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Pentagon planners seem all too happy to spend billions of dollars on new aircraft, tanks and ships. Only cutting-edge technology is good enough for them.
Yet millions of U.S. troops carry rifles of a type invented during the Vietnam War.
And when the military wants a better gun, it seems eager to look to overseas suppliers. In terms of both supporting U.S. industries and national security, that is unwise.
According to The Associated Press, a debate involving the military, some members of Congress and the Colt Defense company of Hartford, Conn., involves the M16 rifle — actually a submachine gun — and its derivative, the M4 carbine.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., believes the $1,500 M4 is overpriced and not reliable enough. Colt and the Pentagon disagree.
Nearly 90 percent of the 2,600 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans surveyed by a non-profit group in 2006 said they were satisfied with the M4.
Learn from the Rolling Hills mess
The drainage problems that beset the Rolling Hills neighborhood must be resolved promptly. The periodic flooding that has damaged property and left residents with huge repair bills must be stopped.
» Full StoryMothers deserve our thanks
If you think that Mother’s Day is one of those holidays created by the greeting card industry, you may be in for a surprise. Giving thanks to mothers has been a part of many cultures for as far back as history has been recorded.
» Full StoryTransportation Week is at hand
National Transportation Week starts today and runs through Saturday. This celebration of the transportation industry has taken place each May since it became a permanent event in 1962.
» Full StoryTaxpayers deserve the whole truth
Reconstruction projects undertaken in Iraq by private companies working for the U.S. government seem to have been a success, in general.
But failures — including some labeled as successes — are troubling.
It’s Beef Month in Iowa
Gov. Chet Culver has officially proclaimed May as Beef Month in Iowa.
For many of us, every month is a time to partake of a food that ranks high on the list of culinary favorites.


