Mike Copass and Susan Davis Debate

NEWS 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jill Kleinman
Phone: 619.818.6353
Email: jill@mikecopass.com
Date: Saturday, May 17, 2008

Democratic Challenger Mike Copass to Debate Congresswoman Susan Davis

San Diego -

- Declaring that voters are "frustrated by the incumbent's refusal to take action on issues, particularly Iraq," Democratic congressional candidate Mike Copass will meet four-term Congresswoman Susan Davis for a debate on Sunday, May 25. Sponsored by Common Cause and moderated by The League of Women Voters, the debate will be held at 2:30 p.m. at the Joyce Beers Community Center in the Hillcrest/Uptown Shopping Center on Vermont Street, 1-1/2 blocks north of University Avenue.

Copass, a Stanford- and Harvard-educated microbiologist and small businessman, has received the endorsement of Progressive Democrats of America, San Diego Democracy for America and Southern California Americans for Democratic Action. "Voters have rejected Congresswoman Davis in frustration, because she continues to vote to fund and extend an occupation in Iraq that the nation neither wants nor can afford," Copass states.

Copass and Davis are competing in the primary election on June 3 for a seat representing California's 53^rd Congressional District. With a cosmopolitan population, the 53^rd encompasses the greater part of the urban San Diego area, holding a 16 point Democratic voter registration advantage.

Copass cites resource independence as another reason he is vying for Davis's seat. "We need to have a viable, economically sound energy and water security plan for our region. The numbers are absolutely frightening. We import 90 percent-plus of our water and 98 percent of our energy. It's time to retool our local economy, create green collar jobs and plan for a sustainable future."

For more information or to book an interview with Mike Copass, contact Jill Kleinman at jill@mikecopass.com or visit www.mikecopass.com.

Blackwater Stopped Again

City Attorney Aguirre finds fault in permits for facility

Sanders halts work at Blackwater site

By Tanya Mannes

SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

May 17, 2008

OTAY MESA – Mayor Jerry Sanders yesterday ordered work to stop on Blackwater Worldwide's proposed military training facility in Otay Mesa.

The mayor was prompted by a legal opinion issued earlier in the afternoon by San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre. The opinion found problems with Blackwater's permits.

A Blackwater vice president responded last night by accusing Sanders and Aguirre, who are running for re-election June 3, of political posturing in an election year.

Blackwater, based in North Carolina, has drawn protests and scrutiny for its work in providing security for officials in Iraq. In March 2004, Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah killed four Blackwater employees, and in September 2007, Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.

The company has leased a 61,600-square-foot warehouse in a business park three blocks from the U.S.-Mexico border near Brown Field. It's installing a shooting range, a simulated Navy ship and classrooms.

San Diego's Development Services Department issued permits in March for Blackwater's interior improvements. The site was zoned for a vocational school, and city staff members decided that Blackwater's training qualified.

The permits were obtained through two companies with which Blackwater does business: Southwest Law Enforcement and Raven Development Group.

Once people heard of the company's plans, Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, organized a rally with San Diego City Council President Scott Peters and Councilman Ben Hueso. They said Blackwater tried to keep its plan secret.

On May 5, Sanders sent a memo to the city's chief operating officer asking for an investigation into the permits and requested a report by May 23. Bill Harris, a mayoral spokesman, said yesterday that Sanders will re-evaluate the proposal once the investigation is complete.

Aguirre's opinion called for a stop-work order and a more rigorous application process.

He said the Municipal Code requires City Council approval, as well as a state environmental review, for most firearms use within city limits.

Also, Southwest Law Enforcement did not provide accurate information in its permit applications, Aguirre said. It listed several purposes for the warehouse in permit applications, he said. One said it would be a training facility, another an indoor firing range, and another application said the warehouse would continue to be used for storage.

In a statement last night, Brian Bonfiglio, a Blackwater vice president, said, "Every person involved with the project identified themselves as representing Blackwater."

