You probably read the headline already:
The screeches for Putnam to renounce are already loud and widespread. Of course it has to do more with him seeking the Governorship of the state than any actual fault that lies with him.
The Tampa Bay Times has the article and the link to the report of the Office of the Inspector General and as usual when it comes to guns (and other subjects) it is accurate but not necessarily the truth. The slightly-less-than-obvious hint is that tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of licenses were issued without any NICS background for a period of 11 months.
Here is the thing: The OIG report only mentions one individual, Lisa Wilde, failing to upload the applications to the NICS system. I do not pretend to know how the process goes exactly, but I am sure she is not the only one processing the background of people applying for Florida’s CWP.
We are talking a total of 274,470 applications (268,000 approved plus 6,470 denied) processed in a space of 44 weeks or 1,766 hours. That comes to 152 background checks an hour or 2.5 checks every minute if my math is not out there. 2.5 checks every minute without any bathroom breaks or lunch or even stretching every so often to relieve cramped muscles. Call me cynic, but I doubt that just one person processed that many.
The OIG report never mentions numbers at al,l so all the numbers published are just speculations. And there is still the issue of permits denied which you can be sure not all of the applications were rejected because they applicants forgot to write their address as the article desperate tries to hint away.
So yes, what Lisa Wilde did was incompetent and broke of the trust to the State and the People of Florida so she deserves to be punished for it. But until we have the precise number of applications she dealt with, the Tampa Bay Times insinuating that 268,000 approved applications are all tainted by this person is just political bullshit.
And just a reminder: Never trust the news, go to the source and/or raw data if you can.
Apparently, Florida does three different checks, not just a NICS check.
https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2018/06/08/major-bureaucratic-blunder-in-florida-on-gun-background-checks-for-ccw-permits/
It turns out that there were only 365 affected applications.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/adam-putnam-defends-claims-that-florida-didnt-do-background-checks-on-concealed-weapons-permits
“Upon discovery of this former employee’s negligence in March of 2017, the department immediately launched an audit of the 365 applications she failed to review.
“When the department completed the full background checks with information from the NICS system on the 365 applications she failed to review, 291 licenses were ultimately revoked.”
——————
The way I read the article is that the employee was responsible for reviewing applications that were REJECTED by NICS, and there were 365 rejected applicants.
365, not 268,000
Rather than do her job and review why they were rejected, she just approved the 365 applications. When they found out, they fired her. They then went back and did the job she was supposed to do, and revoked 291 out of the 365. I assume they confirmed the approval of the other 74, and did not yank their permits. It’s bad, but at least they cleaned up the mess.
Just as bad as the US Air Force refusing to upload the disqualifying convictions of known criminals into the NICS Database? Just as bad as states refusing to load the disqualifying mental health history of their citizens into NICS?
Close Enough for Government Work
It’s not making sense because you’re too busy trying to make the information fit your narrative and your snarky comments instead of diving in and honestly trying to read and understand.
http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/06/08/adam-putnams-office-stopped-concealed-weapons-background-checks-for-a-year-because-it-couldnt-log-in/
So you do believe that one person alone processed over a quarter of a million applications at 2.5 applications a minute for 11 months?
That makes sense.
So, Jay, please give us your take on this. Don’t just point to the article. Tell us what you think happened. Miguel’s guess as to what happened includes a mathematical breakdown of the numbers that makes pretty good sense. What is your take on it?
Smells of a plant to discredit Putnam.
Speculation:
It makes a degree of sense if she was the single person who updated the database from which the actual examiners were working.
“Don’t just point to the article. Tell us what you think happened.”
Why? It’s all in the article.
But, because Miguel apparently isn’t the only one that believes that in 2018, in this age of technology, state workers run each and every applicant’s name individually and by hand…I suppose I have to offer that they don’t and that they actually download and export large groups of names that are run en masse against state and federal databases.
As you might imagine this gives them plenty of time to stretch, take meal breaks and do whatever other happy HS Miguel throws in his fiction to make it a fun read.
But all this BS isn’t the important stuff. What’s important is that people who weren’t properly checked got their CWPs. And, I believe, not only did it affect their carry authority in FL but ANY OTHER STATE that recognizes Florida’s CWP.
Now, I remember not too long ago when Parkland went down, there was a lot of outrage and calls for the heads of the FBI and BSO who dropped the ball. Where is the outrage here? Why isn’t Putnam or Rick Scott being dragged? Granted, even Marion Hammer recognizes it was a massive screw up, but the reaction is surprisingly muted.
And here, we’re all scampering down Miguel’s rabbit hole trying to figure out a way it DIDN’T happen instead of spending time discussing the whys and the security and safety implications of such a mistake…and calling for someone to be held accountable.
Why, Jay? Because unless you are “the crazy cat lady” you know the news gets a great deal wrong. WHY they get it wrong may be up for debate, but THAT they get it wrong– a lot, a whole lot actually– no one with a clue or half a brain would argue.
When the headline says one thing but the article says another, there’s a problem. The headline clearly suggests that NO background checks were done for a year. The article later states admits there is only ONE employee who failed to do her job on clearing backgrounds on a limited number (365) of applicants. Of those, once discovered, 291 were revoked. That’s extremely disingenuous, don’t you think. So, which is it? Background checks were stopped for a year on everyone, or one employee failed to do her duty and due diligence on a limited number of people?
Next, I don’t know what you do for a living. But, I know what I do for a living. I can tell you for a fact, EACH and EVERY name is run, one by one, by someone. Backgrounds are looked into, and each file (read that as “each applicant”) is run through NICS, plus the state system. In addition, local police records, court records, and all former addresses are checked and each of those localities are checked for contacts by police, records, etc. It is a time consuming process, and there is no ‘running batches’ or “large groups of names.” Not how it works, dude. AT ALL.
Miguel’s guess as to how it works was far closer to reality than yours. Amazingly enough, his “fiction” as you call it, was a pretty damn good guess for someone who doesn’t work that side of the fence.
As for what is really important, how about we hold responsible the person who was supposed to do her job. Blaming the boss over the entire permit system for the actions (or inactions) of a single lazy, useless employee is kind of like blaming the manager of the grocery store that they ran out of toilet paper in the bathroom: Not his fault directly, but since he’s in charge of the store, let’s lynch him!
“and calling for someone to be held accountable.”
The guilty party WAS held accountable. She was fired once the problem was recognized. It wasn’t swept under the rug and covered up with “nothing to see here peasants, move along” like in Coward County, the failure was rectified.
If this had been a Demshovik who’s employee had done a similar thing I GUARONTEE you that the press would NOT be talking about it.
If your premise is to be followed, can we demand the resignation and prosecution of EVERY politician who has had staff who worked under them that failed? If so, then I have a list a MILE long of Demshoviks and RINOs that I want nailed to a cross. Let’s rock…….
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