Yellow Dog

"The Environmental Protection Agency is close to issuing new guidelines making it easier for sewage authorities to dump partially treated wastewater during heavy rainfalls, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Nancy Stoner, who runs the Natural Resources Defense Council's clean water project, said the new policy "means more people will get sick and more people will die. This is really a very significant issue from a public health standpoint."

Joan B. Rose, a water pollution microbiologist at Michigan State University, said the EPA's proposal ignores scientific findings that link wastewater to the spread of disease, adding that the Clean Water Act does not cover many unhealthful viruses and parasites."

When it comes to human costs (the health of citizens) vs. the costs to businesses, Bush chooses businesses every single time. It's sickening (literally). I had read somewhere that, had Kerry been elected, he might have chosen Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for the EPA post. Think about what a different (BETTER) world it would have been, where we all could have breathed more easily....

EPA May Allow the Discharge of Partially Treated Sewage (washingtonpost.com)

Cheney, fattest cat of them all, is seeing his former company, Halliburton (from which he still draws profits) reaping the benefits of the Iraq war:

"The value of Halliburton's Iraq contracts has crossed the $10 billion threshold. Halliburton has now received $8.3 billion in Iraq work under its LOGCAP troop support contract and $2.5 billion under its no-bid Restore Iraqi Oil (RIO) contract, a total of $10.8 billion.

    The mounting value of the contracts has been accompanied by a growing list of concerns about Halliburton's performance. Over the last year, government auditors have issued at least nine reports criticizing Halliburton's Iraq work, and there are multiple criminal investigations into overcharging and kickbacks involving Halliburton's contracts. Former Halliburton employees have testified before Congress about egregious instances of over billing. Despite these concerns, the Bush Administration continues to reject the recommendations of its auditors that 15% of Halliburton's LOGCAP reimbursements be withheld until the company can provide better substantiation for its charges."

I'm sure glad the party of "values" (at least when it comes to the values of major contracts) is in charge.

t r u t h o u t - Waxman: Halliburton Iraq Contracts Pass $10 Billion Mark

From a NYT editorial on Rumsfeld's visit with the troops:

"Rummy did not hesitate to give the back of his hand to soldiers about to go risk their lives someplace he didn't trouble to go.

He treated Thomas Wilson - the gutsy guardsman from Tennessee who asked why soldiers had "to dig through local landfills for pieces of scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass to up-armor our vehicles, and why don't we have those resources readily available to us?" - as if he were a pesky Pentagon reporter. The defense chief used the same coldly cantankerous tone and squint he displays in press briefings, an attitude that long ago wore thin. He did everything but slap the kid in the hospital bed.

In one of his glib "Nothing's perfect," "Freedom's untidy" and "Stuff happens" maxims, Rummy told the soldier: "As you know, you go to war with the Army you have."

It wouldn't make a good Army slogan, and it was a lousy answer, especially when our kids are getting blown up every day in a war ginned up on administration lies. Remember when the president promised in the campaign that the troops would have all the body armor they needed?"

Support the troops--dump Rumsfeld!

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Lost in a Masquerade