http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/community/tag_rss/BUSH As my recent diaries have shown there is a shortage of firefighters to meet the unprecedented amount of fires burning across California. As I began digging into this yesterday I came across the same report highlighted in today's Monterey Herald - that US Forest Service firefighting efforts have been cut to the bone and left the nation vulnerable to massive fires. Deliberate staffing shortages have left the USFS unable to do vital off-season brush clearance, and left them without the staffing to get a quick jump on fires in their crucial initial stages. http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLqn http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLqn/commentary#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:59:23 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/roberticruickshank/CLqn Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/profile_picture/8e501f6005c216fc9b_j8m6b99j3.jpg Robert Cruickshank, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLqn/ Cross posted at Calitics There's a protest from 3-5pm today at Blackwater's new Otay Mesa facility, and tomorrow Jeremy Scahill will be doing a special Courage Campaign Conversation tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. In a little noticed vote yesterday, the Merida Initiative passed easily through the House of Representatives 311-106. It provides $1.6 billion with an emphasis on training and equipment to fight drug cartels in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, because as Rep. Brian Bilbray explained: "Either we can go after these cartels in Ensenada, or we can fight them in Escondido," said Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad), who voted for the plan. "I'd prefer that we move now and take care of this problem south of the border. The drug wars in Mexico and in other regions have grown horrendously violent, and their destructive ways must be quashed." It's tough to directly take issue with any of that, but where does it lead? Potentially to some unpleasant places. In September, the Defense Department opened up five year contracts in support of counter-narcoterrorism efforts to five private companies, including Blackwater USA. "The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract could be worth up to $15 billion for the awardees." The Army Times analyzed the content of the contracts, describing: http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/lucasoconnor/CLXf http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/lucasoconnor/CLXf/commentary#comments Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:24:02 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/lucasoconnor/CLXf Lucas O'Connor, Courage Campaign Lucas O'Connor, Courage Campaign 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/CLXf/ You haven't met the neocons, if you haven't seen this video... How much can a country take of this current right wing administration? Watch the video, and share your thoughts with us. We will interactively share our thoughts with you. http://www.blimptv.net/farrightv4.html http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/angielentz/BJ8 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/angielentz/BJ8/commentary#comments Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:36:07 PDT http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/post/angielentz/BJ8 User from Carpinteria, CA User from Carpinteria, CA 0 http://couragecampaign.org/page/community/comment_rss/BJ8/