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"It's a very positive sign for sensible management if the State of Texas does take a new look at how we rebuild extremely vulnerable shorelines," says Rob Young, director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. "But I'm also skeptical, because the people who are being shut out of rebuilding tend to be wealthy and politically influential. People say, 'Those people must be nuts to build on the West End of Galveston,' but it's actually the taxpayers who are nuts for subsidizing that development."

The fallen span of the southbound lane on the Grand Canal Bridge in Taji, northwest of Baghdad, floats in the water underneath the bridge. The damage was caused by a vehicle-born improvised explosive device which was detonated on August 14, 2007. Photo by Pfc. Lyndsey Dransfield, 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division. CAMP TAJI — Engineers with 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,� 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, journeyed to the Grand Canal Bridge in Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, July 22, to monitor repair progress. The bridge, which spans a portion of the Grand Canal and is...

RAMADI — Ramadi was regarded by many to be one of the most violent cities in Iraq for much of the last five years. The thought of rebuilding the troubled city during that time was improbable, the risks were too high. Now, Ramadi is much safer and rebuilding the city is no longer just an impossible idea but an everyday reality in the recovering region. The country is now transitioning from violence and fighting, to healing and freedom. The focus in Ramadi, and all of al-Anbar province, is no longer on warfare but on reconstructing the region’s damaged infrastructure. “Ramadi...

BAGHDAD — Task Force Gold, considered a turning point for Operation Iraqi Freedom, focuses its efforts to revitalize the war torn and impoverished neighborhoods of the Sadr City District in northern Baghdad. Beginning in May, the mission of Task Force Gold is to bring peace to the Sadr City District and improve the quality of life for its residents. In only a few short weeks Task Force Gold has achieved astounding results. Iraqi citizens give the Jamilla Market rebirth as Iraqis rebuild their shops with the assistance and backing of the 926th Engineer Brigade and the Government of Iraq. Through...

Spc. Lucas Peterson, a Plano, Texas native, talks to a group of Iraqi boys during a routine patrol in the Rusafa security district of eastern Baghdad. Peterson is assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Multi-National Division - Baghdad. U.S. Army photo. FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY — Although, they are not who most people would call average war fighters, their mission is just as vital for survival. They conduct patrols, but their primary mission is not combat related. “Team Metallica� is charged with assisting local governance to provide...

BAGHDAD, May 15, 2008 – A program aimed at teaching Iraqi citizens valuable career skills, with the added benefit of rebuilding their community, graduated its first class of students May 8 in a ceremony at Patrol Base Stone in Hawr Rajab, south of Baghdad. The 42 graduates, many of whom had been part of the “Sons of Iraq” group that helps in the local security effort, spent the past three months learning plumbing, electrical and construction skills at the “Village of Hope” training facility. They will continue their training outside the classroom by renovating structures in the area. Al-Qaida in...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — The Village of Hope graduated its first class of students May 8 in a ceremony held at Patrol Base Stone in Hawr Rajab, south of Baghdad. The 42 graduating students spent the past three months learning plumbing, electrical and construction skills at the Village of Hope training facility. The program is aimed at teaching local citizens valuable career skills, with the added benefit of rebuilding their community. The students, many of them former Sons of Iraq, will continue their training outside the classroom by renovating structures in the area. Hawr Rajab was devastated last year...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2008 – Small grants to help businesses in Iraq get back on their feet are paying dividends, as the improved security situation has benefited economic recovery, a U.S. official aiding that effort south of Baghdad said. Lou Lantner, the Mahmudiyah Provincial Reconstruction Team leader, told online journalists and “bloggers” during a Jan. 8 teleconference that over the past nine months, 128 micro-grants have been awarded to help Iraqi citizens start businesses in his PRT’s area of responsibility. The PRT, embedded with the 101st Airborne Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, can grant up to $2,500 to individual citizens...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Since May security in Hawr Rajab and Arab Jabour has improved to the point where Coalition Force missions are no longer solely “kill or capture” missions. Now, many missions focus on developing the infrastructure, which means there are more civilians on the battlefield helping to rebuild Iraq. To be prepared for battlefield operations, Soldiers of the 2-3rd Brigade Troops Battalion (BTB), 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division took time to train American civilians on the basics of first aid and combat patrol operations, Nov. 26. The 2-3rd BTB combat patrols that consisted solely of...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2007 – Coalition forces with Multinational Division North continue to work with the government of Iraq to rebuild infrastructure and improve quality of life for people of northern Iraq. A local citizen from Diyala province adjusts gauges on a helium tank while working at a Diyala Electric Industries factory in Baqouba, Iraq, on Oct. 22. Diyala Electric Industries, which has been operating at a limited capacity since 2003, now employs about 800 citizens from Baqouba and its surrounding villages. Photo by Sgt. Serena Hayden, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Since assuming responsibility for security...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2007 – Rebuilding infrastructure, empowering local business leaders, and training Iraqi army forces are pieces of the full-spectrum approach being taken by coalition forces on the ground in Iraq, a U.S. military commander said this week. “Like most military units in our mission statement, it categorizes our approach as full spectrum, which means that we’re simultaneously developing capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, the local government, the basic services, building relationships with the local populace and tribal leaders,” said Army Col. Michael X. Garrett, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Center....

