(From the diaries -- kos)
(Full disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign)
A tiny town called Potrero just north of the border in California, an area ravaged by the recent wildfires, just stood up and resoundingly said no to another impending disaster: Blackwater moving to town. I am so unbelievably happy to have such a huge victory to celebrate!
It was the nation's first ever electoral vote on Blackwater and it was a massive people-powered grassroots victory over the mercenaries. Every "stop Blackwater" candidate won by at least 63% (results here). It was an an enormous statement to Blackwater: stay out, you are not the kind of neighbors we want in our community. It is also a blistering statement by a very conservative town to reject the Bush world view. Our nation is not better served by having a privatized Army. There is nothing pro-troop about supporting Blackwater.
Blackwater has been working this little town of 509 registered voters hard. They deployed Brian Bonfiglio, a Vice-President at Blackwater out to San Diego County to regularly show up to town meetings in Potrero. They send out propaganda mailers and generally try to ingratiate themselves with residents of the community. In short, Blackwater has invested a great deal of resources into P.R. within Potrero and cares very much what the residents feel about the company.
At first it worked, and the Potrero Community Planning group, an advisory elected body, rushed through approval of Blackwater's plans for a massive mercenary training base for 360 staff and "students" on 824 acres of enviromentally sensitive land, consisting of 15 firing ranges, a helipad, and a heavy vehicle driving track. But then residents in the town fought back. Big time.
The "Save Potrero" group passed around petitions, protested, sent mailers and then moved to recall all 5 members of the board who voted to approve Blackwater's base. Keep in mind that this a rural town, conservative town that voted for Bush over Kerry by 25.8% in 2004. The anti-Blackwater sentiment for many folks is about increased traffic, pollution, and other quality-of-life issues, but it also reflects what the people of Potrero want in their neighbors. As news of the slaughter of innocent civilians by Blackwater in Iraq spread a few months ago, opposition to Blackwater in Potrero grew. The more they learned, the greater their resolve to block Blackwater's base grew.
Carl Meyer, a quiet farmer who has lived in Potrero his whole life. helped lead the "Save Potrero" slate. He won last night with 71.4% of the vote, replacing the most ardent Blackwater supporter and chair of the Planning Group, Gordon Hammers. Here is a short documentary featuring Carl that the Courage Campaign produced. It gives you a great sense of why he is my hero today and a true grassroots leader.
Carl and the "Save Potrero" grassroots team created signs, sent xeroxed mailers, knocked on doors, made calls, used the voters lists, found a Spanish speaker to help with GOTV and generally did everything a well-oiled campaign does, well, minus the glossy mailers and overpriced TV ads and consultants. All five members of the group that vote for Blackwater were recalled and replaced by the "Save Potrero" slate -- the culmination of a year's worth of hard work.
See also, Rick Jacobs' first-hand post from last night over at HuffPo. Rick is the Chair of Courage and was live on the scene as the ballots were being counted last night (and yes I stole title of his post).
The results of this election should send a loud and clear statement to Blackwater and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (which has final jurisdiction over this proposal): Potrero does not want Blackwater to move into their town. They don't want to ruin their quality of life. They don't want to risk their sole source aquifer. They don't want an increased fire risk in a very fire prone area. They don't want a massive increase in traffic. They don't want guns firing from 15 ranges for hours on end. And they don't want a company who employs a band of mercenaries, who kill innocent civilians to be their neighbors.
Naturally, Bonfiglio and Blackwater are trying to downplay this huge loss, even trying to claim that they couldn't give a crap about the town.
Brian Bonfiglio, a Blackwater vice president, said the recall would not affect the company's plans in Potrero. He said company executives in North Carolina whom he talked to yesterday had no interest in the recall.
"I don't care one way or the other," Bonfiglio said.
Riiiight. Blackwater just got popped in the nose by a tiny town they thought they could steamroll. Not this time, fellas.
Courage Campaign has been working to keep Blackwater out of California since April, but stayed way below the radar on this race, given the charges of outsiders meddling in Potrero's affairs. But now, with the recall over, it is time to come out and support the locals more publicly, as we move on to the next step in blocking Blackwater's base.
The planning group will likely reverse the previous decision, but it is only an advisory board. The real power to reject Blackwater's mercenary base plans rests with the Board of Supervisors who will be ruling next year, after an environmental impact review is completed.
To block Blackwater's base, we are going to need to build a people-powered movement. The townsfolk in Potrero cannot win this on their own. They are asking for your help. Join the Courage Campaign today and sign the pledge opposing Blackwater's base at www.BlockBlackwater.com.
BTW, did you know that Blackwater's paratrooper team is scheduled to perform at the "Bell Helicopter" Armed Forces Bowl between Cal Berkeley and the Air Force Academy in Fort Worth, TX on New Year's Eve? As the video shows, their half-time show features the very special stunt of dragging the American flag across the ground (about 2:45 into the video).