The Man with the Golden Gun….in California!

.

Downtown Jerry Brown to be truthful……is a great Governor.  He knows his business, he knows his ego and he knows the people of the State of California.  If we think back to the days of Gray Davis, then Arnold…….and then of course those that would have chosen Meg Whitman……there is little doubt that Downtown Jerry Brown has been an excellent modern day Governor for California.  If Jerry runs again?   Yes, little doubt he will be re-elected.  If he blesses current Lt. Governor Gavin Newsome instead……again…little doubt that unless some outrageous charges are leveled – either one will be elected…..by huge margins ….going away.

So what is this jazz about SB 140?  This is a funding mechanism for the California Dept. of Justice.  Governor Brown signed the bill this week and now it is law.   The specifics kind of go this way:  In 2012, the Budget of the DOJ for implementation of the APPS program was $4.9 million dollars.  The program was designed to find folks that fit into three specific categories:  Convicted Felons, Mentality Disabled or Adjudicated Incapable and those currently with active Restraining Orders.  The DOJ has several agents targeting these folks and collecting any firearms in their possession.

The passage of SB140 ramps up the funding to a little over $8 million dollars a year…..for three years, basically doubling the DOJ for confiscation.  There are some complexities.  Let’s start off with this concept:  The program falls back to 2001……for implementation.  What this means is:  If you purchased a firearm lawfully, meeting all restrictions of both federal and state law in 2001, but from that time until the present, you became a Convicted Felon….DOJ Agents will be dispatched to stop by your house, home or business and check for any available firearms in your possession and take them away forever.  The obvious question is:  What if the felon has family members that are not convicted felons, but live in the same abode.  Will DOJ take every firearm in sight?  No one knows.

Back to the 2001 time frame;  You served gallantly in the Armed Forces of the United States in a war zone.  Five years later, or ten, you were diagnosed with PTSD at the Veteran’s Medical Facility.  You are considered Disabled and receive a Disability Payment from the Federal Government.  Does this mean that the DOJ will be stopping by your house to pick up your firearms?  It could happen!  What if your son is taking psycho-tropic drugs and is considered Mentally Disabled?  Could DOJ, stop by your house and take away any firearms in the abode?  It could happen!

Finally, what about those pesky Restraining Orders?   Your ex-wife or husband files a Restraining Order against you visiting your children, uncle, grandpa or the person in question.  This may have happened in the last year or two.  Once on the DOJ list, DOJ will track your firearm purchases back to 2001 and check to see what firearms you might have in your possession, drop by and take those firearms – for Considered Disposition.  This issue does get pretty deep when you consider that if there is a Domestic Disturbance or Violence call where you live right now, local police can ascertain if the Public Safety is at risk and can take any firearms within the abode.  This issue, by the way – has nothing to do with the new Funding for the DOJ Confiscation Program.

DOJ reports that new agents will be on the ground as soon as July, 2013.  They have identified 20,000 potential candidates for Gun Confiscation in the State of California.  There is little doubt that the horrible atrocities of Aurora and Newtown have created the fertile ground to make additional efforts to remove firearms from potential harmful members of our society.  Little doubt, the DOJ will get bring some pretty important enforcement for certain folks.  The problem of course is; How many are going to wind up being Collateral Damage?  How many are going to have their firearms taken and may never get them back?  What is going to happen to the firearms collected?  Are they going to be destroyed, sold to law enforcement or private collectors or appropriated without cost to various State Agencies and selected Bureaucrats?  The DOJ assures us that the program is only designed to pick up pistols, revolvers and automatic handguns.  Rifles and Shotguns are not be targeted.  Why?  Isn’t a Semi-Auto Shotgun as dangerous for a Convicted Felon to possess as a .25 automatic handgun?

Usually, for example – a Restraining Order may only last a year or two.  If DOJ, grabs your guns……what is the process that you will have to go through to get them back?  Will you ever get any of them back?  Is the State going to offer a buy out for all taken firearms?  Not likely.  Will you be required to get an attorney to fight the confiscation?  Probably…. a very good idea!

Can the wrong people wind up on the DOJ List?  Currently, the State of California has its very own list of what folks can be Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers in the State of California.  Additionally, if any member of resident citizen of the State of California wants to buy a firearm – they must go through the CA DOJ list, not the Federal NCIC List.  This seems rather cumbersome and perhaps the State Attorney General might explain to us why California wants to have its very own list without also going through the Federal NCIC System.  Are both systems connected directly?  Hard to get a straight answer.  So what are your options if you are wrongly added to the either the “Can’t buy a firearm list!” or worse…..wind up being a candidate for Handgun Confiscation!

There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding this ramp up at DOJ.  There are several open questions regarding the fact that other agencies may be employed in the APPS – Confiscation SB140 Funding Implementation program.  Example;  County Sheriffs, CHP Officers, State Marshals and even local PD may be sub-contracted to pick up firearms from the 20,000 initially subject to the Handgun Confiscation program for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Governor Jerry Brown, we still love you – but we are conflicted:  The Man with the Golden Gun…..in California……hopefully,  will fill in the details and seriously make sure that law abiding citizens, will not be caught up in the middle of all the confusion.

*Apps – http://misplacednews.com/gun-control-california-doj-confiscating-guns/


About Ron & Anna Winship

Independent News Producers/Writers and Directors for Parker-Longbow Productions. Independent Programming which includes a broad variety of Political, Entertainment and Professional Personalities. Cutting Edge - a talk show...is the flagship of over 30 URL websites developed or under development. The Winships have been blogging for the Orange Juice since back when nickels had buffalos on them, and men wore onions attached to their belts, because it was the fashion back then.