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2007 – Deployment to a war zone can exact a unique toll on not only those in imminent danger but also their loved ones back home. One group, however, is working to lessen these effects. “We build a safe space, a community for veterans and their families to come together and share their stories, struggles and accomplishments,” said Dr. Joseph Bobrow, director of the “Coming Home Project.” “Our programs address the mental, emotional, spiritual and relationship challenges faced by veterans and families before, during and after deployment.” The San Francisco organization, which is devoted to providing...

Iran rebuilds Lebanon to boost Hizbollah By Kitty Logan in Ghandouriyeh Last Updated: 1:56am BST 30/07/2007 In the blazing heat of south Lebanon, men drenched in sweat labour over a cratered road. The sun is relentless and so is the pace of work in the village of Ghandouriyeh. One year after the war with Israel, triggered by Hizbollah's cross-border rocket attacks, Lebanon's roads are still in desperate need of repair. Iran has funded reconstruction work to the tune of about £60million in Hizbollah-controlled areas of Lebanon But the task of reconstruction has become doubly important. The rebuilding now taking place...

CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, July 27, 2007 – Embedded provincial reconstruction teams, known as EPRTs, are helping teach Iraqi businessmen and local officials how to better function as part of a democratic government. These teams are embedded in U.S. brigades. They include about 10 people who work closely with a brigade's civil affairs team, engineers, and other staff sections to help improve Iraqi governance and economic development. "We have civilians, active-reserve and active-duty servicemembers with us," said Lou Lantner, a U.S. State Department public affairs officer who heads up the EPRT working with 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "Together,...

The last of the brigades President Bush ordered for his military surge in Iraq only arrived in the country last month, and they have been heavily engaged with al Qaeda in the Sunni triangle around Baghdad as part of the new military strategy. So it's especially distressing that Republican Senators should decide that this is the time to separate themselves from Mr. Bush on Iraq. "I do not doubt the assessments of military commanders that there has been some progress in security," Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, declared on the Senate floor late last...

Capt. Dave Lin discusses details regarding the camp's new conference center with site engineer Renato, Jan. 11, in Afghanistan. Lin is an engineer with the International Security Assistance Force headquarters. U.S. Air Force photo U.S. Air Force Capt. Dave Lin Engineer Helps Give Afghans Skills to Rebuild By Capt. Stacie N. Shafran International Security Assistance Force Headquarters KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 12, 2007 -- A day in the life of a project engineer fills up pretty quickly. Between meetings and constant walks around the base to survey projects, there's concrete to be poured, gravel to be delivered and contractors needing...

CAMP FALLUJAH — The Army Corps of Engineers was recently augmented by some senior enlisted Navy members who volunteered to help rebuild cities within the Al-Anbar province in Western Iraq. Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Handler Michael Yule has now found himself playing a vital role in the rebuilding of the provincial cities of Al-Asaad, Ramadiand and Fallujah. “Right now we’re rebuilding more than 50 new houses in Fallujah,” said Yule, a native of Pittsburgh. “We’re also repairing roads and coordinating the expansion of office and living spaces on camp and building billboards that promote the Iraqi army and police.” The...

