24. March 2009 by student.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The Obama administration announced a major increase in security funding and the deployment of U.S.-Mexico border agents Tuesday as part of a comprehensive new plan to beef up resources at the Mexican border.

A police convoy moves in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, last month, across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas.

The plan commits $700 million to bolster Mexican law enforcement and crime prevention efforts. The funds will provide, among other things, five new helicopters to increase mobility for the Mexican army and air force as well as new surveillance aircraft for the Mexican navy.

The initiative is designed to help with Mexico’s accelerating war against violent drug cartels.

The plan, developed by the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, calls for doubling the number of border security task force teams as well as moving a significant number of other federal agents, equipment and resources to the border.

It also involves greater intelligence sharing aimed at cracking down on the flow of money and weapons into Mexico, which helps fuel the drug trade, the officials said. Watch CNN’s Michael Ware analyze U.S. efforts in Mexico’s drug war »

“The president is concerned by the increased level of violence, particularly in [the border cities of] Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana, and the impact that it is having on the communities on both sides of the border,” the White House press office said in a statement.

“He believes that the United States must continue to monitor the situation and guard against spillover into the United States. [He] is firmly committed to ensuring our borders are secure, and we are doing all we can to reduce illegal flows in both directions across the border.”

The funds, meant to assist what administration officials described as n “anti-smuggling effort,” will complement ongoing U.S. aid to Mexico under the Merida initiative, a three-year $1.4 billion package aimed at helping Mexico fight the drug cartels with law enforcement training, military equipment and improved intelligence cooperation.

The administration also is looking to increase intelligence cooperation on the border with Mexican authorities, tighten enforcement of existing U.S. executive orders to go after drug trafficking money and money laundering and step up investigation and prosecution of cartel-related activities in the United States, the officials said.

To help strengthen the U.S. side of the border, the administration also plans to triple the number of Department of Homeland Security intelligence analysts dedicated to stopping Mexican-related violence. It also will increase the number of immigration officials working in Mexico, double the number of “Violent Criminal Alien” teams on the border, strengthen the presence of border canine units and quadruple the number of border liaison officers working with Mexican law enforcement.

It also will make an additional $59 million in federal funds available to support state, local and tribal border law enforcement operations.

At the same time, more agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives will be deployed to the border region. The agents will be given updated equipment and surveillance technology to help track the movement of cash, drugs and weapons.

“We are discussing more things we can do to address the very real problem of currency and weapons moving into Mexico and at the same time trying to prevent potential border spillover,” one senior administration official said.

The plan is scheduled to be announced at the White House by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg and U.S. Deputy Attorney General David Ogden.

The announcement comes shortly ahead of a planned visit of three Cabinet secretaries to Mexico before President Obama visits there next month. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Mexico City this week, to be followed next week by Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has been pushing back against U.S. criticism of drug cartel-related violence, which killed about 6,500 people in Mexico last year. In speeches and other recent comments, Calderon has said the United States also must take responsibility because much of the demand for drugs and most of the weapons used by narcotraffickers come from the United States.

“Mexico believes we are not acknowledging the transitional nature of the problem and the role the U.S. is playing in this,” another senior administration official said. “So we are looking at what U.S. law enforcement agencies can do to respond to the Mexican concerns.”

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CNN’s Elise Labott contributed to this report.

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24. March 2009 by student.

By Jeremiah Jacobsen, WINK News

Story Created: Mar 23, 2009 at 10:30 PM EDT

Story Updated: Mar 23, 2009 at 10:30 PM EDT

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - It was a power struggle in Cape Coral Monday night over the future of electricity lines downtown.

Just two weeks ago, the city council approved overhead power lines along SE 47th Terrace; but Monday night, they took it back. Opponent after opponent lined up, urging the council to reconsider what many of them say would be an eyesore.

Citizens expressed concern about safety, property values, but most of all, the ability of downtown Cape Coral to grow.

“We’re not going to be getting any developers coming in, and the downtown area is going to become a ghost town,” said Cape Coral resident Mike Sullivan.

The group in charge of downtown planning, the Community Redevelopment Agency, says underground lines would be better than overhead.

“These power lines would be within one foot of a building. You’d be able to reach out your balcony and touch a power line,” said CRA director John Jacobsen.

