California CCW "PRAR WARS" - minor updates

[Jim March]

Hi all,

The CCW saga continues. To catch up, check out:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=109941

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=111645

This weekend marked the deadline for initial responses. The agencies are collectively batting about .500 or so...some will no doubt be late.

City of Tracy is being screwy. Turns out they didn't start using the "new forms" until 2003. They were legally required to start in 1999. So I have to re-draft the request. Oh well. They're not fighting at least.

The worst response to date by far has been by San Joaquin's Sheriff Baxter Dunn. I had to draft a three-page "you gotta be kidding" letter to be mailed Monday the 22nd. Read it here:

http://www.equalccw.com/sanjoaquindemandpublic.pdf

-----------

The other news this weekend was Cal-DOJ's release of CCW statistical info by county:

http://caag.state.ca.us/firearms/forms/pdf/ccwissuances.pdf

I had the 1997 version of this and have already been publishing it at:

http://www.equalccw.com/CCWDATA1997.html

Using the same spreadsheet, I ran the numbers for 2003, the latest Cal-DOJ provides:

http://www.equalccw.com/CCWDATA2003.html

As I suspected, the racial disparity statewide got worse, mainly because Carona reformed whiter Orange County somewhat and about 1,000 permits were dropped in blacker Sacramento County when Chief Byrd of Isleton was shut down. But even discounting those, rural permit issuance is rising steadily...urban, also rising but not as fast.

I'm also publishing the original MS-Excel files I used to generate these:

http://www.equalccw.com/CCWDATA1997.xls

http://www.equalccw.com/CCWDATA2003.xls

The formulas are kept very simple; anybody can check my work.

All of this is now at:

http://www.equalccw.com/prarwars.html

 

[Jim March]

Oh, and I was late with all this because...errr, Friday night I went and crashed my bike .

Not that bad, thank God.

Heavy city traffic on a two-lane-each-way main street. Traffic is slow in the lane left of me (towards the middle), I'm on the outside doing about 30mph. Guy pulls right out in front of me . I grabbed a bunch of brakes on both ends, tried to ease round on the outside...managed to miss the car but the front skimmed the curb and I got spat sideways into the sidewalk area.

First good news: I'd gotten it down to about 15 I think, maybe 10.

Second good news: this being Marin County, they'd left a 3ft grassy strip between road and concrete sidewalk. My right knee hit said grass and caused no damage there.

The bad news: as I rolled from that first hit, I hit a stop sign with my left thigh.

By some miracle the thighbone held. I actually loosened the signpole in it's mounting, significantly so. It was planted with a concrete "plug" in the dirt; the dirt had enough "give" to absorb enough impact.

Ladies and gentlecritters, it's "just" a bruise. "Just" in the "owww oww owwww dear GOD that's a bruise!" sense .

Sigh.

Anyways. Some dude helped me pick the bike up. Minor right-side scratches to the pipe; I had to tighten the right-side engine case bolts near the oil pump to solve some "bleeding" later but nothing was outright cracked. Forks were twisted a bit, managed to straighten 'em.

Stayed at a friend's house that night, made it the 100 miles back home to Sacramento the next day, solving the oil leak thing on the way.

Of course, the guy never stopped .

It was his fault, but...partially mine. I should have expected somebody to pop out, I was in a hurry to make a meeting. (Actually still managed to speak to a packed house at the College Of Marin...hey, just checked google news, it's mentioned at:

http://www.marinij.com/Stories/0,1413,234~24407~2543646,00.html

Fortunately it was set up where the speakers were seated .

Anyways. Gotta predict what the fool cagers are gonna do. I *knew* that, I was in a hurry.

Total medical costs: $10 for basic pain pills (generic Aleve, Ibuprofin).

Bike costs: theoretically "damaged" but hey, this thing was a very good deal at $300 . Ask me if I care about scratches. No lights busted, no practical damage at all.

 

[Kinsman]

Glad you're O.K.

And again, thank you for the work you are doing for RKBA in California (and the nation).

Although I left there years ago, I have many friends there and I still keep half an eye on the place. Californians can sure use a friend.

I giggle gleefully when I see what is going on. Seems like some folks are quite happy to give the info out while others act like "that is priveledged information" (kinda like the permits themselves). I am loving this. Keep it up.

 

[cvnhank]

Jim:
I'm glad you weren't hurt badly. Thanks for all you hard work. Hank

 

[docfubar]

Glad you are OK BUT.........

This just goes to prove that cars are more dangerous than guns.

 

[riverdog]

OT

Jim,
Glad you're okay. Your accident went much better than it could have. I don't ride any more -- too many close calls when my reflexes were quicker.

 

[Noel]

Transportation

Jim,

I need to give you a Honda 1985 V-65 Sabre. It runs good (perhaps to good, which is why I do not need to own it any longer) and has no mechanical defects that I know of.

How shall you take possesion?

Noel

 

[Jim March]

Wait...what I've got does run pretty good. Mostly. This wasn't the bike's fault...if anything the skinnyness of it *almost* got me out of that jam altogether.

 

[Gray Peterson]

Um....

I'll take the Honda. I need transportation so bad.

 

[ScorpioVI]

Jim,

Thank you for all your hard work.

The statistics released by the DOJ are eye-opening, particularly when you break it down to the black county/white county. It's clear that there is something definitely Fd up in the system, and it's great that we're finally able to expose the corruption, hypocrisy and cronyism that we've suspected all along.

Again, thanks for making this happen.

p.s. From one motorcyclist to another, glad you're OK!

~ Alan

 

[cordex]

Really glad you're okay, Jim.

Noel,
If you really want to get rid of it ...

 

[Esky]

Jim,

So glad you're all right! It wouldn't be any exaggeration to say that we'd (those of us here in the PRK, anyway!) be lost without you.

I've been toying with the idea of getting another motorbike myself... but every time I think on it, I hear about someone's mishap.

I guess I owe you thanks as well for helping me stay off dangerous bikes and spend my money safely shooting!

Esky

 

[txgho1911]

anything new?

PRARs and your bike?

 

[Sawdust]

Jim,

I emailed you last week describing my experience (so far) with the Ventura County Sheriff...did you get that email?

Sawdust