Sine Die

[Hawkeye]

No it was not,

May I ask (and this is meant politely, to be clear) why not? I can understand not wanting to share the wording of the letter or whatever, I suppose, but for those of us who are members and who have given money to the organization, it's really, really gratifying to know what's being done with our dollars. Why wouldn't MSI communicate to it's membership that these letters had been sent?

Don't get me wrong - I have supported MSI in the past, I support MSI now, and I will continue to support MSI in the future, but I definitely think that there are times when more communication to the membership would be helpful.

Of course, it could just be that I'm doing something wrong somewhere, but I've paid membership dues to MSI on several occasions, as well as making extra donations on several more, and I never got communications from MSI on what was going on other than what I found here on the forum.

If these letters were sent as part of the effort to get some movement on administratively addressing the G&S thing, why wouldn't MSI at least put a blurb on the site saying so?

Sorry to come across as short and secretive on this, but MSI has not and will not share any correspondence with other organizations or individuals.

Can you elaborate on the reasoning for this?

I know MSI is a relatively small institution and can't be everywhere doing everything at once, so please don't take this as that kind of criticism. I'm just curious.

Thanks!

 

[Schipperke]

I'm okay with that. It wasn't an open letter to Hogan in the editorial section, and no sense in making it easy for the anti's to get all lathered up about "gun toting special interest" lobbying the Governor. I'll be happy with positive action absent unnecessary attention. There will be enough of that without sending an invitation via a posting here. That's why I still favor 100's of individual letters versus 3 or 4 letters from the mainstay organizations. The organizations don't get to vote . . .

Opaqueness is counter productive. When any organization is soliciting for funds, then comes across espousing "internal business" as a communication to the Governor, alrighty then.. I have no clue if said letter would be covered under FOIA.

 

[erwos]

I don't see the problem here. Dan said that MSI sent letters to the relevant parties to open a line of communications about the myriad problems that the governor might be able to help us with. That's a good strategy. Who cares exactly what's in them? It's going to be months of face-to-face and email negotiations to fix these issues, the exact contents of a letter are relatively unimportant.

 

[Applehd]

deleted

 

[PJDiesel]

It's going to be months of face-to-face and email negotiations to fix these issues, the exact contents of a letter are relatively unimportant.

These "issues" won't be fixed, not by any time span of letter or email sending anyway.

Lets set another date just so we all feel warm and fuzzy for a little while.

Let see...... two more weeks? Nah, that's been done before,.......

How about Labor Day. That's far enough out that we need not stress all summer, MSI can instant message or email the Governors office until this all gets hashed out.

 

[44man]

what I believe is stuff I can see and touch and hear. I haven't really heard the governor say anything that's 2a friendly that even democrats say when trying to get elected . I hear bout people talking to him and what he says but I haven't heard it nor have I seen any effect of it that's pro 2a. I see no msi letter. not that its all that important to me but it seems like something a pro 2a group would want pro 2a people to see. and I sure don't feel like md is anymore friendly to the 2nd amendment than it was when Hogan got elected, and yep that was just three months ago. and that's longer than the first day thing we were told was said. oh well. as far as I can tell he is just another politician that I appear to have wasted my vote on.

 

[Hawkeye]

The exact contents of a letter are relatively unimportant.

Agreed. However I do think that the fact that a letter is being sent is an important thing to share with the membership.

 

[DC-W]

These "issues" won't be fixed, not by any time span of letter or email sending anyway.

Lets set another date just so we all feel warm and fuzzy for a little while.

Let see...... two more weeks? Nah, that's been done before,.......

How about Labor Day. That's far enough out that we need not stress all summer, MSI can instant message or email the Governors office until this all gets hashed out.

WTF is your problem? You really like jerking it all over the place here, don't you?

------

As for MSI membership, ANYONE can become a member, just like ANYONE can become a member of the NRA. There's no 2A litmus test required to become a general or sustaining member. NRA membership doesn't know everything the NRA board does. Where's the 5 million members complaining about that?

If you don't like how it works, become a MSI board member or start your own group.

I'd rather MSI extend an olive branch to the administration rather than sending an open letter and pressing the issue into the public eye-- which is exactly what releasing a letter to the membership would be. No one signs NDAs to become a member, so it'd end up in the media pretty quickly.

if the administration becomes apathetic or hostile, that changes everything. Then perhaps an open letter would be more appropriate, among other things.

 

[PJDiesel]

Agreed. However I do think that the fact that a letter is being sent is an important thing to share with the membership.