LCEC says the need for new lines is critical, as a growing need for electricity creates capacity concerns.

“22,000 in Cape Coral could be without power should something happen on this line,” said LCEC spokesperson Karen Ryan.

LCEC says it would support underground lines, but there’s a big difference in cost; perhaps as much as four million dollars.

“The other issue is the same for all of us. Who’s going to pay?” said Cape Coral city council member Dolores Bertolini.

While LCEC says it could cover the entire cost of overhead lines, the city would have to help pay the extra cost of underground installation. Many say downtown Cape Coral would pay a far higher price with overhead lines by losing future development.

“They’re ugly and we need to look at burying those wires,” Sullivan said.

The council will meet with LCEC, property owners, and the Community Redevelopment Agency on April 13th to see if they can figure out a way to pay for underground power.

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24. March 2009 by student.

I understand your point Bradley George, about how these animals may never be able to live their lives out in the wild like they want to, but really if they are bred in the zoo and kept there year after year; do you honestly think they have any idea what life is like outside of their habitat which is naturally for some in the zoo? If they haven’t a clue what life is like on the outside how can they have such emotions and depression that you mention that we can do nothing about? I’m just asking, so please don’t think I like the fact that zoos do what they do because I too hate it just as much as you do. I would love to see animals born and raised in their natural enviornment just like you and I have, but what about the studies among so many different species that are done with the inhabitants within the zoos? Without such zoos and environmentalist studies wouldn’t there be a great number of animals that “are” on display, never be able to be put on display other than being a taxedermy statue!?! Without these numerous studies of their habitual behaviors, diets, animal to human contact behavioral observances, and breeding patterns wouldn’t alot of these species that are in zoos be extinct? I mean without our intermittance in helping to keep alot of these animals from becoming extinct, in a way are zoos doing the wrong thing? Should we as humans and a species of our own not interfere per say with nature’s course of action to extinct certain species whenever she may so desire? The world changes every day whether it’s for the benefit of the human species or another or maybe even for it’s own self preservation (existance) should we really be trying to alter any of that?

There are certain species that wouldn’t still be on this earth or in existance if it wasn’t for our interferance with nature’s efforts of destroying them; hince the preservationists in the zoos that are trying to breed the less populated. Is that such a great thing to save all the species we can considering that there are plenty or at least a great number of species still popping up that we’ve never known about? Scientists are discovering many different new species especially in the great world of the ocean and yet we are also preserving the ones that are on their way out. Creating and preserving such an excess of different animals to inhabit this earth while at the same time the human population from what I understand is booming! All this kind of creates a smaller and smaller comfortable living space between humans and animals that mind you have been on this earth way longer than we have as humans.

Just take a look around, southwest Florida is a great example. I’m only 21 and have lived in Naples, FL my entire life. I remember when county road 951 in Naples had a dozen “Panther Crossing” signs posted along each side of the “two lane” road that it used to be, that as most know no longer exists on almost all the roads in Naples now. I watched this road and many others explode into highways and some so much bigger. Those “Panther Crossing” signs have slowly been taken down in most areas of this road because of the development surrounding this now highway has grown so much, the panthers have been forced to relocate. Now, from what I understand they were sure as shit here in southwest Florida before we were, right? So, how would you like to be relocated just because there isn’t any safe place to raise your children (baby panthers) anymore. Oh wait, that’s already happening for alot of people; moving to smaller cities and urban areas just to get away from all the “conjestion” and crime!

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24. March 2009 by student.

            Airport security used to rely heavily on metal-detectors to detect vigilantes with a concealed weapon in their carry-on bags or on their bodies. But after several failed field tests, it was time to find new ways to screen passengers. So they came up with intrusive pat-downs at checkpoints in the airport. This includes patting-down the passengers in order to try and feel for explosives or weapons on the body. But after multiple reports of the airport security “groping” passengers, it was once again time to find new ways to screen. Recently a new technology has been created called the “backscatter X-ray”. Time will only tell if this will be the technology we’ve been waiting for in security screening.

