POTRERO, Calif. — The scandal in Iraq involving Blackwater, the private security firm, is a world away from this tiny town near the Mexican border. But five members of the community’s planning group are expected to lose their posts on Tuesday for approving a Blackwater training camp on an old chicken farm here.
Results of a mail-in-ballot recall election against the members are scheduled to be announced on Tuesday. Three of the group’s nine members have already been removed because Blackwater opponents revealed they had been improperly appointed.
Like many Potrero residents, Carl Meyer, 51, a local farmer and environmental activist, never gave much thought to Iraq or private security firms until Blackwater came to town last year. Ever since, he has been opposed to the company’s proposal for 800 acres of rifle ranges, dormitories, classrooms and an armory.
“Having them here wouldn’t be in keeping with our rural character,” said Mr. Meyer, who has helped organize the recall effort. “But it’s more than that for me. They’re not good for our country.”
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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/us/11blackwater.html?ref=us