Unlike the nation as a whole this small town stood up for what they believe with integrity. That's a town to live in! Good for you, folks! There's hope for the rest of us.

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In Illinois near Freeport, they did erect just such a camp and it was kept as quiet as possible. We did not hear about it until a few weeks ago, when a friend, a police officer says he trains for shooting up there. We had been considering moving our offices, studios and home to that area, now we have reconsidered, We neither want to do business nor live in a place where the people welcome such a despicable thing. Who the hell are the people who sold them the land?

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why in the hell would anyone want this group anywhere around? white trash with weaponry, pumped up on steroids and, as it turns out, considering themselves untouchable, above the laws of the land- bad neighbors and a disgusting 'business'. NIMBY is a perfectly reasonable response.

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closer to the SS.

see: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/091005A.shtml

" New Orleans - Heavily armed paramilitary mercenaries from the Blackwater private security firm, infamous for their work in Iraq, are openly patrolling the streets of New Orleans. Some of the mercenaries say they have been "deputized" by the Louisiana governor; indeed some are wearing gold Louisiana state law enforcement badges on their chests and Blackwater photo identification cards on their arms. They say they are on contract with the Department of Homeland Security and have been given the authority to use lethal force. Several mercenaries we spoke with said they had served in Iraq on the personal security details of the former head of the US occupation, L. Paul Bremer and the former US ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte."

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way to go portero. i still am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that these kinds of training camps are even legal. america is no place for a state-sponsored fundamentalist xtian private militia. they have no allegiance to the constitution, just the highest bidder and/or advancing an ideological agenda.

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The brave town of Protrero paid a heavy price for standing up to the paramilitary Blackwater organization. They were one of the communities ravaged by the recent string of arsons in Southern California.

I don't want to hear any BS about "conspiracy theory." What is Blackwater doing in Iraq right now? Killing, destroying, terrorizing, and looting anybody who stands in their way.

* Potrero fire causes evacuations around Julian
* 25,000 acre blaze was set

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You people are a terrific role model for the way America ought to be.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zk1-OPvFT4

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Ain't it great to see Blackwater take it in the neck! Good on you great citizens of Potrero!

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Democracy (big 'D' democracy, not the type that is currently in vogue in Washington, which we export all over the world) wonderful!

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Why does it seem that Calif.citizenry have more control over its state than most others,like here in jersey,once you elect your chosen official ,what you wish is in their hand ,in Cal.they have referendums ,''they ask the people,they didn't want blackwater in their town they win,in jersey its HA HA HA!!

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Blackwater soldiers patrolled New Orleans during Katrina and Blackwater billed the government $900 per day per soldier while New Orleans cops were eating out of cans and getting no pay.
Blackwater is Bush's private army that he is going to need when everything finally catches up to his anti-Christ fundamental philosophy of death and destruction in the Holy Lands.
IM
Belteshazzar

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Blackwater has a big future in America. The bill S.1959 passed overwhelmingly and is now the anti-domestic radicalization act. It authorizes the hiring of private contractors for enforcement. Blackwater will soon be kicking down doors all over the country confiscating the computers and pepper-spraying and tasing citizens suspected of thinking/planning any radicalism. Blackwater will have its revenge. They see the way the wind is blowing in this country and are positioning themselves to reap billions of tax dollars as the new American Gestapo.

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Who wouldn't want heavily armed Blackwater storm troopers accountable to no one wandering their streets? Nazi Germany had the same thing and look where it got them.

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The relationship between Blackwater and the Bush administration has become worrisome enough for me to have done a bit of research. I.e., I looked for a parallel in modern history of a head of state allowing a private army to conduct business within the state's borders. The answer was just what I thought it would be: zero.

So here's my question: Am I absolutely nuts? Does the thought of an imperial presidency with a private army to back it up constitute a nightmare scenario to anyone but me?

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The concept of Blackwater is not new. In order to quell signficant insurgent activity in the Phillipines right after the Spanish-American War the U.S. government was forced to hire 100,000 american mercenaries for "pacification" duties because U.S public opinion polls registered overwhelming disapproval of using U.S. troops to perform the task.

Damn, some things never change.

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It's news of the actions in places like Potrero, CA that feeds my dwindling supply of hope that regular Americans still hold some measure of control over their lives, AND bother to exercise it.

Loved the statement by one of the recalled supporters of the camp- checking into the possibility of jobs & income it might create.
What a trade off! Jobs & money in exchange for letting these guys loose in their community.

Secondly, news about the Blackwater installation near Freeport, IL.

Next communications I'll have will be with my state reps & Russ Feingold to check the possibilities of legislation requiring an organization (or corporation) of this type to post notification to the surrounding area of their intentions. They're only killers, after all.