Bonfiglio said that the Navy needs the training the company would provide and that the city needs "all the taxpaying businesses it can get."

"It is tragic that City Attorney Aguirre is driving Mayor Sanders to turn our troops and the San Diego economy into unwilling pawns in an Election Year game," he wrote.

In March, Blackwater abandoned a proposal for an 824-acre center in Potrero, citing noise tests that showed gunfire would exceed local standards.

---

Tanya Mannes: (619) 498-6639; tanya.mannes@uniontrib.com

urgent pls.

 DEAREST ONE,

I AM     RAMATU     ISSA,    21YEARS OLD AND THE ONLY DAUGHTER OF MY LATE PARENTS  MR AND MRS.ISSA.   MY FATHER WAS A HIGHLY REPUTABLE BUSNNESS MAGNET-(A COCOA MERCHANT   )WHO OPERATED IN ABIDJAN THE CAPITAL OF IVORY COAST DURING HIS DAYS.

IT IS SAD TO SAY THAT HE PASSED AWAY MYSTERIOUSLY IN FRANCE DURING ONE OF HIS BUSINESS TRIPS ABROAD ON 12TH.FEBUARY 2006.THOUGH HIS SUDDEN DEATH WAS LINKED OR RATHER SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN PLANNED  BY AN UNCLE OF HIS WHO TRAVELLED WITH HIM AT THAT TIME. BUT GOD KNOWS THE TRUTH!

MY MOTHER DIED WHEN I WAS JUST 14 YEARS OLD, AND SINCE THEN MY FATHER TOOK ME SO SPECIAL. BEFORE HIS DEATH ON FEBUARY 12 2006 HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS THE SUM OF NINE MILLION UNITED STATE DOLLARS.(USD$9.000.000) LEFT IN A SECURITY COMPANY IN A METTALIC TRUNK BOX, BUT THE SECURITY COMPANY DIDN'T KNOW THE CONTENT BECAUSE IT WAS REGISTERED AS FAMILY VALUABLES FOR SECURITY REASONS. HE ALSO HAND OVER THE DOCUMENTS TO ME.

I AM JUST 21YEARS OLD AND A UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE AND REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. NOW I WANT YOU TO ASSIST ME RELEASE THE BOX FROM THE CUSTODY OF THE SECURITY COMAPNY. THIS IS BECAUSE I HAVE SUFFERED A LOT OF SET BACKS AS A RESULT OF UNNECCESSARY  POLITICAL CRISIS HERE IN IVORY COAST AND THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ACTUALLY BROUGHT SORROW TO MY LIFE.

I AM IN A SINCERE NEED OF YOUR HUMBLE ASSISTANCE IN THIS REGARDS. YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS WILL BE HIGHLY REGARDED. NOW PERMIT ME TO ASK YOU THESE FEW QUESTIONS:-
1. CAN YOU HONESTLY HELP ME ?
2. CAN I COMPLETELY TRUST YOU?
3. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT IN QUESTION WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU?

PLEASE,CONSIDER THIS AND GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MY SINCERE REGARDS,
RAMATU ISSA.

 

Reminder: Community Coalition Summit This Sunday - Candidate Forum

I need your support this Sunday during the Candidate Forum at Joyce Beers.

 

Request you attend, let me know if you need a table and be prepared to make small donation.

 

We will also be setting up our schedule for upcoming Public Access Television shows! (COX 18/23).

 

We now have access to another public access TV show, which I will be producing. I expect to interview at least three organizations a month on television! We are growing!

 

Our outlet on Hispanic Television Network has also grown to eight cable channels! I have very exciting news about our efforts to take control of our own media and get our messages out.

 

Strategic planning progress will be revealed (boycott/media strategies).

 

Please join and support us! Request you email an RSVP and invite others.

 

Walter Davis

760-917-1251

 

San Diego County

Mega

Progressive Community Coalition

 

Join leaders in San Diego's Progressive Community as we unify for common causes.

