Onorato Defends Use of Blackwater, Inc. in County Contracting Jobs

Pittsburgh (AP) - Responding to criticisms about employment practices in the Department of Human Services, Allegheny County Executive Director Dan Onorato today announced that he would be "scaling back" the work of embattled military contractor Blackwater USA.

The announcement comes amid a string of allegations involving Blackwater employees hired by the county to provide facilities management and human resources services.

In one case, a Blackwater employee facilitating a community meeting lost his composure and opened fire on a room full of grandmothers. The contractor was fired and fined; no charges have been filed.

Blackwater guards were involved in a Sept. 16 shootout at the Community College of Allegheny County that left 13 students dead. The FBI is investigating.

Most recently, several Blackwater accountants were involved with the ritualistic slaughter of 7 auditors because of supposed GAAP accounting policies.

Mr. Onorato said that he was "concerned" about the turn of events and would take up the matter personally.

"I have been in constant contact with the management [of Blackwater], and they have assured me that their contractors' responses were measured and appropriate."

That sentiment was not good enough for County Councilmember Susan Caldwell.

"You basically have a government under the control of a third party, interested in its corporate goals and the bottom line... [Blackwater] doesn't care about the interests of the County. Plus, they keep killing people."

A special County Council meeting has been scheduled for October 20, although technical difficulties may postpone the event until they can figure out how to clean the blood out of the copier.