DVC,
Respectfully disagree.
While part-time volunteer lobbyists are great, very few can afford to spend four months (or even a lesser amount of time to be effective) in Carson City.
As the chief unpaid lobbyist and Chair of Legislative Action Committee for Stillwater Firearms Association, I used almost all of my vacation time (from work) going to bill hearing and meetings in Carson City. And I wish I could have been there more - MUCH more.
... there really aren't that many gun-rights issues ratting around in CC.
Huh? Have you counted the number of bills we had in the 2011 legislative session?
And, I can tell you that some of them took an enormous amount of work! Also, it is not necessarily the number of bills that are introduced - it is more a matter of the importance of the bills introduced and our desire/will to enact them.
Also consider our primary opponent has been the largely anti-gun Executive Director of the Nevada Sheriffs & Chiefs Ass'n, Frank Adams - and he was paid to be there every day of every session.
Having citizens and volunteer unpaid lobbyists show up at hearings is wonderful AND
MEANS A LOT! But I can tell you there is much more going on and much more work to be done. There is actually much more to it than simply showing up at a hearing.
Some folks may think lobbyists are "bad." And maybe a few are. But I disagree that all lobbyists are "bad" - in fact, we
need them (at least under our system as designed.)
We DO have pro-gun activists around Carson City. In fact, SFA was probably the largest. I did everything in my power to "keep an eye on the issue" - in fact, more. As one example, see the "legislative update" sticky in this forum. But like many, if not most, others, I simply could not afford to be absent from work any more than I was.
That brings me to ask, "How many trips to Carson City did you make? How many hearings did you attend via video teleconference in Las Vegas? Did you roam the halls of our legislature and get a 'feel' for the attitude towards lobbyists in Nevada?"
Will we be able to afford to fund a lobbyist? I don't know. Only time will tell. But I DO believe we should if we can.
You have repeatedly expressed concern over certain laws/issues. But are you willing to actually 'put up' some effort and/or support?