 

When: Sunday 18 May 2008 @6:00 P.M.

Special Presentation: Candidate Forum – Meet Local Candidates Prior to the Primaries

Where: Joyce Beers Community Center San Diego, CA  92103

1090 Vermont Street -  Ralph's Shopping Center, Next to Aladdin's Mediterranean Cafe

1.5 blocks north of University Ave. _________________________________________________________________________________

The San Diego County Community Coalition http://progressiveconcerns.meetup.com/5 

SD Mega Coalition Blog: http://sdmegacoalition.blogspot.com/   

You Can Email your blog postings to: info1656.sdcommunitycoalition@blogger.com

Walter@sdctonline.com  For Email Inquiries or call 760-917-1251

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What's in it for you? Each organization with get a table at no cost and an opportunity to make a short 3 minute presentation on their mission.  Distribute your schedule and make announcements for any special events/needs.  Become a subject matter expert. Publish articles in San Diego County Times.

Participate in Television Interviews on COX 18/23 and MTV 3.

Let's unite and explore:

The Environment | Alternative Media | Peace Campaigns  | Universal Health Care |Poverty Prevention | Women's Rights | Joint Letter Writing Campaigns/Economic Boycotts | Capturing the Attention of Mainstream Media | Using small newspapers | Chain emails | Justice issues | Mutual Support | Clean elections | 9-11 Theories | Controlling our own media …..and others!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Local Candidates will get up and personal with the group. Next Summit 15 June 2008.      _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Next meetings scheduled: (We are grateful for small donations so we can provide refreshments)

