Endangered Eyeless Spider Indefinitely Delays $15M Texas Highway Project
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (CBS Houston) — An endangered eyeless spider is holding up a $15 million Texas highway project.
Construction of the highway underpass project on Texas 151 was indefinitely delayed after a biologist consultant with the Texas Department of Transportation discovered the Braken Bat Cave meshweaver, according to San Antonio Express-News.
The Express-News reports the spider, which is about the size of a dime, was added to the endangered species list 12 years ago.
Dr Jean Krejca of Zara Environmental told the paper the finding of this spider is like ”stumbling on a new Galapagos Island.”
Department spokesperson Josh Donat says it’s just now a wait-and-see plan on what to do.
“We have to wait until the Fish and Wildlife Service gives us the thumbs up for plan B or plan C or whatever plan we end up going with,” he told KSAT-TV.
Donat added that the finding was a “huge surprise.”
“It’s phenomenal. Those who are really into spiders geek out about it,” Donat told KSAT. “This is really cool.”
Construction for the $15 million highway project started in April.
This is the second time this type of spider has been found in the world, both times being in Bexar County, Texas.
http://houston.cbslocal.com/2012/09/12/endangered-eyeless-spider-indefinitely-delays-15m-texas-highway-project/
Questions? Why wait 11 years, and why would you think the people in charge can do any better in the next 11 years then they have done in the first?
GOP to TSA: Eleven years after 9/11 attacks, it's time to change
After holding a moment of silence Tuesday in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee took the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to task for the airport security techniques that have become commonplace since then.
"I know anybody that's watched TV this morning shares my sentiments that it's just a tough day when you think about all those lives and those families who are remembering their loved ones that they lost on that tragic day," the chairman of the panel's subcommittee on Transportation Security, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), said.
"Since TSA's creation after 9/11, the agency has gone down a troubling path of overspending, limiting private sector engagement, and failing to sufficiently protect passenger privacy," he quickly added.
Touting a report produced by the Transportation Security subcommittee, Rogers said it was time for TSA to be "rebuilt" into a "smarter, leaner organization."
Among the panel's suggestions are increasing the number of risk-based security programs that are used by TSA and "enlisting the private sector to modernize and automate the passenger screening process.
"Here is the bottom line: It is time to reform TSA," Rogers said. "In fact, it’s been a long time coming."
TSA officials defended the agency, saying that it was working with private companies to develop new risk-based security techniques.
"We understand that this has got to be a joint effort," TSA Deputy Administrator John Halinski said. "It's not just the government, quite frankly. It's going to be the private industry."
"TSA continues to take steps to further enhance our layered approach to security through state-of-the-art technologies, better passenger identification techniques and other developments that strengthen our capabilities to keep terrorists off commercial aircraft," he added in testimony submitted to the committee before the hearing.
Halinski dashed hopes for a move to a completely risk-based airport security system, however, saying "TSA will always incorporate random and unpredictable security measures throughout the airport and no individual will be guaranteed expedited or modified screening."
At one lighter point in Tuesday's hearing, Rogers asked a panel to grade TSA's performance since the 9/11 attacks.
"TSA has made progress, but the grade is clearly incomplete as you look at what the opportunities are with Pre-Check," U.S. Travel Association Chief Operating Officer Geoff Freeman responded.
Rogers responded with a quip about recent comments from President Obama about his handling of the U.S. economy in which he also said he would give himself an incomplete.
"You've been watching the convention, haven't you?" Rogers said to laughter.
http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/tsa/248817-gop-to-tsa-eleven-years-after-911-its-time-to-change
The key to the presidents success, is to only play against white people. (lol)
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