It looks like back-room deals for land use happen in every community — it’s the degree of the problem that makes the story. Here in Cranston, Rhode Island, we have a concrete plant trying to insert itself on a piece of flood-zone land in a bunch of people’s backyards, and a grassroots organization of residents trying to stop the project. In Potrero, CA, Blackwater USA is trying to put in an 824 acre military training ground. From Raw Story:
Massive security contractor faces growing protest in rural California town over 824-acre base
SAN DIEGO — Potrero, California boasts a broad swath of meadowland that currently houses derelict chicken coops.
Surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest, the property boasts a former chicken ranch and includes an environmentally sensitive, protected agricultural preserve southeast of San Diego.
But if private security contractor Blackwater USA gets its way, this 850-strong community will soon host an 824-acre military training base, replacing the erstwhile chicken ranch with fifteen firing ranges and an emergency vehicle operator’s course the length of ten football fields.
A RAW STORY investigation has already led to the removal of one lawyer connected to the project. The inquiry has also discovered that California congressman and current presidential candidate Duncan Hunter — who is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee — is a client of the firm, Blackwater USA, a massive US security contractor in Iraq.
Minutes of a planning meeting raise questions about whether Hunter was involved in lobbying for the project. At the Feb. 8, 2007 planning meeting, Vice President for Blackwater West Brian Bonfiglio said Hunter was one of the firm’s clients.
“We talk with Duncan about many things,” Bonfiglio said (emphasis in original).
Blackwater isn’t a stranger to controversy. In February 2004, families of four security contractors killed in Fallujah, who are suing the firm for information regarding their deaths, testified before the House Government Reform Committee.
The private security contractor has seen its federal contract revenues swell since Sept. 11. Six years ago, the firm raked in $250,000; today a single Iraq contract is valued at $300 million. Much of its work takes place in Iraq; the company was at one time responsible for the security of interim Iraq consul Paul Bremer. Blackwater now aims to expand operations by establishing several new training camps in addition to its headquarters in North Carolina.
Townspeople and environmentalists are squaring off against the company and public officials. The Portrero Planning Group approved the facility by a 7-0 vote in December – but since then more than half of the town’s registered voters have signed a petition opposing the facility. Residents also say they are organizing a recall against members of the Planning Group who voted in favor. [full text]
Let’s see — over half the residents of Potrero don’t want this military training ground inserted in their town, and yet the planning board voted 7-0 in favor of it. Did it occur to them that they should check with the citizens of Potrero before voting in favor of this thing? Apparently not. If you read the full text at Raw Story, you learn that there was a deliberate effort NOT to communicate with the people of Potrero about what was being planted in their midst.
The cynic in me says, well, if Blackwater gets its way, at least this project will only affect 850 people, and they are probably people who have the financial means to move if they don’t like it. But the analyst in me wants to know why we need more military training grounds. We have a military, and they have training grounds. The corporatization of the military (Blackwater) appears to be leading not only to the expansion of our military, but to the duplication of very expensive and potentially dangerous training grounds. That’s bad for our wildlife reserves, bad for our residential communities and wasteful of our tax dollars.
Kmareka.com 
Saddam Hussein had his Special Republican Guards, and took very good care of them. So too does George Bush. Nothing is too good for his private mercenary army, and as always, the will of the people be damned.
The Third Amendment says that the citizens cannot be made to quarter troops in their homes. This may be the only amendment that Bush hasn’t trampled on, but it’s only a question of time.We maintain over 700 military bases around the world, mostly to remind everyone that we have the power to destroy them. Blackwater will serve the same purpose within our borders. I can only hope that the next administration will emasculate these domestic terrorists as their first order of business.
I’m outraged that this country supports mercenary armies. We have USA military forces, so why would anyone want to have freelance paid killers living in their back yard? Especially killers who owe their allegiance to Blackwater/Halliburton.
To think that some 800 acres of pristine wilderness will be sacrificed to this obscene blot on what we like to think is a fairly civilized community just blows my mind. Please rethink this whole idea.
Date: August 15, 2008
Washington, DC
PRIVATE FORCES PROTECT BUSH, CHENEY & ROVE
Baricaded in the White House after being found guilty of multiple crimes against the Constitution of the United States; Bush, Cheney & Rove have called Blackwater to surround the White House to keep the Army and Marines at bay. It seems the Administration has been building it’s private Army for just such a moment.
This is what the bushies are turning this country into Iraq and bush will be sadam, Get your guns and get ready to fight. Although guns may not be enough!
William Blackwater, namesake of the mercenary firm, was the founder of a 19th century missionary organization whose goal was to convert the Middle East to evangelical Christianity in order to hasten the return of Christ. The corporation consistently donates to Right Wing Republican and evangelical organizations.
Sources: Orren, Michael B., Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present (William Blackwater)
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/26/1559232 (Blackwater Corporation)
Maybe, just Maybe with the impeachment proceedings of the Gutless,Spineless, Coward and Traitor cheney we will be able to go after the blackwater Mercs. Then pass a Law that outlaws there being in the country its Territories or Possessions of the USA with Fines of 25 million dollars for each offense and a MANDATORY jail time of not less then 15 years in solitary confinement. I can Dream can”t I. This COWARD in the WH. has just about broke the military and the INACTION and KNEE BENDING of the Congress is Disgusting, we will hold both house and the Presidency if you shut this CLOWN down.
Start tracking ALL social agendas and Congressional contacts especially after a meeting with the Mental Midget in the WH.
Oh come on, Guys!
It’s San Diego, and we don’t have any National Guard anymore.
How the hell are we supposed to round up all the trashy “Ghetto language” speakers, nappy headed hoe’s, Gang Bangers, hoochie ma-ma’s, elitist intellectuals, urban liberals,illegal aliens, registered voting minorities, public schoolers and homewrecking homosexuals if we don’t allow the Praetorian Gaurd?
If we don’t have Blackwater outposts near all our cities… Who will protect the big, tough cowboys in the suburbs from those mean old urban people? Why… “They’ll wuin owr Twadtional Valwoos.”
It spooky for rich folk to think that a little mote and a giant gate around their community is all that protects their bubbles from being a part of the real world.
Oh yeah…
Then they’ll come back for all the “progressives.”