General Summits 3^rd Sunday of each month at

Joyce Beers Community Center San Diego at 6 PM

At your request, we will distribute schedules, brochures and applications

at our meetings whether or not you are present

More on Blackwater - from NY Times

Iraq Contractor in Shooting Case Makes Comeback
By James Risen The New York Times
Saturday 10 May 2008
Washington - Last fall, Blackwater Worldwide was in deep peril.
Guards for the security company were involved in a shooting in September that left at least 17 Iraqis dead at a Baghdad intersection. Outrage over the killings prompted the Iraqi government to demand Blackwater's ouster from the country, and led to a criminal investigation by the F.B.I., a series of internal investigations by the State Department and the Pentagon, and high-profile Congressional hearings.
But after an intense public and private lobbying campaign, Blackwater appears to be back to business as usual.
The State Department has just renewed its contract to provide security for American diplomats in Iraq for at least another year. Threats by the Iraqi government to strip Western contractors of their immunity from Iraqi law have gone nowhere. No charges have been brought in the United States against any Blackwater guard in the September shooting, either, and the F.B.I. agents in Baghdad charged with investigating whether Blackwater guards have committed any crimes under United States law are sometimes protected as they travel through Baghdad by Blackwater guards.
The chief reason for the company's survival? State Department officials said Friday that they did not believe they had any alternative to Blackwater, which supplies about 800 guards to the department to provide security for diplomats in Baghdad. Officials say only three companies in the world meet their requirements for protective services in Iraq, and the other two do not have the capability to take on Blackwater's role in Baghdad. After the shooting in September, the State Department did not even open talks with the other two companies, DynCorp International and Triple Canopy, to see if they could take over from Blackwater, which is based in North Carolina.
"We cannot operate without private security firms in Iraq," said Patrick F. Kennedy, the under secretary of state for management. "If the contractors were removed, we would have to leave Iraq."
Still, serious risks remain for Blackwater and at least some of its current and former personnel. A federal grand jury continues to consider evidence in the Baghdad shooting. Although the company is not likely to face any criminal charges, people involved in the case say that some Blackwater guards involved in the shooting are cooperating with the F.B.I. as it pursues evidence against other guards.
Separately, a former Blackwater guard is under criminal investigation for the December 2006 shooting death of an Iraqi guard for an Iraqi vice president, and may soon face federal charges. In a third case, two former Blackwater workers pleaded guilty to weapons-related charges, but both received sentences that included no jail time in return for their cooperation with federal prosecutors in a broader investigation.
A House committee has also asked the Internal Revenue Service to begin an inquiry into whether Blackwater has designated its guards as independent contractors rather than employees to in order to avoid paying and withholding federal taxes. The State Department renewed the security contract for only one year - just long enough to take the company into the start of the next administration. And Blackwater's political connections to the Bush administration may not serve it well if the Democrats win the White House in November.
Given the furor that surrounded Blackwater after the September shooting in Baghdad, critics say the decision to renew the company's contract in Iraq is a sign of the Bush administration's inability to curb its reliance on outside contractors in the war.
"The shooting incident was like a hammer blow, but where are the consequences?" said Peter W. Singer, a scholar at the Brookings Institute and author of "Corporate Warriors," a book about contractors in Iraq. "I think it points to the fact that the dependence on contractors is like a drug addiction. They just can't help themselves."
Representative Henry Waxman, California Democrat who is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which has been investigating Blackwater on several fronts, said, "I can't understand why Blackwater's contract was renewed. It seems to me the administration should have looked for others who could do the job, including the U.S. military."
In the past administration officials have dismissed the notion of using military personnel to guard diplomats.
Founded in 1997 by Erik Prince, a former member of the Navy Seals and heir to a family fortune made in the auto parts industry, Blackwater began to generate controversy in Iraq long before last September's shooting. Blackwater had developed a reputation among both Iraqis and American military personnel as a company that flaunted a quick-draw image that led its security personnel to take overly aggressive actions to protect the people they were paid to guard.
Last year the State Department acknowledged that Blackwater had been involved in significantly more shootings per convoy mission than DynCorp and Triple Canopy, which provide security for the State Department outside Baghdad.
The shooting death of the bodyguard for the Iraqi vice president in 2006 rankled the Iraqi government well before last September's shooting. An off-duty Blackwater guard who American and Iraqi officials said had been drinking heavily was the sole suspect. The off-duty Blackwater guard, Andrew J. Moonen, who no longer works for the company and who is a former Army paratrooper, is now under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in Seattle. Although Mr. Moonen has not been charged, his lawyer, Stewart Riley of Seattle, said that he had recently been in contact about the case with prosecutors from the United States Attorney's Office in Seattle.
People familiar with the case said they believed that the Justice Department had recently concluded that it had found a way to skirt some of the jurisdictional problems that in the past made it difficult to bring charges in American courts for crimes committed by contractors in Iraq.
"I think they may come to a decision on what to do with this case in the next three or four months," said one person familiar with the matter. Mr. Riley says that Mr. Moonen maintains his innocence in the shooting.
In addition, a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackwater filed by the families of four Blackwater guards killed in Falluja, Iraq, in 2004 - an event that prompted the first major battle in Falluja between the American military and insurgents that year - is also still pending.
A federal appeals court is expected to rule this year on whether the families can proceed with their lawsuit or be forced into arbitration with Blackwater, an outcome the company prefers, according to the families' lawyer, Daniel Callahan of California.
Donna Zovko of Cleveland, the mother of Jerko Gerald Zovko, one of the Blackwater guards, says Blackwater has stonewalled the families.
"It is 1,501 days since he was killed, and I don't know one-tenth of what happened to him, and no one seems to care," Mrs. Zovko said in an interview. Given so many headlines about his company, Mr. Prince until recently seemed eager to tell his side of the story, and there were reports that he planned to write a book. But on Friday, Anne Tyrrell, a Blackwater spokeswoman, said Mr. Prince's book project had been put on hold.

Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slave Trade -BSCC

The Bi Lateral Safety Corridor Coalition is dedicated to fighting human trafficking and modern day slave trade. Here is their invitation to attend their monthly meeting. Hope to see you there.

