California Town Rejects Blackwater, Fires Council Members Who Endorsed Them

[marmar]

from AlterNet's PEEK:



California Town Rejects Blackwater, Fires Council Members Who Endorsed Them

Posted by Paddy , Cliff Schecter's Blog at 5:33 AM on December 12, 2007.

Blackwater wanted to turn an 800-acre former chicken farm into a training camp for law enforcement officers.



Sweet.

Calif. town rejects Blackwater plan


POTRERO, Calif.-Residents balked at putting a Blackwater training camp near this sleepy mountain village, voting to recall five members of an advisory planning board that endorsed the global security firm's plan.

(snip)

Hammers said the board's decision had been misconstrued, and that its goal was to investigate what jobs and other perks having Blackwater could mean for the community.

"We chose to stay engaged," said Hammers. "Certain elements made it an anti-Bush, anti-Iraq war surrogate and sold that to the community. They were successful."

Blackwater wanted to turn an 800-acre former chicken farm into a training camp for law enforcement officers. The facility would have included 11 firing ranges, a driving track and a helipad. But opposition to the plan intensified in September, after Blackwater guards were investigated in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.

A call to a Blackwater spokesman early Wednesday was not immediately returned.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/70388/

[magellan]

1. Good for them, one for the little guy! n/t

[Misskittycat]

2. That's great. I slept through the local news last night. n/t

[WHAT]

3. k&r...

[Me.]

4. Citizens Finally Win One

HURRAY

[Nikki Stone1]

5. Let's hope Blackwater's countermove isn't deadly

Sorry, but I just don't trust this company.

:tinfoilhat:

[formercia]

6. Hopefully, Blackwater will move offshore

and we can be rid of them for good.

[ThomCat]

7. This is awesome!

What the hell business does Blackwater have setting up training camps for police? Are municipalities thinking of turning over the training of their officers to mercenaries?

Does anyone really think that having cops trained by a private army is a good thing?

[superkia]

10. Didnt they just expand their facility in North Carolina also?

They need to get their men in black ready for martial law, whenever that takes place. There will be too many police officers bailing because they wont be able to bring themselves to do what their government is going to ask of them to do to their fellow citizens, so the government will have their buddies blackwater all trained and ready to go. They already gave them a $15 billion contract to fight the war on drugs????? They control the drugs so I would have to believe that the contract is for future plans and blackwater needs the funds to get up to speed. Man its going to get ugly!

[ThomCat]

11. I agree. It's like they're deliberately trying to see how obvious

they can make their preparations for implementing martial law, while still calling all such claims "conspiracy theory." They really are transforming law enforcement from "to serve and protect" into "we stand over you." This is just the latest element.

[bonito]

8. K&R!

[Robbien]

9. Don't you love how the sorryassed councilman said "certain elements"

One can just see this high and mighty bought and paid for councilman looking down his nose at the dirty lowlife "certain elements" who don't want death squads training in their back yards.

Ha! Those certain elements canned your sorryass buddy!

[robinlynne]

12. All of this happened last august/september. Since then Potrero burned down in

the fire. It was actually the first of the many huge fires in the San Diego area, which made me suspicious. In September, the new election was made into a vote by mail election, which is worrisome because of the fire, and the high stakes involved. The residents decided to recall all their council members becuase they were agreeing to the blackwater plan. So this must be the votebymail election recalling the 5 council members.