We, the undersigned, share the belief that nothing could be more inspiring to our people, or disheartening to our enemies, than Twin Towers, at least as tall as before in every respect, soaring above Ground Zero. We believe that the devastation of September 11, 2001 clouded the picture long after the rubble was cleared away and that a thorough public examination of the rebuilding option is overdue and now required before proceeding on an unalterable course. We recognize no financial or political roadblocks that cannot be overcome if rebuilding the Towers is the will of the people. And, we...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (NNS) -- The Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE) has been augmented this summer by some senior enlisted Navy leaders who volunteered as individual augmentees to help rebuild cities within the Al-Anbar Province in western Iraq. Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handler) (AW/SW) Michael Yule, who three months ago was teaching at the Center for Navy Leadership in Little Creek, Va., has now found himself playing a vital role in the rebuilding of the provincial cities of Al-Asaad, Ramadi and Fallujah. "Right now, we're rebuilding more than 50 houses in Fallujah," said Yule, a native of Pittsburgh. "We're also...

Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo mingles with school children in Iraq during his recent seven-month deployment. Nuzzolo helped local Iraqis rebuild a training base that had been damaged during the global war on terrorism. Courtesy Photo U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo Engineer Returns from Helping Rebuild Iraq By Pat FisherMarine Corps Logistics Base MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga., July 21, 2006 -- A Navy engineer assigned to the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction office here recently returned from a seven-month deployment to Iraq to help rebuild an Iraqi training base. Lt. j.g. Alfred Nuzzolo, assistant resident in...

BAGHDADI, Iraq (July 4, 2006) -- An Iraqi man with sweat dripping off of his brow reaches into a bucket to grab a handful of mortar. He spreads the thick paste across a half built wall under the scorching midday sun in Baghdadi, Iraq, June 19. This is a common occurrence in any part of Iraq, but what makes this scene special is that the Iraqis are paying for the labor and materials -- not the American people. "The Iraqis are taking things into their own hands," said Gunnery Sgt. Erik E. Duane, detachment chief, Detachment 1, 3rd Civil Affairs...

ABU GHRAIB, Iraq, June 15, 2006 – The Iraqi deputy prime minister called on about 450 Iraqis being freed from the Abu Ghraib detention facility today to work for peace in Iraq, the Middle East and the world. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Salim al-Zawbai speaks with detainees released from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison June 15. The Iraqi government plan aims at getting "low-risk" detainees back into the workforce and working toward a new Iraq. Photo by Jim Garamone  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Salim al-Zawbai spoke to the men before they were released from the facility. It is...

U.S. Marines assigned to the 4th Provisional Security Company, stationed with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa in Djibouti, work together to clean and rebuild a soccer field outside Camp Lemonier. Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa photo U.S. Marines Help Rebuild Djiboutian Soccer Field The project, which involved removing trash, smoothing and marking the field and adding nets to goal posts, was time well spent, according to the Marines. By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Omar Villarreal Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, May 18, 2006 — Fifty U.S. Marines with the 4th Provisional...

Official blunt on public housing He wants 'only the best residents' back Tuesday, April 25, 2006 By Bill Walsh Washington bureau WASHINGTON -- U.S. Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson shed little light Monday on the future of public housing in hurricane-battered New Orleans, but said that "only the best residents" of the former St. Thomas housing complex should be allowed into the new mixed-income development that replaced it. In a wide-ranging interview with reporters, Jackson was asked about the relatively small number of apartments in the 60-acre River Gardens development in Uptown that have been set aside for former residents of...

LA CEIBA, Honduras (Army News Service, April 14, 2006) — Choking back tears, Ohio Army National Guardsman Sgt. Natasha Swarts cleared her throat, "So many bad things have happened to these kids in their lives. To be able to do just one thing that can help so many ... I’ve got goose bumps all over." Soldiers from the Ohio National Guard’s 186th Engineering Detachment are working to finish electrical wiring and fixtures at a school that will serve the 24 boys housed at the Niños de la Luz (Children of the Light) Orphanage in La Ceiba, Honduras. In addition to...