 

Walter

 

Good Afternoon Coalition Member's,

Hope everyone is doing well, it's time again for our BSCC monthly coalition meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Hope to see you there.

 

The agenda is as follows;

¶       Introductions

¶       "Special Guest Speaker "

¶       Old Business & New Business

Address:     5348 University Ave., Rm. 4

San Diego, CA 92105

 

Respectfully Sent,

Frances Alfaro, Administrative Assistant

"Never doubt that a small group of commited people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."  - Margaret Mead

Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition

Phone (619)336-0770

Fax (619)336-0791

falfaro@bsccinfo.org

www.bsccoalition.org

 

BSCC's Mission: To preserve the dignity and well being of commercially and sexually exploited women and children through prevention, intervention, and education.

Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this E-mail is confidential and may also contain privileged attorney-client information or work product. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error, please return the message to the E-mail from which it was received and immediately delete it.

 

Significance of Memorial Day

Like many American holidays, Memorial Day is often just another day off for workers and their families. To add meaning to the holiday, its helpful to learn about its history and customs.
Stories abound on the origins of Memorial Day, but a few are more popular and credible. Records indicate that after the Civil War, groups of women in both the North and South visited gravesites, adorning soldier's graves with flowers. Whatever stories are true, the main focus is always the same, to honor those lost in service to our country.
The first official Memorial Day was held on May 30, 1868, organized by General John Logan. (The date was chosen because it was not an anniversary date of a battle.) To honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War, flowers were placed on Union and Confederate graves in Arlington National Cemetery . New York was the first state to officially recognize the holiday in 1873.
In 1971, Congress enacted the National Holiday Act, and the observance of Memorial Day was changed from May 30 to the last Monday in May of each year. Many credit this change of date to the decline of this day of remembrance, as people focused on the three day weekend instead of the original meaning of the holiday.

Main site/Press Interviews/Mortgage Financing

http://www.walterdavisenterprises.com

Insurance 

http://www.agentonwheels.com

Community Involvement

http://progressiveconcerns.meetup.com/5/

Streaming Internet Television

www.vmdirect.com/videoconsultant

 

Blackwater San Diego City Council Meeting

NO Blackwater in San Diego!!!!!

Attend City Council meeting - carpool or take trolley

about Blackwater: http://iraqforsale.bravenewfilms.org/blog/344-blackwater-runs-red
Blackwater unlikely to face charges for shooting Iraqi civilians  http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/09/america/Blackwater-Prosecutions.php

---

From: sdcpj-bounces@lists.quantumimagery.com [mailto:sdcpj-bounces@lists.quantumimagery.com] On Behalf Of Carol Jahnkow
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 9:50 PM
To: SD Coalition for Peace & Justice
Subject: [SDCPJ] Stop Blackwater in Otay Mesa! Attend City Council Mtg. 5/13/07 10 a.m.

Join us on Tuesday,  May 13, 10 a.m., at the San Diego City Council meeting during the public testimony session at the beginning of the meeting to raise questions about  Blackwater's presence in our community and to ask the Council to put this issue on their agenda for fuller investigation and testimony.   WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!  PLEASE COME TO THE COUNCIL MEETING AND HELP US DEMONSTRATE THAT SAN DIEGANS DO NOT WANT BLACKWATER IN OUR COMMUNITY (OR ANYWHERE). 

 

12th floor, 202 "C" Street

 downtown San Diego.
We'll have signs for you or bring your own.

AT  ISSUE: 

Blackwater West/USA'a plan to open an indoor training facility in Otay Mesa. 

Last week San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, at the request of Congressman Bob Filner, announced an investigation into Blackwater's permits. 

