Stryker brigade is returning from Iraq
In a satellite news conference yesterday, brigade leader Col. Todd McCaffrey told Pentagon reporters, "Over the last 14 months, we've seen a remarkable drop in violence, and a corresponding development of economic growth and Iraqi security force capabilities."
Speaking from Camp Taji, 20 miles northwest of Baghdad, McCaffrey said, "It's now very common to go for days without a single violent act in our area. And when attacks do occur, they tend to be isolated, ineffective and focused on the Iraqi security forces, who operate independently and provide the day-to-day security across the region."
(Just ignore the fact that Bush had to do the surge against the advice of Obama and other leading Democrats....)
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Hawaii transit tax raked in $300 million
However, council member Romy Cachola, who supports a Salt Lake route, said lower tax collections highlight the need to choose the Salt Lake route.
"If there's less collections, then the taxpayer will be the one to ante up and their burden will be increased," he said. "We have to look at the more cost-effective route and, to me, Salt Lake is because the airport will be another $220 million.
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New water standards sought
Lau said the state has declined to take a position on the EPA's recent decision to require the city to upgrade the Sand Island and Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment plants to include another level of filtering, called "secondary treatment," that uses bacteria to clean waste water.
Sen. David Ige (D, Aiea-Pearl City), chairman of the Senate Health Committee, plans to hold more hearings on legislation to change the state's standards. "The secondary treatment really doesn't seem to add value in our communities," Ige said. "I don't think it addresses the main health concerns we have in our communities." (Building a rail system is now a 'health concern'....)
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Feds list state's most wanted
The list includes one person in the newspaper business and one Bush hater....
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