UPDATE: Shoot-out in the La Mesa district of Tijuana on January 17, 2008

A Mexican Federal police officer died as the result of wounds suffered in the Thursday attack on a drug cartel "safe house" located near "Mercado de Todos" in the 5 y 10 area of Tijuana.

Miguel Cedillo Gachúz, 24, was pronounced dead at the Red Cross Hospital yesterday. A bullet had struck the officer in the head during a shootout with men barricaded inside a large brick house, in Tijuana's La Mesa district.

A three-hour gun battle involved hundreds of Federal, State, Municipal agents, as well as members of the Mexican military. The sicarios fled by running on the roofs of near-by houses while shooting at police helicopters. No nearby residents were injured, but a kindergarten and day-care center were evacuated, and neighbors were left shaken.

Three other heroic police officers were wounded, but are expected to live.

The Baja California Attorney General's Office yesterday issued a statement saying it was continuing to work on identifying six victims, who were found at the scene: gagged, blindfolded and shot in the head. There is speculation that they were kidnap victims.

A suspected thug, who died in the shootout, remained unidentified.

Four other men who were captured at the house have been turned over to Federal organized-crime investigators. One was a Municipal police officer identified as Juan José Díaz. The others are Antonio Martínez Zarzoza, Carlos Alberto Espinoza Vega and Román Gámez Osuna. The latter initially identified himself as a member of the Baja California Ministerial Police, but this apparently is untrue.

Additional information can be seen at URL: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20080119-9999-1m19tjshoot.html

California State Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) pledges to "reshape" budget

Commentary by Craig Williams:

Friday, 11 Jan 2008

After reading his press release today....

SACRAMENTO—Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles) and other Democratic leaders today pledged to reshape Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget to reflect the values of Californians.

“The budget proposed today is what a "cuts only" budget looks like and the proponents of a cuts only approach need to own it,” Speaker Núñez said.

“This budget isn’t going for an up or down vote today. Clearly if passed as written, it would cause a lot of permanent harm.”

http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a46/press/20080110AD46PR01.htm

I drafted the letter below to our Assembly leader. Hopefully, some of you will want to do something similar?

Speaker Núñez
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0046

What's this #%&*#@'g BS on your website that you cannot receive comments from me because I am not in your district? You are the #%&*#@'g "leader" of the Assembly. You need to hear how pi**ed off all of us are. You are spending money like a drunken sailor. You, my second biggest failure Arnold, and the whole rest of you left wing Socialists have spent my State into the
rat hole.

But we are about to get real even. Term limits. Hopefully your latest proposition ploy will go down in flames and YOU ARE OUT OF THERE !

Regards;

One really pi**ed, retired taxpayer!

Craig Williams, W6CAW

CITY OF ROSARITO SECRETARY GENERAL TO BE GUEST SPEAKER

AT THE UNITED SOCIETY OF BAJA CALIFORNIA (USBC) MEETING: February 2, 2008, 10:00 a.m. at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, Salon Terraza

Licenciado Javier Hernandez Tovalin, the newly appointed Secretary General for the City of Rosarito and one of the top assistants to Mayor Hugo Torres, will be on hand to answer your questions on local security issues as well as other progress in the City of Rosarito.

Be sure to mark you calendars so you don’t miss this chance to find out first-hand what action is being taken by our new administration to make Rosarito a better place for residents and tourists alike. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Anne Hines, President

United Society of Baja California