Friday - Quick Hits

Mayor lays out an ambitious agenda for city in his state of the city address. UT

State Utilities Commission approves security plan for NCTD Sprinter rail service. UT

Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District to weigh closing the last one-room schoolhouse in the county. UT

Robert J. Watkins was re-elected as president of the San Diego County Board of Education. UT

Potero Planning Board delayed vote on Blackwater. UT

City Council in Encinitas approves a 10% raise for council to take effect in December. UT

Tri-city Hospital Board approves master board. NC Times

Typical conservatives condemning proposed firefighting fee as a new tax. NC Times

Tuesday - Quick Hits

Potero Planning Board to reconsider previous board's approval of Blackwater camp. UT

Developers of two hotels on Lane Field property seek coastal permit from Port Commission today. UT

Chula Vista city council to decide on rezoning church property so developer can build subdivisions. UT

Kiplinger's rated UCSD 11th on a national list of 100 best values in public education. UT

Start of North County Sprinter service to be delayed. UT

Attempt by San Diego tribe to build off reservation casino has major setback. UT

Friday - Quick Hits

Truly a stupid idea. Los Angeles county MTA proposal to turn carpool lanes into toll roads. LATimes

Continued racial problems in Poway. Swastika found at Westview High School. UT

Pointing out the merely obvious. UCR study finds fewer liquor stores in gang-infested area reduces violence. UT

The newly elected Potero Planning group was sworn in yesterday. UT

City supervisors distributed "cheat sheet" to employee for a disaster preparedness test. UT

Another sign of the ongoing housing crisis in the I.E. Hospital district that owns Sun City and Hemet hospitals files Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection. NCTimes

Thursday - Quick Hits

With their arrogance showing, Blackwater claims vote results doesn't change their plans one bit. UT

Victory for the environmental community. Sea World becomes the first group in the United States to apply for a water-quality discharge permit for conducting fireworks over water. UT

La Mesa has hired a consultant to try to attract more business for city. UT

Solana Beach and developer are at odds over train station project. UT

Stepping up and trying to do something that is right, an addiction treatment center is offering free services for Afghanistan and Iraq veterans. UT

The Coastal Commission kills the extra per room fee for controversial Oceanside beach resort. NCTimes

Blackwater 5 Recalled!!

Rarely does an election for a planning group make the news. But yesterday anticipated recall election of the Potero Planning Group had been a national story for some time. The planning group's decision last December to recommend to the County Board of Supervisors for approval a proposal that would allow the mercenary outfit Blackwater USA to build a 400+ acre training facility out near the Mexican border attracted protests almost immediately. The ensuing debate over what was dubbed Blackwater West became framed in the overall political debate over the role of mercenary outfits in the war in Iraq.

Yesterday, all five incumbent members of the planning group were recall. The vote wasn't even close, most of the members lost by a margin of 2 to 1 in the mail only ballot.

“It should send a loud and clear message that Potrero does not want Blackwater in the community,” said Carl Meyer, a leader in the recall campaign and an anti-Blackwater candidate.[Link]

In their typical arrogant manor, Blackwater USA vice president Brian Bonfiglio was quoted in the UT that the recall election outcome doesn't effect the company's plans to build in Potero. “I don't care one way or the other,” Bonfiglio said.[Link]

The activists who worked hard in the recall effort must continue to remain vigilant in their efforts. Blackwater USA has deep political connections and will still try to force their way into developing the facility out in East County.

Recall Election in Potrero: Ballot Due Today

As written about in this mornings UT, the ballots for the election to recall five of the members of the planning group are due today. The reason for the recall is because five of the members of the planning board gave early approval for a military training camp proposed by Blackwater. As of this morning more than half of the registered voters in Potrero have turned in ballots.

Blackwater has been making a big marketing push during the last couple of weeks, one of which included the "stunts" performed at a recent local university game, as reported in SD Politico. At the same time, Blackwater has found itself on the bad side of some national news, so it is hard to tell who will win out in the minds of residents.

Hopefully, the citizens of Potrero will take another symbolic stand against the private mercenary corporation and the supporters.

Tuesday - Quick Hits

UCSD hoax bomber has bail set at $100K. UT

As water crisis worsen, regional officials continue with half-hearted measures. UT

Supporters of new downtown library have riased only $18 million in private donations far short of their $50 million goal for this year. UT

Today is the final day to turn in ballots for Potero recall election. UT

Chula Vista Elementary School District has to pay $1 million to teacher who was dismissed after becoming pregnant. UT

City Fire Chief blasts the county at a hearing on Monday over the lack of fire equipment to deal with wildfires. NCTimes

Increase in human smuggling see off the coast of San Diego. VOSD

Blackwater in Potrero Documentary

A very talented local documentary producer, Andy Trimlett just emailed me with a new documentary on Blackwater that Alternate Focus put together. Click on the link below to view.

Blackwater in Potrero

In late 2006, Blackwater USA, now known as Blackwater Worldwide, submitted a proposal to build a training facility called Blackwater West in the rural San Diego County town of Potrero. This documentary tells the story of what followed. Features interviews with Jeremy Scahill, the author of Blackwater: the Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army as well as Brian Bonfiglio, the vice president of Blackwater West; Gordon Hammers, Jan Hedlun, Mary Johnson, Jerry Johnson, Thell Fowler of the Potrero Planning Board; Raymond Lutz of Citizens Oversight Committee; Rep. Bob Filner, and many others. Producer: Andy Trimlett, Associate Producers: John Odam and Aaron Seeley. (Alternate Focus)

Fighting Mercenaries in Our Own Backyard

Local activists jumped into carpools and showed up en masse in the rural town of Potrero this weekend. Beautiful and secluded, this wide open space is a picture of peace and tranquility. The township of Potrero, CA, has a population of 600. This sleepy little town seems an unlikely place for a peace rally, and an even more unlikely place for the residents to have to confront Bush's private army. Potrero is the site chosen by Blackwater to open up it's west coast training facility on an 824 acre ranch. [Link]

The residents of Potrero, along with several peace and social justice groups, organized a two day event to educate and illuminate. During the two day encampment event, close to 300 people participated in workshops, a night-time concert with local musicians, and an environmental walk. By Sunday, when many more of us arrived, this quiet little town was packed with media, from CNN, to all the local network affiliates.

Rep. Bob Filner was one of many speakers at the rally. He will introduce a bill in Congress, calling for all military training to be conducted on military bases only. At the conclusion of the rally, the culminating event was a march to the gate of the proposed Blackwater West facility. Blackwater mercenaries were out and about. They were trying their best to look menacing, filming us, and in general being the bad neighbor that they said they weren't going to be.

Residents of Potrero were very grateful to see the show of support from so many San Diegans. To learn more about Blackwater, see Blackwater: Shadow Army by Jeremy Scahill.


To take action, check out Courage Campaign. [Link]