One would think that county zoning approval must be required. Geez, we have the ability to control large box, porno store locations- gotta wonder who got the cash forland they bought!

Blackwater employees have publically stated there is rampant steroid and drug use among fellow employees in Iraq. We're also aware of their perception that they are above any laws that impede their actions.

The thought of drunken, steroid driven human bombs training to control & kill within a 1 hour drive? When I can't imagine a single reason for their existence in any situation, in ANY country, for any reason? What country is this?

I see it now- a protest against the war, a rally speaking out against the ravaging of our rights & freedoms, stolen or bought elections. The Blackwater boys get a call suggesting they take a short drive to Madison to "monitor" those wild liberals. Good field practice. Just bring the light ammo. They'll only have candles.

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CONGRATS to Potrero for doing whats RIGHT based on their morals, and not bowing down to Blackwater.

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So the panel wanted to study the economic benefit to the town??? With that logic, they are saying any morally corrupt group or company would be welcome if they have enough money?? I'm so glad the town stood up to these idiots!! Its always all about the money isnt it?

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Kudos to Potrero for standing up to Blackwater. Those people didn't want to be like Moyock, where that "security" company's headquarters is. Ahh, yes some good news to report.
By the way, Moyock is in North Carolina.

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In regards to the new story out about the woman who was gang raped by blackwater employees, what do you think will happened when these morons come back to this country? Thank god the town had enough sense to keep these kinds of idiots out of their community. I wonder if any of those gang rapists have any daughters or sisters or mothers? Gee, i wonder how theyd feel if they found out their moms had been gang raped? Where is the justice here??? Someone please catch these guys!!!

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Read Jeremy Scahill's book about Blackwater. Very scary. We already have enough fascists in California trying to put everyone in jail. We don't need Blackwater creating more. (They now train local police forces)

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The people of this town have the right to do whatever they want I guess, but they are standing in the way of a group that provides aqdjunct military support to our nation. We need folks like Blackwater to defend our freedom and protect our country's interests. Maybe the good people of California will change their minds when the Chicoms come marching into San Diego. As for the other commentors here - you're just a bunch of ignorant, misguided, leftist fools !

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Man o man it's good to read about SOMEBODY standing up in America these days. Has it come to THIS?

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Amercans had better wake up. This has been Karl Rove's and Dick F---Y-- Cheny's plan from day one. "W" has no idea of what is going on. If the Religiuos Right think that they will be exempt, wrong they will be the first ones to go. These people have no god.

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Adolf Hitler saw and learned from Benito Mussolini when Mussolini created his personal and private para-military elite guards called the "Black Shirts", by creating his own private and para-military guards which were called the "Brown Shirts". Stalin saw what Adolf and Mussolini had created and thus he created his own version as well. So what do we call Bush's BlackWater mercenary thugs? Uh...I know, how about "War Profiteering Mercenary thugs"? Sounds good to me. In the meantime, accross the nation, huge privately owned mega-prisons have been and are being constructed in very remote parts of this country. A friend of mine, who used to work in the Pentagon (Airforce) in the 1950's and 1960's told me about the construction of these mega-prisons way back in the mid-nineteen eighties. He directed me to one in the Nevada desert up on the far east side of the Death Valley range. I was driving back to Los Angeles, and he told me to take this back-road highway through the desert which led me to its location. He told me that he knew that its potential human capacity was over 100,000 residents! When I saw this facility off in the distance with its "Privately Guarded" gate, I truly was astonished at its immensity! And it was at least two to three miles away form me but it filled a good portion of the mountain side that it was built on. My friend told me to stay aware over the next decade or two and to watch the Right-Wing Fascist Corporate Fundamentalist movement, as this country was heading straight into a fascist run dictatorship. He said this to me back in the early 1980's! He was right. He also had had top secret clearance when he still worked in the Pentagon, to information that proves that Extra-Terrestrials DO exist and he was on a project that recovered a UFO that was shot down by our Air Force off the coast of Maryland back in the early 1960's. It was later recovered by the United States Navy. He said that he used to be threatened by the "Men in Black". But now he's in his seventies and said that he has lived his life and at this point, he doesn't care about their threats any longer. Do I trust my government? Not in any way, shape or form. My government is primarily made up of the Illuminati World Elite. If you think your vote actually counts or has EVER counted, when it comes to the presidency, you are very misled. Blackwater is a very scary fascist, para-military and mercenary organinzation. It's CEO and founder, Eric Prince, is a very dangerous human being, who is a Religious Fundamentalist based on my research. Do we really want these fascist freaks running amok in our country and other Sovereign Nations telling everyone what to do and killing whomever they so choose with complete immunity? Me thinks not!

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Good! I'm glad this town stood up and refused to support the bush regime and its cronies!

~J-Mo

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