AUSTIN - With their slate of fall candidates chosen, Texas Democrats are looking to rebuild their party with the help of a Republican: outgoing U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay. Statewide Democratic candidates, gathering Wednesday for a sort of pep rally at the party's Texas headquarters, mentioned DeLay repeatedly while portraying top Texas Republicans as corrupted by big money donors. "We're stuck with Tom DeLay, Rick Perry and the rest of the corrupt Republican leadership who's auctioned off the state Capitol to the highest bidder," said Democratic state chairman Charles Soechting. "Their pay-to-play style of politics has put special interests over the...

The Church is alive and well - being the "pipeline" to share God's blessings thru volunteers to others in Waveland, Mississippi - post-Katrina.

Shuttle from Selma taking marchers to New Orleans By Cassandra Mickens Tuesday, March 28, 2006 8:58 PM CST The Selma Times-Journal The Dallas County New South Coalition, the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute, the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement and the Dallas County Democratic Conference have joined together to shuttle area residents to the Return, Vote and Rebuild March in New Orleans Saturday, April 1. Those interested in marching will board charter buses at Memorial Stadium at 3 a.m. Saturday. The cost of the trip is $30 per person. Call (334) 418-0800 or (334) 875-3947 for more information. The...

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Peter Hegseth New York Banker Helps Rebuild Iraq Infrastructure By Sgt. Waine D. Haley 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment SAMARRA, Iraq, March 23, 2006 — A New York City banker steps into the Army’s Civil Affairs world to help stabilize and rebuild Samarra’s infrastructure. A member of the New Jersey National Guard, 1st Lt. Peter Hegseth is now serving as the assistant civil affairs officer, 3 rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, known as the Iron Rakkasans of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. As a civil affairs officer stationed at Forward Operation Base Brassfield-Mora, he...

BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Feb. 17, 2006) – Responsible for the rebuilding of Baghdad’s infrastructure – restoration and improvement of electricity, water, sewer and transportation systems, members of the 4th Brigade Combat Team Infrastructure Coordination Element – known as ICE – have their work cut out for them. It’s a daunting task that requires support from the Iraqi government, several U.S. governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, reconstruction efforts are one of the many missions facing the 4th BCT, 4th Infantry Division. “We bridge the gap by developing relationships not only with the Iraqis to gain their priorities – that is...

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kevin Powell Engineer Helps Rebuild Iraq By Norris Jones Gulf Region Central District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 16, 2006 — "We’re helping shape a nation,� said Kevin Powell in describing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ reconstruction mission in Iraq. Powell is concluding a six-month tour as Gulf Region Central District’s Deputy Commander for Program Management. He’s Mobile District’s Florida Area Office Area Engineer and as such manages a program valued at $42 million yearly. While in Iraq he was overseeing programs involving more than 1,200 projects valued at $2.3 billion....

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's ambitious 20-year plan to rebuild California is under attack, with state legislators whittling away at key components and some Republican activists demanding he scale back the $222.6 billion price tag. The criticism isn't deterring Schwarzenegger, who in an interview with The Orange County Register last week said it is vital to get a long-term plan in place to keep the state's schools, roads and water supply running for future generations. Emboldened by climbing voter approval ratings since his failed special election last November – two-thirds of Californians endorsed the "Strategic Growth Plan," according to a Jan. 26...

California could dramatically accelerate its use of public-private partnerships -- arrangements in which a for-profit company builds a transit project at its own expense in exchange for the toll revenues it generates -- under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to pump $222 billion into the state's infrastructure. "We believe there are literally billions of dollars available in the private market to greatly enhance our infrastructure, particularly in roads, that can be brought to bear," said Sean Walsh, director of the governor's office of planning and research. Resulting projects such as toll lanes, truck-only lanes and expanded rail lines would ease gridlock...

