Secure Border Initiative Public Meeting --- TONIGHT, Tuesday July 17, 7:00 to 10:00 PM

Thanks to a very thorough newspaper reader, we have become aware of a Border Patrol public meeting on SBInet (and I mean thorough newspaper reader -- the public notice was buried in the dogs, cats and fish for sale section of the classified ads.)

One can infer by this apparent minimal public notice effort, the Border Patrol does not want any public participation.

The stated purpose of the meeting is to "identify, rather than debate, significant issues related to" the construction of the Secure Border Initiative (SBInet) a technology-based border security system.

The meeting will take place TONIGHT, Tuesday July 17 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Holiday Palo Verde, 4550 S. Palo Verde Rd., Tucson. (Click here for a map)

NEPA scoping meetings are intended to be an opportunity for the public to raise issues they would like to have addressed in the environmental assessment (EA) that will ultimately be undertaken. The Border Patrol will likely provide a brief overview of the SBInet project and then open it up for comments. These comments will become part of the docket for this NEPA process. So speak up.