLING OUR CHILDREN o Firearms in Hawai'i are responsible for 10% of all childhood injury deaths, for 25% of all childhood homicides, and for 46% of all child suicides. o From 1989-1992 in our state, 31 children died due to firearms -- that's equivalent to an entire classroom full of kids. Eleven were murdered, 14 killed themselves, and 6 more died unintentionally due to firearms. o From 1993 through November of 1994, another 11 children ages 15-19 were also killed by firearms in Hawai'i. o Estimated lifetime costs per child gunshot victim average $3 million per death and nearly $390,000 for each hospitalized survivor (Child Safety Network/CSN). GUNS HAVE CREATED A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS o Firearm related deaths have surpassed motor vehicle related deaths in 8 U.S. States -- and this pattern is expected to repeat itself across the nation by the year 2000. o From 1989 through November 1994, a total of 338 people were killed with firearms in our state -- 207 of those people committed suicide. o Gunshot wounds cost this country $117 billion in 1991; victims under age 25 accounted for 41% of those costs (CSN). o Locally, Queens Medical Center estimates that just the average hospital charges for a single firearm injury cost almost $22,000 per incident. OUR GREATEST RISK IS FROM PEOPLE WE KNOW o Most of our risk from violence comes from the people we live with, we work with, and go to school with -- NOT career criminals. This is especially true for women. o Of the 48 women killed with a firearm in Hawai'i from 1989 through November of 1994, nearly every one of them was killed by a male family member or a male friend. o Having a gun in your home makes it 5 times more likely that someone in the household will commit suicide, and 3 times more likely that someone in the household will be murdered (JAMA 1993). o During the last 10 years, the CDC reports that homicide has become the leading cause of occupational death for women -- and guns are used 75% of the time in these murders. (Data/Information Requests: Injury Prevention and Control Program. Hawai'i Department of Health 808-594-1012.) [end]