A Texas mayor speaks his mind

[frogcycle]

While looking for links to articles about the recent KIA I found this:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/military/stories/MYSA081707.01A.sa_war_death.3992779.html

The number of such outspoken critics across the country keeps growing. here is the mayor of San Antonio pulling no punches, and the paper printing it unabashedly. All good, but it was not happening even a few months ago. When is the congress going to GET IT that the people will be behind them if they just force a fricking standoff?

BTW, Texas has the second highest number of fatalities after California.

If the congress can't act, the governors should start refusing to let their Guard go. What's the fed Govt going to do - sue? All the governors have to do is issue a 'signing statement" that they don't want to play any more. If enough states started getting pissy, this thing could come to a head fast.

A San Antonio soldier was among three U.S. troops killed this week when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Pfc. Juan M. Lopez Jr., 23, became the 30th Alamo City soldier to die in Iraq since the war began nearly 31/2 years ago. He was based at Fort Bliss in El Paso, where his 1st Cavalry Division brigade is posted.

"This is so tragic, all of these young men losing their lives," said San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, who has attended the funerals of virtually all local troops lost in Iraq and Afghanistan since taking office June 17, 2005. "It just breaks your heart, and I am very sorry for the family and for the larger family of everyone in San Antonio."

- snip -

American casualties have been on the rise in Iraq since the first of 28,000 additional troops began arriving in the country earlier this year to support President Bush's surge. A total of 311 U.S. troops died in April, May and June. July was one of the lowest points of the year, prompting some observers to say the surge was working.

The rise in U.S. casualties had been expected. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of coalition forces in Iraq, had warned that casualties were likely to increase as five new brigades began operations as part of the surge.

But the influx of U.S. soldiers hasn't stopped sectarian killings and insurgent attacks on coalition troops in Baghdad, the focal point of the coalition operations

- snip -

But Hardberger, a 73-year-old former Air Force pilot, said any rise in casualties also means more funerals in San Antonio. Most of the fallen troops from here have been in their late teens and early 20s, he said, many of them with young wives and children.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's almost a matter of mathematical certainty. The more people from San Antonio who are in the combat zone, the more fatalities you're going to see from San Antonio," the mayor said.

"I know the theory is the more soldiers you put there, the safer it will be," said Hardberger, whose personal security detail includes the parent of a 19-year-old daughter serving in the Marines near Baghdad. "I don't think it works that way. I think the more you have, the more that come home in boxes."

[pop goes the weasel]

1. SA is a military town

If the mayor of San Antonio is openly criticizing the surge, it's a sign that the military in general has turned against Bushbaby.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. They used to have five military bases there.

Because of the sunshine and good flying weather. I think they closed a couple of them.

I went to college there. There is no wage base, because everybody is either military, retired military who will work in a store for minimum wage, or Hispanics. The main industries are the military and tourists.

[pop goes the weasel]

3. it's also an agricultural hub

People forget that. Fairly recently, there was a large slaughterhouse, and there are still food processors. And it has a thriving import/export sector. But for the most part, you are right that the economy is either military or tourism. In some ways, though, the low level economy is a good thing. It keeps prices low, speculation hemmed in, and city planners don't get caught off guard by unexpected growth. Growth occurs, to be sure. The city has really expanded and filled in since I was a kid. But it isn't crazy boom town growth.