Money talks and corruption can't be avoided. I think if we want to play hard we're going to have to get organized and get a war chest. The usual rules apply.
There's more behind this than just the fact that two groups are drawing battle lines.
MCDC has not released its tax statements from 2007... the year they raised about 2 million dollars to begin construction of a prototype "israeli-style" security fence on the AZ border. One man here in town took out a second mortgage on his house for $100K and donated it to the cause.
http://patriotsborderalliance.com/reversetimeline.htmlThe only fence that got built was a barbed-wire single strand cattle fence. The money has not been accounted for.
Folks got irritated, especially since MCDC allowed a larger Beltway-based consulting group called Deiner & Associates to take over fundraising, lobbying and organizational activities as a result of "growth."
Some of the grassroots leadership folks held a meeting, demanding to see bylaws of MCDC as well as tax documents as required of the group's tax status.
To this day, no accounting has been made of the fence money, and it has been effectively argued that 90% or more of MCDC related funds have been siphoned by Deiner and associates.
Probably 1/2 or more of the MCDC split apart and left the group, forming PBA. PBA has no dues and in fact part of its job is to bring MCDC back into account because it's been hijacked by Beltway neocon interests that want to institutionalize the illegal immigration fight.
I've participated with MCDC on several border watch events. I know what infrastructure is in place and what it costs to put on a watch. Next to nothing. There's a comms nest with a GMRS radio repeater, with the applicable FCC license of $80 for 4 years. The radio system isn't much to write home about... it has a range of about 15 miles to the handheld motorolla units. Perhaps $2K or so for used equipment (and it was bought used), most of it was provided though by the crusty old farts that typically participate in MCDC events. HAM radio guys, veterans, et cetera.
There's NO REASON for MCDC to need $50 a year from volunteers. These people go down to the border and provide their experience over the last 5+ years, their voices when they go back home, their own equipment on the line, and also contribute financially to the landowners where the MCDC base camp is typically located. The only justification for charging anything at all initially was to offset the cost of the background check. And it was waived for folks who could produce a valid CCW permit.
What about the 2 million dollar "war chest" that is unaccounted for?
Balrog: I'm already a member, having paid my background check and participated in many border watch activities up until the 2007 split and blow up over financial accountability.
Maned: There are many groups that claim to be border watch minutemen that have no affiliation with the MCDC. Two such groups operate out of Three Points, AZ very close to where MCDC used to operate. They are the scary groups that are likely to follow the three "S" strategy.... they are desert-camoed, carry matching load out and consider themselves prepared for an exchange of fire with the meaner drug trains coming through. I don't know the truth of their suppositions, but I know that MCDC-proper (as well as PBA) shuns their assistance in any operations, and that Border Patrol and FBI keep very close tabs on their operations.
MCDC and PBA both prohibit the mall ninja tac-loadout appearance or fact. Folks on the line are certainly welcome to wear sidearms, but no long guns allowed. You bring one, then keep it in your vehicle and out of sight. Obviously, any yahoos parading rifles around in front of news cameras are not members of MCDC, as the core focus of the group (besides now making a buck for Deiner) is to bring factual information to the American public about the border situation... not to stop it themselves via force.
