Congressman Bob Filner, Jess Durfee, 1,777 San Diegans Call on Mayor Jerry Sanders to Investigate Blackwater Permit
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
May 5, 2008
SAN DIEGO — On Tuesday, May 6, Jess Durfee, Chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party, will deliver a letter to Mayor Jerry Sanders, calling for an investigation into the new Blackwater facility planned for Otay Mesa.
The letter — which started circulating via email from the SDCDP and the Courage Campaign just last Thursday, May 1 — has now been co-signed (as of Monday, 3 p.m. PT) by 2,501 people, including 1,777 residents of San Diego County, of which 1,003 are citizens of the city of San Diego. Congressman Bob Filner sent a letter to Mayor Sanders as well on Thursday, requesting an investigation into the permitting process.
Durfee’s letter calls on the Mayor to investigate the false pretenses under which Blackwater was able to obtain permits for a training facility in the City of San Diego. The facility, which will not be open to the public and is designed specifically to provide military training, was permitted by the City of San Diego as a “vocational trade school” to the “Raven Development Group” (a Blackwater subsidiary). In addition, the name on design plans reviewed by the city was “Southwest Law Enforcement,” not Blackwater USA.
Given the concerns raised about how Blackwater obtained the permit as well as the integrity of city processes, the Courage Campaign has filed a Public Records Act Request with the City to access all documents related to Blackwater’s permit process, and hopes that the Mayor’s attention to the issue will speed the processing of that request. (Copies of the Public Records Act Request are available upon request.)
WHAT: Petition Presentation and Press ConferenceWHO: Jess Durfee (Chair, San Diego County Democratic Party), Scott Peters (President, San Diego City Council), Ben Hueso (Member, San Diego City Council), Rick Jacobs (Chair, Courage Campaign), Ray Lutz (Coordinator, Citizens’ Oversight Projects), and Francine Busby (former candidate for Congress, 50th Congressional District), Mike Lumpkin (Navy Seals, Retired; Department of Defense national security expert).
WHEN: 1 PM, Tuesday, May 6, 2008WHERE: In front of the City Administration Building, 202 C Street, San Diego
Durfee’s letter to Mayor Sanders is excerpted below:
“This isn’t the first time that Blackwater has tried to hold itself above the law, and it probably won’t be the last. As ABC News recently reported, “‘Blackwater has been accused of tax fraud, improper use of force, arms trafficking and overbilling connected to its work for the U.S. government in Iraq. A grand jury, federal prosecutors and congressional investigators are all currently probing allegations against the company.’”
This isn’t how San Diego should operate. The people of Potrero spoke out loud and clear that San Diego County doesn’t want Blackwater in our community. That’s still true. While the City Council has taken steps to oppose Blackwater’s latest attempt to force itself into San Diego, you must do your part and take a stand against Blackwater’s continued attempts to skirt the law. Please review Blackwater’s questionable permit before these dangerous mercenaries establish a presence on our border with Mexico.”
For the full text of the letter, please visit:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/sandersletter
“Blackwater will continue to evade public scrutiny until our elected officials shine a light on the false pretenses they are using to set up a base of operations three blocks from the Mexican border,” said Rick Jacobs, Chair and Founder of the Courage Campaign. “If the people of Potrero can stand up to Blackwater, the least Mayor Sanders can do is call for an investigation into the permitting process.”
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The San Diego County Democratic Party is the official unit of the Democratic Party in San Diego County, representing San Diego’s almost 500,000 registered Democrats.
The Courage Campaign is an independent political committee and online organizing network approaching 100,000 members that empowers grassroots and netroots activists to build a progressive California. Our partners include MoveOn.org, CREDO Action, Democracy for America, PowerPAC.org, United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), CalPIRG, California Nurses Association, and Common Cause. In 2008, the Courage Campaign will catalyze action to increase California’s importance in the race for the White House, hold our elected officials accountable, and block Blackwater’s second attempt to build a base of operations on the Mexican border.