Moving HQ to Texas, reason to doubt leadership’s sanity

The following went out to all NRA employees yesterday:

“Not for Distribution

Dear Employees:

As we reported, the recent developments in our bankruptcy proceedings have no impact on our overarching goals or efforts to make the NRA more efficient in achieving its mission. As such, we will continue to analyze our business arrangements, cost structure, and operational demands.To that end, I am pleased to announce the formation of a special committee by President Carolyn Meadows to study issues relating to our proposed move to Texas – and to analyze the logistical requirements of those plans. First Vice President Charles Cotton will chair this committee. Second Vice President Willes Lee and board members David Coy, Joel Friedman, and Tom King will join Mr. Cotton on the committee. The following staff members will serve on a project team providing administrative resources:  Joe DeBergalis, John Frazer, Jason Ouimet, Sonya Rowling, Tyler Schropp, Vanessa Shahidi, Linda Crouch, and Jim Staples

Our first goal is to explore moving our principal place of business to Texas. This is an executive office from which we can manage aspects of our business. Texas is home to more than 400,000 NRA members – the #1 ranked state for NRA membership. It offers a fair regulatory environment and, a positive business climate, and celebrates the Second Amendment freedoms in which we believe. This move will affect a small number of employees.

The second part of our plan involves assessing a potential relocation of our headquarters. This is an endeavor that involves the review of the real estate market, impacts to staffing, and other strategic considerations.We have engaged a leading commercial real estate firm, Colliers International, to assist with this project and we will retain other advisory firms to assist with strategic considerations. Naturally, any major decisions regarding NRA real estate will be undertaken in coordination with the Board, subject to its full approval.Importantly, there are no immediate changes planned to our staffing or programs. Any changes to our organizational structure will be made in the best interests of our members, employees, and with responsibility to achieve our core mission:  protecting the Second Amendment. We will ensure our employees have an opportunity to participate in the continued progress of our great organization.You will hear more from this committee in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, please feel free to contact Vanessa with any questions. I have never been prouder of the NRA or our collective efforts to protect the freedoms in which we believe.

Wayne”

A physical move would have no effect on the NY Attorney General’s suit. NRA remains a NY corporation, now headquartered in Texas rather than Virginia. It’s now 1,200 miles from Capitol Hill rather than ten. NRA’s staff employment has already dropped from over 800 to about 500, and the remainder will probably be looking for new jobs rather than move 1,200 miles, and face their employer may be dissolved, and they unemployed, as soon as they move. Then the cost of physically relocating an entire HQ over that distance, selling the old building (the market for office buildings in Northern Virginia is lousy now) and buying a new one.

The new NRA was born at Cincinnati out of a leadership plan to relocate away from DC (to Colorado and NM). It’s time for another revolt, but most of the reforms that enabled that revolt have been repealed. The EVP and officers are no longer elected by members at the annual meeting, getting on the ballot by petition is impossible, the annual meeting of members has no real power.

Is the leadership consciously trying to destroy the organization? Every move they have made for years was the worst possible one available. Protect LaPierre even after evidence of wrongdoing is clear, purge Ollie North and any director who asked for an investigation, file for bankruptcy with no real plan, now blow millions to move HQ for no purpose.