Gov. Schwarzenegger may be heading for a showdown with local officials over language in his transportation bond which strips power over transportation projects from locals and gives it to the administration. The issue of how transportation projects are prioritized, and which ones would receive new bond money, will be among the most contentious debates over the transportation bond. That debate officially begins today, when the Senate Transportation Committee begins informational hearings about the bonds. At the center of debate is the Schwarzenegger proposed centralization of project-choosing authority, a shift, administration officials argue, that is necessary to fast-track the most important...

SACRAMENTO — A power struggle is emerging over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $222-billion public works package. Democratic leaders say legislators and local governments would be required to cede too much influence in deciding how to remake California's roads, jails and waterways. --snip-- Democratic leaders, who suggested months before Schwarzenegger that a large investment needed to be made in the state's physical foundations, agreed that lawmakers should not select every project. But under the governor's plan, enormous multibillion-dollar ventures — such as deciding how to move goods more quickly through California's ports and setting fees on water users — would be determined...

It's a fee. No wait, it's a tax. Actually ... Attempt to define $3 water charge comes up dry SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's waterworks plan, which could send millions of flood-control dollars to San Joaquin County, hinges in part on a $3 charge that would appear on a homeowner's water bill every month. Schwarzenegger calls this charge a fee. Others say it's a tax. While this debate might mean little to a Stockton homeowner faced with forking over $36 a year, it is so politically charged that few at the Capitol will discuss it openly. The flood-control legislation begins...

As Legislative Republicans continue to express their doubts about the Governor's massive bond proposal, Gov. Schwarzenegger turned to one of the state's top Democrats for support for his new spending program. Schwarzenegger appeared today with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at an event at Los Angeles' Union Station, where, according to a Governor's Office news release, the two men "explained how investing wisely in California's transportation infrastructure will decrease commute times, speed freight delivery, improve air quality and create jobs, as the state prepares for its projected growth." What a difference three months and a two-hundred-billion dollar spending package makes....

Of course, everyone knew that Arnold Schwarzenegger was no Ronald Reagan. But for a while, if one donned the political equivalent of “beer goggles” and squinted hard, Schwarzenegger’s pitch about lower taxes, smaller government, and reform seemed pretty darned attractive, especially in California. But everything changed when Arnold’s “reform agenda” was unceremoniously defeated in last November’s special election. Now, there is a “new” Arnold Schwarzenegger, brought to heel by his Democratic adversaries, and he was on full display last night during California’s State of the State Address. In the wake of the special election, Arnold pledged more “bipartisan cooperation.” Obviously,...

U.S. Air Force Maj. Alberto Mezarina teaches Iraqi engineers to label circuit breakers during final construction inspection. U.S. Army photo by Suzanne M. Fournier U.S. Air ForceMaj. Alberto Mezarina Air Force Engineer Helps Iraqis Rebuild By Suzanne M. Fournier Gulf Region Southern DistrictU.S. Army Corps of Engineers BASE CAMP ADDER, Iraq, Dec. 30, 2005  — Deploying to Iraq with an Army unit offered a unique opportunity for an Air Force officer to be blue in a green Army world. United States Air Force Academy instructor Maj. Alberto Mezarina said he volunteered because he wanted to do his part to...

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq (Dec. 27, 2005) -- A little more than one year ago, the Iraqi people faced a fierce insurgency in Fallujah, and the Marines were called in to correct it. The battle which caused its population to be displaced also caused damage to the city’s infrastructure. Now, Marines and coalition forces assist in rebuilding the city. Before the fight to clear the insurgent stronghold, Fallujah had a population of about 300,000 people, according to John K. Weston, U.S. State Department spokesman. By the time the attack was launched, the vast majority of the population left the area. After...

BASE CAMP ADDER, Iraq (Army News Service, Dec. 21, 2005) – With help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Iraqi seaport of Umm Qasr is closing in on final certification to become fully operational as an international transfer point for shipping goods. For Iraq to be a competitor in the global market place, the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code certification is necessary. Certification requires port facilities to have security assessments, security plans, trained security staffs, security drills, coast guardsmen, and communication links to ships. A coast guard forward operating base, security operation center, electrical upgrades, and...

