County Stalling on gun Permit release?

   On December 26, 2012 at 9:45 AM, the Sierra Sentinel wrote an e-mail to Sheriff Gary Kuntz requesting the names and addresses of all persons who presently hold Concealed Weapons Permits in Calaveras County.

   When we heard nothing from Sheriff Kuntz, on December 27, 2012, at 1:46 PM we wrote an e-mail to Madaline Krska, County Clerk. stating that we had made this request of the Sheriff and had not yet heard back from him.

   Krska responded that we took the correct course of action and that the Sheriff's Department has 10 days to advise the party of the volume and cost for the information that is requested.

   Nothing more until January 3, 2013 at 4:38 PM, NINE DAYS LATER, when we received an e-mail letter from the Office of County Counsel of Calaveras County, stating, among other things, that the cost will be $76.04 and that since no lists are currently made up, one may take a few days, and the other list up to FOUR MONTHS.

   And since there is currently no such list, we must pay for the labor to create this list. We have requested the information be sent to us by e-mail, so there are no copies to make.

   On the morning of Monday, January 7, 2013, we sent someone with a copy of the letter and the money, in cash, to the Sheriff's Department, as instructed in the County Counsel's letter.

   The deputy at the desk took the money, said he didnt' have any change, and sent the person to their vehicle to obtain exact change.

   When he returned a few minutes later, Gary D., the deputy, had apparently spoken to the Sheriff or someone who wasn't happy with what was happening.

   Gary D. said he was to give the money back, that we could pay when we pick up the copies, and that we had to fill out another form and fax it to his office. He insisted we take back the money we had already paid.

    Within a half hour we faxed the form to the Sheriff's office.

   Then at around 1 PM we received a fax from Gary D., stating that they would not be dealing with this, even though County Counsel had instructed us to; that we have to start over again and take the money to County Counsel.

   Needless to say, we have sent e-mails to Janis Elliot, asking what is going on down there. We want to know why they are allowed to give us the runaround.  We explained to her that requesting other permits, such as building permits is not questioned or treated with such harrassing obstructions.

    Is this all just to put off their release of the information, which IS PUBLIC INFORMATION??

   We will keep you posted.  Elliot has not yet responded to our last e-mail. We have been told off the record that Sheriff Kuntz doesn't want to be the one who turns over the apparently "private" list of permit holders, which we believe should have been at the clerks office to begin with.

   People with gun permits should not get special secret treatment. What are they afraid of, anyway. Aren't they proud of their permits?

   We have other questions, also. How often does the Sheriff's Department update their list? Since we are aware of some with mental illness, who apparently did not have the affliction when they were issues permits, do they re-investigate these people regularly??????

   Is the Sheriff protecting we who do not feel comfortable being around guns, from those who should not be allowed to have them, or are these permits for life, without question?