SHERIFF GETS GOLD STAR FOR… DOING ITS JOB? BUREAUCRATS PAT SELVES ON BACK

It appears the Lompoc Record, bless their earnest hearts, is still reeling from the shock that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office received an award for… wait for it… preventing gun violence. In a world where up is down and bureaucrats are deemed heroic for breathing, it seems simply doing one's job – like, say, enforcing existing laws to keep bad guys from shooting people – now merits a gold star from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. One must wonder if the Department of Motor Vehicles will soon be recognized for issuing licenses, or the County Tax Assessor for collecting property taxes.

Of course, in the progressive paradise of California, 'gun violence prevention' usually means stripping honest citizens of their Second Amendment rights while actual criminals run rampant. So, it's a breath of fresh air that our local Sheriff's office is being lauded for actual policing, rather than just dutifully confiscating firearms from law-abiding folks because some Sacramento progressive dreamed it up. Perhaps this award is less about effective local policing and more about the Governor's Office desperately needing a positive headline that doesn't involve another multi-billion-dollar deficit or the continued exodus of taxpayers from the Golden State.

The real Whipping Post Take? The Sheriff's office isn't getting an award for some grand new scheme; they're likely getting it because they're one of the few agencies left still doing the tough, essential work of keeping criminals off the streets and actually using the laws already on the books to prevent violence. It’s a sad commentary when basic competence and a commitment to public safety become award-winning achievements in a state where common sense is rarer than a sensible tax policy.