Most of the nation has tightened their belts and readjusted their budgets in light of the Government’s requirements surrounding the Chinese Corona virus. But the crisis couldn’t have come at a worse time for the NRA.
The NRA announced on March 12th that they were cancelling their annual convention that was scheduled for mid-April in Nashville. That convention is a reliable source of income for the organization. It’s also a time to reassure donors in person that the organization is on track.
Now, more news from the NRA released on March 23rd says that things are tighter at the NRA than they’d admitted.
Due to low fundraising and the loss of their convention, the NRA is slashing all staff salaries by 20% or more. Additionally, they’ve let go of an undisclosed number of staff entirely.
Wayne LaPierre will also see a pay cut, but that number was not detailed. Keep in mind that LaPierre received a pay raise and bonuses in 2018 that brought his salary to nearly $2.2 million dollars for the year. This number was a 57% increase over 2017, so even if they cut his pay pretty substantially, LaPierre won’t be suffering.
The Straw That Broke The Camel’s Back
For the NRA, 2019 was the worst year in recent memory. Public relations fiascos came one after the other, undermining gun owners trust that donation money was being used effectively. From LaPierre’s efforts to buy himself a $6 million dollar mansion to $40,000 on his fancy suits in Beverly Hills, gun owners realized in a hurry that LaPierre didn’t take their sacrifice in donating seriously.
Then came the firings of most of the popular faces. Chris Cox, Oliver North, and multiple board members were unceremoniously shown the door. And gun owners’ eyes were opened further to LaPierre’s elitism and his desperate need to have all the power and money under his control–if not in his bank account!
Never Let a Crisis Go To Waste–Especially When It Can Take The Blame
Let’s be real for a minute. This Corona Virus nonsense has been going on for a few weeks, maybe a month in the most affected areas of the United States. Virginia isn’t one of those states, with around 150 cases total.
What’s more likely? Two weeks of lower donations have caused such a disruption in their fundraising that they’re firing people and cutting pay 20% across the board? And this after January brought 20-30,000 gun owners to stand for gun rights in Richmond? That’s their back yard! That event in January should have brought in enough donations to float them for a year! But a few weeks of the Corona Virus has crippled them?
No. The NRA was floundering and is thrilled to have a national event to blame their poor numbers on. We’re not buying your story, LaPierre. And if your numbers are any indication, gun owners across the country aren’t buying anything you’re selling anymore, either.