Watching,

Well said, sir.

Funny how even something like an unwanted (un-needed) firing range in the midst of a quiet country road can be tracked back to Obama bucks.  Like so many things, follow the money.  Our money.  Our confiscated income being used for something that is redundant to say the very least.  This was a poorly conceived project from the start with no thought for the impact on the locality or local residents.  Regardless of one’s position on the idea of a firing range so close to so many residents, including farmers whose livelihood would be negatively impacted, one has to admit that the whole idea of this firing range came from the offer of the Fed’s “free” money.  Remember, nothing is free when there are conditions attached. Say NO loudly to this. VSP, et al should utilize existing facitilies and save our tax dollars.

um, i think it is about a dozen people, some range users and former officers, articulating a messsage of the utter insanity of the range placement.  everyone there heard the numerous military and law enforcement folks say, in effect, the military don’t put barracks by the ranges for a good reason.

since when is the farm bureau is the paragon of knee-jerk liberals by the way?

how about the gent who said take a tour of the shooting range on the DOC land already and look at the walls and the ceiling to see where the bullet will never go.  or perhaps ask the folks in goochland that are in the line of fire, literally?

del. r. lee ware’s words were, in effect, “i have decided this is an inappropriate idea and i will call the governor first thing in the morning” because he already talked to him a week ago or so to prepare him for the halt…..

maybe the FBI can put the 75% stimulus money they are using for this back where it came from - our pocket - and use the numerous ranges we already paid for, one of which is the pickett range right next to the vsp driving course and vsp barracks literally being built on pickett already!

see the thing is this wasn’t a burning need for the FBI, it was a chunk of our money burning a whole in the fbi’s pocket from porkulus. 

making the whole thing stink even worse

which is why lee is a great guy and served a pile o’ crow up for the posters on this board to munch on while they ponder their $1.2M stimulus that they blusteringly advocated be spent on something that wasn’t needed until the money got printed by obama

Karen,

Perhaps instead of thinking bullets are flying all over the place and buying into these urban legends, perhaps a simple internet study of “effective range of ______” will reduce some of your concerns. Most weapons in use have an effective range of under half a mile (If even that). You have higher odds of having a lightning strike than you do a stray bullet coming off a structured range.

Unless the VSP are pointing sniper rifles in the air or in any old direction the probability of some of those um “suggestions” are NIL. More likely they were kids out messing around which is FAR more dangerous than a state run police training facility.
It’s absurd to think that the VSP of all people would not have safety as their first consideration.

Seriously, I cannot fathom what it must be like for some people going through life worried about every little thing that could cause harm. Be it inmates breaking out and going in their Orange jumpsuits to the state park (as one opponent of the state park suggested) or going to the gun range to get weapons.

Or a stray bullet pointed in the proper direction at a VSP run range with all of the safety provisions that entails somehow getting a mind of it’s own and going “moonshot” to parts unknown. Are YOU aware of the safety requirements of a range ? Apparently not.

This meeting IS about political posturing. It IS about the county leadership dropping the ball on and the state now proceeding with plans that were already in place. It’s also about people who bought property next to state property and are now surprised that the state isn’t a member of their percieved Homeowner’s association.

The proposed firing range in Powhatan poses absolutely no danger to anyone living in Powhatan especially on Rt 711.  Most people didn’t even know they lived so close to the current range because they have never seen or heard it.  Most likely no one will ever see or hear the one being built in Powhatan.  Modern firing ranges contain the noise and projectiles fired from weapons well within the boundaries of the range.  This whole thing is a non-issue.  If folks took the time to learn a little about what they are all upset about they would see all is good.  But folks just don’t seem to handle change very well and unfortunately in life change is the only thing you can truly count on.

Look, the issue here is not about what the county leaders didn’t do (i.e., drop the ball).  The issue is about the lives that will be affected if the range is built.  There are 250 homes within a couple of miles of the range and over 100 less than one mile.  Powhatan is not the rural county it used to be.  We are talking semi-automatic weapons and literally tens of thousands of rounds being shot every day.  There is a historic church within 1,500 feet of the range.  Just think what church services, funerals, and weddings will be like.  There has already been homes struck by stray bullets from the current range (in Goochland), and that one sits down by the river and not on some of the highest ground in Powhatan like the current proposal.  Take a drive down Route 711 in the morning.  There are children all over the area.  Yes, it’s true, the state can do what they want; but does that make it right?  There are plenty of other existing ranges available as identified by the good folks who propose this range. Does it make it OK for the state to spend the tax payer money to build something that isn’t necessary.  The State owns property all over Virginia in rural areas.  Why not those locations?  Fact of the matter is that the state has not even looked at any other locations.  It is documented that homes located near rifle ranges lose value.  That translates to less tax revenue for Powhatan.  The firing range affects everyone in Powhatan and not just those who live on Old River Trail, Huguenot Trail, and the surrounding roads and subdivisions.  I encourage you to come to the meeting on June 8.  You will be surprised as to what you don’t know about the negative effects of the range.

It would definately make the show “World’s Dumbest Criminals”, like the guy who tried to hold up a gun shop.

Or perhaps you think that the VSP would just leave loaded firearms and ammo sitting on the counter for anyone who might want to come along and squeeze off a few rounds ?

Seriously, sometimes you can’t make this stuff up :) If you didn’t read it, you wouldn’t believe it.

Yeah that makes perfect sense for an inmate Freedon Writer.

Break out of jail and head straight to where there are tons of cops (troopers no less) and guns.

“County leaders—incensed that the project was not discussed with them earlier—have vowed to fight the project at the proposed location. But because it’s a state project, no local approvals are required.”

The county leaders can think of as many things as they like and prepare for them I suppose, but they still have no say in what happens and they know it. 99% of this is nothing but political theatre to cover their hineys from dropping the ball.

Have any county leaders considered this scenario: The prisoners could break out, head to the firing range, steal guns, then shoot people at our state park. After all, everybody knows there are numerous prison breaks.