It's not about or for the membership, it's an top secret letter to the Governors mansion sent by horseback in the wee hours of the morning.

 

[MDFF2008]

Does the NRA publish detailed accounts of every conservation they have, or every email they send?

If you're that interested, run for MSI office. Elections are in September.

 

[PJDiesel]

I'd say most people are interesting in seeing the money put to good use, and, maybe from time to time some actual results. One doesn't been to be a BOD member to get that reassurance I wouldn't think.

 

[Schipperke]

..... the exact contents of a letter are relatively unimportant.

Agreed. However I do think that the fact that a letter is being sent is an important thing to share with the membership.

Maybe the reply was in haste. No doubt that contributors or public should have expectation that every communication is made public. It came out a communication to the Governor was sent. Most likely an unremarkable letter at best. It was the reply to the request to be made available that was a bit sketchy. Organizations writing to politicians typically have no problem sharing, and in fact are apt to do so to show they are doing something. Probably in the bottom of a bird cage long ago.

 

[PJDiesel]

My problem is (like many here) I'm tired of the ********, tired of setting and forgetting dates so new ones can be set.

How about some real world results from all this nonsense? No one else would like to hear about some actual progress? I guess if that's "jerking it around" than that's what I'm doing.

WTF is your problem? You really like jerking it all over the place here, don't you?

------

As for MSI membership, ANYONE can become a member, just like ANYONE can become a member of the NRA. There's no 2A litmus test required to become a general or sustaining member. NRA membership doesn't know everything the NRA board does. Where's the 5 million members complaining about that?

If you don't like how it works, become a MSI board member or start your own group.

I'd rather MSI extend an olive branch to the administration rather than sending an open letter and pressing the issue into the public eye-- which is exactly what releasing a letter to the membership would be. No one signs NDAs to become a member, so it'd end up in the media pretty quickly.

if the administration becomes apathetic or hostile, that changes everything. Then perhaps an open letter would be more appropriate, among other things.

 

[ironpony]

I don't mind the squirrel letter, maybe a little concerned there has not been two! or three!
great forum. "what the what" lol

 

[PJDiesel]

If the administration becomes apathetic or hostile, that changes everything. Then perhaps an open letter would be more appropriate, among other things.

I should have just quoted this part.

I'll wait to hear about the next letter then. The way things are, Hogan has pussyfooted around the topic for months now.

 

[DC-W]

This is Maryland dammit. Unless a court pulls the rug out from under some of the state's laws and policies, nothing is going to change overnight -- and even court cases can move slower than molasses.

Is preventing overtly bad bills from passage not progress? What about getting a bill that will make life for the 2A community less burdensome for once passed? Active lawsuits against FSA2013?

MSI, MSRPA, AGC, and the NRA all do a lot here and it's not all in the public. Folks are working hard to change things. If anyone thinks they can do better, please join one or start one.

You can't win if you don't fight. If a certain level of discretion is part of it all, so be it.

 

[MDFF2008]

My problem is (like many here) I'm tired of the ********, tired of setting and forgetting dates so new ones can be set.

How about some real world results from all this nonsense? No one else would like to hear about some actual progress? I guess if that's "jerking it around" than that's what I'm doing.

That's not what activism is though. There is no set schedule for things. We can say we'd like to achieve X by 2014, Y by 2015 and Z by 2016, but activism doesn't really work that way. Those are goals, but goals aren't guarenteed.

If your looking for fixed dates, activism isn't a good field to find them.

 

[DC-W]

I should have just quoted this part.

I'll wait to hear about the next letter then. The way things are, Hogan has pussyfooted around the topic for months now.

We all want the same thing -- a restoration of the 2A. I don't think anyone actually enjoys having to walk tight ropes in order to achieve that.

With the way the country as a whole has moved closer to honoring the 2A, it's only a matter of time before MD moves along as well. It's taken many, many, many people working tirelessly to get things as far as they have.

 

[Schipperke]

That's not what activism is though. There is no set schedule for things. We can say we'd like to achieve X by 2014, Y by 2015 and Z by 2016, but activism doesn't really work that way. Those are goals, but goals aren't guarenteed.

If your looking for fixed dates, activism isn't a good field to find them.

Activism that works is generally transparent though.

 

[mxrider]

My problem is (like many here) I'm tired of the ********, tired of setting and forgetting dates so new ones can be set.

Just wanted to touch on this very briefly. Please keep in mind that MSI has not set ANY dates for ANY of this. All of the dates are by those posting in this thread. The most that Dan has mentioned is regarding action by the next GA.