Corruption in the process by which a California sheriff issues concealed handgun licenses! Who would have thought? From the November 8, 2008 Los Angeles Times:
Newport Beach millionaire Don Haidl testified Friday that badges were for sale under the administration of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona, and that the shields for volunteer reserves were purposely changed to look exactly like those carried by sworn deputies because "that's what campaign contributors would like to have in their pocket."The only thing remarkable about this is that Carona appears to have been caught. The sleazy manner in which sheriffs in urban California counties have issued carry permits has been going for at least a couple of decades. It is one of the most blunt signs of the incredible dishonesty and corruption of the liberals that dominate the California legislature that they simply refuse to fix this mess.
Haidl, who was appointed by Carona to be the assistant sheriff and put in charge of the reserve division, told jurors that the initial group of reserve officers they recruited shortly after Carona's election were made up of 86 friends, relatives and business associates tied to the campaign.
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Carona also modified the policy for issuing permits to carry concealed weapons so that members of the special reserve unit, known as Professional Services Reserves, would automatically qualify, Haidl testified.
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Carona and his longtime mistress, Debra V. Hoffman, are on trial in federal court in Santa Ana on charges that they conspired with others to trade the powers of the sheriff's office for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts. Haidl has pleaded guilty to lesser tax charges and agreed to testify against Carona and Hoffman. Carona's wife is also charged, but will be tried separately.
Haidl has been on the witness stand since Tuesday. When he agreed to cooperate with the prosecution, he went undercover and wore a wire during three meetings with Carona in the summer of 2007.
Haidl has already testified that he bribed Carona with cash payments of $1,000 on a monthly basis for more than three years, provided Carona with access to his private jets and yacht and paid for vacations and other items.
The current concealed handgun permit law was adopted in 1923 as part of a package that was openly stated as being to disarm Chinese and Hispanics. It has created enormous corruption in the urban counties. If other states had not demonstrated for decades now that a non-discretionary permit system (which eliminates the corruption) is not a public safety problem, there might be some plausible explanation for maintaining the current corrupting system. But there isn't. Most American states now have a non-discretionary permit system, the expected disasters didn't happen--and the corruption and racism problem has been fixed. And yet liberals refuse to consider fixing California's corruption breeder. Why do you suppose that is?
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