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News Release: Lutz for Assembly

(2008-03-06) Raymond Lutz

This Page: https://copswiki.org/Common/M457
More Info: 77thStateAssemblyDistrict, Blackwater, Blackwater West, Election2008, Local Politics

Lutz for Assembly http://www.LutzForAssembly.com
http://www.StopBlackwater.net
http://www.CitizensOversight.org

CONTACT: Raymond Lutz, State Assembly Candidate, 77th District
Citizens’ Oversight Projects (COPs) Coordinator
raylutz@LutzForAssembly.org / 619-820-5321

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2008

Blackwater Opponent takes Fight to Assembly Race

“Stop Blackwater” leader Raymond Lutz declares candidacy for the 77th State Assembly District, including the controversial Blackwater West and Sunrise Powerlink projects.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA (March 6) – Raymond Lutz turned in his nomination paperwork and fees today and formally declared his candidacy for the the 77th State Assembly District, a region which includes the proposed Blackwater West training camp in the community of Potrero.

Lutz says he decided to run for the 77th Assembly District partly because the district includes both Potrero and the site of the proposed 824-acre private military training camp. “If Blackwater decides not to back out of this project, I’m planning to take the fight to the State Assembly and block their California expansion plans.” Lutz said the project can be blocked by limiting allowed activities by mercenary-like companies such as Blackwater who plan to operate training camps in California.

“The recall election of December 11th was an unprecedented opportunity for Potrero residents to make a statement about the Blackwater West project, and their statement was clear. 70% of the voters said no. Now Blackwater says they will continue to push for this California expansion despite the clear will of the people.”

Lutz runs the website Stop Blackwater.net and has assisted the opponents to the Blackwater project culminating in the recall of the pro-Blackwater members of the Potrero Community Planning Group, which is now composed of nine members committed to respect the will of the community. The ousted planning group members voted 7-0 to approve the massive Blackwater West project in December, 2006, after a single presentation by a Blackwater representative, and they refused to reconsider the vote despite pleas from the community. The agenda of the upcoming meeting on March 13th will include the Blackwater project, according to Planning Group Chair, Carl Meyer. Although the vote of the planning group is advisory, it carries more weight after the landslide victory of Blackwater opponents over the pro-Blackwater slate. The County Board of Supervisors as the final say on the project. The environmental impact report is due to be released later this year for public comment.

But that’s not the only important issue for Lutz. He’s also been an active opponent of the Sunrise Powerlink, a massive 500kV transmission line planned by Sempra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric. The transmission line was planned to go directly through the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park or along a southern route taking private property from backcountry residents and coincidentally disturbing the same residents that would be impacted by the Blackwater West project. All proposed routes of the project lie substantially within the 77th District.

“The Sunrise Powerlink has little to do with the energy needs of the San Diego area, and it is not required to tap into renewable plants in the desert. Instead, SDG&E has admitted their long-term plans will mainly benefit the LA market with Mexicali power plants dodging California smog regulations and using fuel imported from Asian sources through Mexico. This proposal takes us in the wrong direction and costs $7+ billion over the life of the project with little, if any, benefit to my district.

“Instead we must push for rooftop solar, local generation, and conservation. We are on the precipice of dramatic change. For example, Assembly Bill 94 provides that homeowners can realize a net positive cash flow from their rooftop solar system, receiving an annual check from SDG&E. Their investment will be returned in fewer years and the additional power can be used by residents without excess generating capacity. With a substantial number of homes being converted to rooftop solar, we can generate our peak energy needs for sunny San Diego without desecrating our State Park or impacting private property owners. Of course, SDG&E doesn’t make money on rooftop solar, so it is not part of their strategy to benefit stockholders.”

Lutz included the state budget and immigration reform in his top issues. “The revenue stream for our state is highly volatile and swings wildly with the economy. As a result, representatives of both parties spend too much in good times and commitments are difficult to break in downturns. We must rely more heavily on nonvolatile funding sources and tie volatile sources with departments that should be cut in concert with the pace of the economy. Less volatile revenue streams will allow us to more finely tune our budget and avoid spending sprees and difficult cuts.”

On immigration reform, Lutz says he supports comprehensive reform suggested by the Kennedy-McCain proposal endorsed by President Bush. He says that the border fence can help but will never stop the onslaught of undocumented workers. Even with the proposed fence extension in this district, we’ll still have a ten-mile gap in the Marron Valley area, a gap that will be very difficult to close as it runs along and through the Tijuana River. Migrants will simply walk another half mile around the end of the fence or bring a home-built ladder. We must enforce laws on the books and deny employment. We must have comprehensive reform that embraces the need for seasonal agricultural workers, for example.”

Lutz is also pushing a Election Integrity proposal called the “CORECT method” which he claims will eliminate the need for certification procedures. The proposal can be reviewed at Citizens Oversight.org.

Lutz is a native of East San Diego County and is affiliated with the Democratic Party, and he is also the founder of watchdog group Citizens’ Oversight Projects (COPs). His website, Lutz For Assembly.com includes a careful analysis of many other important issues confronting our region and state. He is a resident of the unincorporated county area bordering on the City of El Cajon. Lutz and his wife operate a private school in El Cajon, and he sells electronic devices into the medical marketplace. He has a Master of Science degree in Electronics Engineering from San Diego State University. His new novel, Coils of the Serpent, which describes a linkage between DNA science and biblical texts will be formally released on April 7th, but is available at Coils Of The Serpent.com as a limited pre-release edition. The kickoff date commemorates the five-year anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project.

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Title News Release: Lutz for Assembly
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Pub Date 2008-03-06
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Keywords 77thStateAssemblyDistrict, Blackwater, Blackwater West, Election2008, Local Politics
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Topic revision: 19 Feb 2010, RaymondLutz
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