Filner wrote:  "The secrecy under which Blackwater contracted its facility in Otay Mesa causes great suspicion and distrust among community members in my District.  The lack of transparency in their plans forces me to question their intent to develop a 'vocational trade school.' Blackwater is a company that profits from war, and they will not hesitate to profit from insecurity in our sensitive border region.  Developing a paramilitary training facility, less than one mile from our international border, would send a dangerous message to Mexico and would hurt business and diplomatic relations. A positive relationship with Mexico has never been more critical to our National Security, and we must not take any action that would jeopardize that bond."

"As you know, Blackwater has been under investigation for the shooting of 17 innocent Iraqi civilians on September 16, 2007.  Since this event, Blackwater has been investigated by Congress, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of State.  More specifically, Congress filed an investigation of tax, small business and labor law violations," added Filner.  "As a private company hired by the federal government, Blackwater lacks accountability to government agencies. Once in operation, there would be very little or no oversight governing Blackwater's operations in our border region."

Congressman Filner concluded, "Blackwater does not exhibit any of the signs of a good neighbor or a productive business partner. We cannot allow a company with their reputation to do business in our community – the cost is too high."    

 to read full text of Congressman Bob Filner's Letter to Jerry Sanders.    http://www.prcsd.org/investigation.html

The investigation is scheduled to end on May 29, timing which would allow Blackwater to begin operations the first week in June, should the mayor find that everything is in order. 

If you're unable to attend, please contact your city council person and let them know how you feel about Blackwater;  Click here for e-mail addresses.     http://www.copswiki.org/twiki/bin/view/Common/SanDiegoCityCouncil

More info on Blackwater:  www.prcsd.org

Thank you for your support!

Peace Resource Center of San Diego and Activist San Diego

Petition Against Blackwater

Hi everyone,

I'm sure some of you have already gotten this information, but it is worth spreading. The threat is that mercenary training is becoming the foundation of our economy, boarder security will be sold-out to private military forces, and our acceptance of these gunmen as an economic backbone on our growing empire will allow war profiteers a legitimate form influence in government. We must not allow the American Dream to become the Blackwater Nightmare.

I thought you might be interested in this letter to San Diego Mayor Sanders that I just signed at the Courage Campaign. The letter thanks Mayor Sanders for launching an investigation into the false pretenses Blackwater used to obtain a permit to build a base of operations in San Diego and asks the Mayor to take further leadership -- on behalf of Californians -- to block Blackwater before it's too late.

The danger from Blackwater does not end at the San Diego city limits. And it certainly will not end with the conclusion of this investigation. When it comes to the threat to Californians that is Blackwater, we are ALL citizens of San Diego.

As a fellow Californian, please join me today in signing the letter to Mayor Sanders, which will also be delivered to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Bob Filner:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/MayorSanders

Thanks!

ATTN:  Assignment Editor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The Premier Screening of SUPPORT? SYSTEM DOWN, Saturday, May 17, 2008 at Ultra Star Cinema at the Flower Hill Mall in Del Mar, California

 

SAN DIEGO, CA, May 1, 2008 /CRISPE (Children's Rights Initiative for Sharing Parents Equally)/ -- and AGINELO Productions.  Making "Support? System Down" the latest film from producer and filmmaker Angelo Lobo, was a long and intensely personal experience of making a documentary on a broken family court system that betrays families and destroys children for federal incentives greed.  Worst of all, military and struggling working families are impacted most.

 

WHAT:  Premier of SUPPORT? SYSTEM DOWN

 

WHO:  SUPPORT? SYSTEM DOWN cast members Angelo Lobo (writer/producer), Larry Kerkman President CRISPE, Harry Crouch President NCFM, Kevin Polis Esq., John Murtari, CA Senator Bill Marrow, Dr. Jane Major, Glenn Sacks, LT Gary USN, Judge Sean Finn, Dr. Stephen Walker, Dr. Robert Palumbo, Jeffrey Schuster, Stanley Prowse, Taron James, Elizabeth Schnee, Teri Stoddard, Vicki Greene Attorney for Alec Baldwin, Andrew Smith, Ed Vallejo, Chris Encina, Donald Wilson Senate Veteran's Affairs, Claire Bindoy, Kenneth Rohling, Chief Magistrate Peter Passidomo, Former NOW President Karen DeCrow, Stanley Thorne, Jim Loose, Jorge Blanco, Michael McCormick President ACFC, Solange Grey, Judge George A. Collins, Claudio Desousa, Judge Patricia Hartline, Marie Astor, Mary Huang, Maria Tortorelli, Vincent Dunn, Daniel Velasquez, and others.

