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Blackwater Otay Citizen Action

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Remember, as citizens in a democracy, it is our duty to oversee the entire government!
WE ARE IN CONTROL IF WE WILL ONLY TAKE THE HELM!

> Please help by sending out a few emails. This web page will help you! See below.

Support the San Diego City Council and City Representatives.

Blackwater is attempting to intimidate the San Diego City Council, the Mayor, and other representatives. Please contact City Council members and show your support! Although it is best if you write YOUR OWN LETTER, we have set this up to be as PAINLESS as possible!

Here is the contact information for the City Council. Just click the "Click Here" links and a fresh email will be started for each person.
  • (Please keep the bcc email address as provided so we can keep track of how many are sent. If you don't see it, please bcc to raylutz@citizensoversight.org)
  • change the subject a little so it is not marked as canned-meat.
  • Please customize with "Sincerely" and your name and address at the end. THE MORE INFO YOU GIVE, THE MORE CREDIBILITY YOU HAVE.

OR, use the following sample letter as a starting point. (It is also here: Council Letter Otay 01)
Dear REPRESENTATIVE :

I am writing to support you in standing up to Blackwater and their secret facility in Otay Mesa.

Don't be intimidated by their scare tactics! The public has the right to review their plans and approve or disprove this sort of facility, and public hearings are in order. We need your help to make sure the project is adequately reviewed. Please stand firm against this facility.

Blackwater is trying to sneak into our county and install a training facility, extracting profits from our tax dollars and then send them to North Carolina. There are other options in this area to provide similar training. We don't need a company that has its eyes set on hiring our men and women in uniform to have the opportunity to advertise their private army during the entire training process.

Regardless of what Blackwater may say, they have their eyes on border security contracts and have admitted as much when they were working on the Potrero facility. If this facility is installed, if Blackwater can get their foot in the door in this region, it will only be a matter of time before they have those contracts.

We must stop Blackwater now, nip it in the bud before it grows to become a hideous monster.

Please continue to take a stand against Blackwater!

YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, ETC.

Contact the government Agency providing the Blackwater Contracts

One of our most important tasks is to contact these decision makers and let them know that Blackwater is not wanted in our community, and they have disregarded normal processing procedures, used fake names, and are trying to ram this down our collective throats. There are other alternatives in our area. The letter can be similar to the one above. We should send EMAIL, regular mail and telephone! THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HELP!

12350 Research Parkway
Orlando, FL 32826
(407) 380-4691
Attn: Ron Root
Ronald.Root@navy.mil
Direct line:(407) 380-4872

Click here to start email to Ron Root

Role: These are the ultimate decision makers regarding this contract extension. If they hear that San Diego City has NOT approved the range site yet, they will be forced to give the extension to one of the other three contract companies here in San Diego that are doing this work. The course in question is a Navy Security Guard Course. It is all defensive in nature.

Here are the organizations that are alternatives to Blackwater:
  1. American Shooting Center (Been doing this course since 2002)
  2. Linxx (Been doing similar courses since 2006)
  3. San Diego City College (Been doing similar course since 2001)

Center for Security Forces

Naval Amphibious Base
1575 Gator Blvd Ste 226
Norfolk, VA 23521-2751
Quarterdeck: (757) 462-5240
DSN: 253
Attn: Mike Phillips

This office confirms that the vendor, Blackwater, can technically deliver the course required. They make sure that the they have the appropriately qualified instructors, equipment, curricula etc.

Center for Personal and Professional Development

2025 Tartar Ave Suite 218
Virginia Beach, VA 23461-1933
Quarterdeck: (757) 492-0771
DSN: 492

This office certifies shooting ranges and non-traditional training facilities for Navy training.

Here is a sample letter/email for these contacts (Also here: Letter To Blackwater Contractors 01):
Dear (CONTACT NAME) :

I am writing to inform you about a serious concern the members of the community have about the location of a Blackwater training center and shooting range in Otay Mesa. It is my hope that you will consider other options and not proceed with any contract with Blackwater.

First, Blackwater installed the facility without any public review. They used pseudonyms "Southwest Law Enforcement" and "Raven Development Group" apparently to avoid public scrutiny of their plans. They called their shooting range nothing more than a "vocational school," and they did not reveal that explosives and firearms would be used. The public has the right to review their plans and approve or disprove this sort of facility, and public hearings are in order. We need your help to make sure the project is adequately reviewed. Please reassign any contracts directed to Blackwater to other firms, for example:

  • American Shooting Center (Been doing this course since 2002)
  • Linxx (Been doing similar courses since 2006)
  • San Diego City College (Been doing similar course since 2001)

There is intense animosity against this sort of secret facility in our community, and we would appreciate your assistance in making sure that Blackwater follows normal public review of their plans. Please immediately redirect all contracts to use other options until this is resolved.

Sincerely,

NAME, ADDRESS, ETC.

Write letters to the Union Tribune

Please send your own Letters to the Editor on this to letters@uniontrib.com or mailed to

Letters Editor
The San Diego Union-Tribune
P.O. Box 120191
San Diego, CA 92112-0191

fax to 619-260-5081

(E-mail submissions preferred; all must include full name, address, and daytime phone number).

-- Raymond Lutz - 23 May 2008
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Topic revision: r3 - 25 May 2008, RaymondLutz
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