As governor from 1959 to 1967, Pat Brown presided over the most breathtaking period of public works construction in California’s history. During those years, California built the finest highway system in the world, one of the largest water projects in history, and the foremost university system in the country. At a time when the population grew twice as fast as today, the state kept pace with the demand for schools, ports, prisons, libraries, parks and power plants. Today, Californians are locked in perpetual gridlock, schools are bursting at the seams and potential shortages of everything from electricity to water are...

Fresh from his "Year of Reform" debacle and glitzkrieg of China, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is again “thinking big.” Chastened by the predictable failure of his Republican rhetoric in blue state California, the governor says he is reaching out to Democrats, leaving the defining rancor of this year’s State of the State address behind in a new burst of big-spending bipartisanship. He claims to be working with Democrats on his forthcoming State of the State — they deny it — and on the biggest bond measure in history, a Big Bang Bond of $50 billion (that’s the public number; $100 billion...

SACRAMENTO - Amid speculation that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will seek a $50 billion bond measure to upgrade California's aging infrastructure, state officials said the program would be part of a long-term plan that would also tap private-sector partners and user fees. California's deteriorating infrastructure - everything from congested freeways and ports to crumbling schools and levees - is estimated to need at least $100 billion in repairs. "We're looking at creative ways to do financing, at a lot of competing needs and at how much you can get moving all at one time," said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the...

SACRAMENTO — Despite mounting opposition, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to rebuild the worst of California's ailing infrastructure with a long-term, piecemeal plan that taps tens of billions from varying bonds, partnerships with the private sector and user fees. Disclosures by administration officials clarified that voters won't face a stunning $50 billion bond measure next year, as originally indicated by Schwarzenegger during his trip to China. "We're looking at creative ways to do financing, at a lot of competing needs and at how much you can get moving all at one time," said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the governor's Finance...

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2005) -- After a worried college student found his mother was in harm's way during a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, he contemplates the situation he chose to ignore and focuses his thoughts on joining the Marine Corps. Pvt. Phillip M. Oesterblad, Platoon 2130, Company E, grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and never had any thoughts of joining the military while in high school. After attending college in Alaska and Arizona, he realized that he did not know enough about America's role in the situation in Iraq. "While I was in...

SACRAMENTO — Coming off a losing campaign to curb state spending, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is promoting a statewide public works program that may be financed by a bond sale so large it would dwarf previous state borrowings. The governor hopes to join with Democratic leaders and businesses to address Californians' growing frustration with clogged roadways, polluted water, hospital shortages, overcrowded schools ... Schwarzenegger is seizing an issue with wide bipartisan support in an effort to restore his image as a moderate, although his plan threatens to cause tension with some conservative allies who have long warned against more government borrowing....

LONG BEACH -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign was at a standstill Wednesday -- just what he wanted. The Republican governor ordered his custom-painted campaign bus -- dubbed the Reform to Rebuild Express -- driven into snarled morning traffic as part of a pitch to win public support for his ballot proposals. The point: Schwarzenegger said he'd be able to steer more state dollars into transportation projects if voters enact Proposition 76 and strengthen his power to curb what he calls runaway spending in Sacramento. "Let's be honest -- we have gridlock on our roads, we have gridlock in our Legislature,"...

Mississippi government officials are asking prominent New Urbanist city planners for help in rebuilding their communities following the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. The results will obviously differ from one community to another, but one thing is certain: New Urbanism will not be good for Mississippi. Why bring in the New Urbanists? “We got (new urbanists) because they were good task leaders in getting large groups of people together, not for new urbanism. These (local) people don't need anybody to come and tell them how to do their jobs.” So says Jim Barksdale, the former Netscape CEO appointed by Mississippi...

HIT, Iraq (Oct. 13, 2005) -- Navy Seabees and Marines from Regimental Combat Team-2 and Soldiers from Task Force 2-114, Mississippi National Guard, repaired a section of bridge here yesterday that was heavily damaged by an insurgent car bomb September 4. The bridge spans the Euphrates River connecting Hit to the suburb of At Turbah on the eastside of the river. Navy Seabees conducted site surveys and assessments on the bridge and decided the best way to get the two cities connected again was by prefabricating a patch for the bridge to repair the damaged section. “They rehearsed the move...