 

WHERE:  Ultra Star Cinema, Flower Hill Mall

                  2630 Via De La Valle (exit off I-5)

                  Del Mar, CA 92014

WHEN:  Saturday, May 17, 2008 5:00 PM Press Call Time, 5:30 PM Introduce, Cast 6:00 PM Film Begins, 7:30 PM Cast & Crew Mingle, 8:30 PM End of Event

 

HOW:  Tickets cost $10 and are available at the CRISPE office on 932 C Street San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 233-4773.  Seats are limited get your tickets immediately.

The film premier is sponsored by CRISPE.org , NCFM.org, and John van Doorn.

The http://www.supportthemovie.com website contains film synopsis and trailers.  Please check back for updates.

 

For interviews contact:

Marcy Ganz, Public Relations Specialist

(888) 827-4773

 pr@crispe.org

http://www.crispe.org

###

 

Link to press release:
http://crispe.org/uploads/PRESS_RELEASE_SUPPORT_SYSTEM_DOWN_050508.pdf

Students and Parents Protest Drug Bust With Mock Graduation Ceremony

STUDENTS FOR SENSIBLE DRUG POLICY

A NEW PATH

DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE

 

 

For Immediate Release:                                                CONTACT: Randy Hencken, SSDP at SDSU(619) 865-3000 or

May 7, 2008                                                                               Micah Daigle, SSDP National – (202) 669-5315

 

Students and Parents Protest Drug Bust With Mock Graduation Ceremony

 

Groups Call for Life Saving Good Samaritan Policy

 

SAN DIEGO, CA – SDSU students and a group of concerned parents will hold a mock graduation ceremony with 77 "missing" students today in protest of Tuesday's announcement of a massive drug sting orchestrated by the DEA with the help of SDSU officials. Officials have described the five-month sting as a response to two recent fatal drug overdoses on campus, but those gathered today are criticizing the DEA's show of force as counterproductive and are calling on the university to enact a life-saving Good Samaritan Policy that encourages students to call for help during a drug overdose emergency.

 

Today's demonstration, organized by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing), and the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), will display 77 empty chairs and diplomas, symbolizing the 75 students arrested in the sting, as well as the two students who died recently of preventable drug overdoses. Large banners will be hoisted that read: "77 students are gone, but drug abuse isn't" and "Save lives. Enact a Good Samaritan Policy."

 

WHO:             Dozens of concerned students and parents

WHAT:           Demonstration and press conference supporting Good Samaritan

Policies and criticizing DEA sting at SDSU

WHEN:           11am, Wednesday May 7th, 2008

WHERE:        SDSU, Hepner Hall/Communication Building

 

"Sensational drug stings will do nothing to reduce the demand for drugs on campus, nor will they decrease the supply for these drugs for more than a few days," said Randy Hencken, president of SSDP at SDSU. " So long as students have the desire to use illegal drugs, and so long as the prohibition of drugs sustains a lucrative black market, drug stings will do little more than create openings for others to step in and supply drugs to SDSU students. This is a complicated problem that requires complex solutions but the discussion needs to start here."

 

Gretchen Bergman, director of San Diego-based A New PATH said, "SDSU's cooperation with the DEA will make students fearful of calling for help during overdose emergencies. The best way to protect our children and prevent drug overdoses is to enact a life-saving Good Samaritan Policy." Mrs. Bergman is the mother of a graduating SDSU student who is in long-term recovery from heroin addiction.