            The backscatter X-ray shoots a low-intensity X-ray beams that penetrate clothing and bounce off a persons’ skin. Unlike a traditional X-ray, the backscatter cannot see inside a person. Officials report that a backscatter scan gives off very minimal radiation. “It’s like being out in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes.” Reports from the National Council on Radiation Protection state that someone would need 2,500 backscatter scans a year before reaching illegal limits.

            Apparently in this scan, metal objects are highlighted by a heavy black line. Whereas body contours appear as a faint gray line. The issue of privacy raises high above all. People are worried that X-rays will see through clothing and that their images will somehow wind up on the internet. This backscatter scan promises to avoid this. But does that come with a price? This “edge detection” technology looks for changes in density or molecular structure on a person and draws outlines around those areas. This might cause problems in detecting some plastic explosives that have a density close to human issue. Many critics worry that this scan will only find the “obvious” stuff but not everything.

            These backscatter scans are just starting to be tested in airports around the world. The controversy surrounding this issue will continue until questions are answered. We will just have to wait and see if this new technology delivers what the people want: a safe, effective, and private way to screen airport passengers.

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24. March 2009 by student.

                Zoos are fun filled places that little children can watch cool animals that they might not see in their entire lifetimes up close and personal. To experience these animals can become very inspiring to little children and can spark ideas for their job later in life or make them have respect for the animals and try to keep them safe from extinction. Zoos are there for entertainment for the people that come to see the animals, but at what cost do the animals have for our entertainment.

                The animals in the zoos are in concentrated areas in the park and are not allowed to roam much and most animals need much room to walk around such as the elephant, giraffe, or tigers. The zoo workers try their best to make them as comfortable as possible, but they are captive in these cages and cannot do much. People think that the zoos are getting their animals from abused parents or animals that need help, but they are really just breeding these animals at the zoos from other animals, so they do not inbreed. All of these animals are not ever going to be able to get out and will never to be free in their actual environment.

                The zoos take care of these animals, but not as well as people think. In order to help some of the animals to other cages or give them checkups they need to use chemicals to tranquilize them in our to perform some of these things. Animals in their natural environment do not receive chemicals and can be harmful to the animals. No one ever thinks of the emotions that the animals have and can do nothing about it. Some of the animals just want to be free and life their lives and not be some trophies to show off in order for the zoo to get money.

                Overall zoos are not good for the animals at all. If an animal is saved they should go to a specialized facility to get proper care and eventually go back into the wild. Zoos are some ways good for the education of the children, but you can also get better information from TV then going to a zoo. There are way more cons from zoos than pros and if they continue to do this all of these animals will be treated cruelly and never be able to live their lives.     

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24. March 2009 by student.

             Has the American government gone too far with their power?  Who is watching the government to make sure that they have not overstepped their bounds?   There is not a day that goes by that you can read a newspaper, watch a news show or hear on the radio about something that the American government or an elected official has done which confirms that they have too much power.  This power makes it not only a public matter but a personal matter as well, because it impacts every American, regardless of their social status, race, religion, or age.  Their power over other countries and their own people is taking away the freedom that America was founded upon centuries ago.   It appears that America’s government was no longer acting in the best interest of citizens, but instead attempts to lead by fear and intimidation.  An example of this is the Bush Administration.  Instead of effectively addressing the terrorist threat to the United States that was clearly demonstrated by the 9/11 attacks, the Bush Administration chose to use fear and intimidation as an excuse to invade the oil-rich country of Iraq. The reason for the United States attacking Iraq has really not been told to the American people, and the scope of this war has really not been realized by the majority of the citizens.   The American government uses these same types of tactics on individuals that do not do what the government wants them to do.  Even when we have laws that are supposed to protect individuals and corporations rights, the people in power put laws in place that allow them to do what they want to do. An example of this is the wire tapping that the government has been doing through international phone calls by the National Security Administration. The surveillance was done without warrants. Suspicious or not, these were calls any one of us could have made, and represent an assault on our privacy. 

              Although America is a democracy people are losing their voice.   By electing power figures, such as the President, mayors, and judges individuals are giving up their voice and allowing these officials to make final decisions for them.  This is a problem for the general public because after electing individuals to run the government they start to control everything including what information is let out to the citizens.  This then also makes it a personal matter because no one person can know everything that truly happens in the United States except those with the power who are in the government.

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