mr. lynn nahry who is a contractor himself, i would think would be aware of the . i cal permit process in san francisco. that the first step is -- is securing the planning entitlement for a project. again, something that has been in existence prior to -- to the linari's arrival. the application should be seen for what it is the application should be seen for what it is a vindictive action by the owners of 57 seymour stree. this commission's time and authority is being abused we feel by their application for discretionary review of the project. i strongly urge the commission to deny it and uphold the rights and requirements for bringing their property into conformance with all aapplicable planning and building codes. thank you. >> thank you. speakers in favor of the project sponsor? my name is brian bertschmore. i live at number nine seymour. imthe person most affect bid the project because it is actually my southeastern view, the picture that mrs. linar showed of the windows was taken from their rooftop rather than anyplace where they could see from their side of t

that can be plowed, exactly the principal that secretary lynn has been talking about. >> mr. whitman? from virginia. >> thanks for joining us. i want to jump in since my time is limited and talk about the decision-making between the recommendation to close joint forces command. first of all, i think there's a tremendous lack of transparency there. took us over 7 weeks to get a response back from recognize see tear. ranking member forbes and mckee on and myself requested that. when we got the letter back it re-reinstateed the initial decision and had justification why this didn't fall under braecht. and i noted that the parsing of terms. seems as we look at the process, first of all, we were told, well this is an efficiency effort. we'll look to where we can obtain efficiencies but we're told there's no analysis or cost analysis about closing jif come. that's yet to come and then we said, well really it was anticipate business decision but a military decision. when we ask, tell us strategic analysis behind that we're told we're in the process of doing it. we have operational o

we'll work hard to help that. >> mr. lynn, you have not done that. if you're going to work hard with them you could have at least taken their calls and given them information and you still stone wall us today but i'll ask in a moment. >> i met with the governor as well as yourself yesterday morning and will continue to do that. >> mr. taylor, please? >> with your permission i'll yield my time and claim his time when it's his turn. >> thank you. mr. taylor for yielding and thank you, chairman for holding this set of hearings. secretary lip you said this is not a civilian decision. i disagree. i agree with colleague forbes that said if the end boils down to a decision made by a president on a recommendation by the secretary. just talking about the military side of things. i want to read quickly a quote from former commander at jif con that said i disagreed with the secretary of defense and jointness of military has been achieved and the job is done. abandoning a long defense and chairmans of the joint chief's of staff to ensure maximum effectiveness. s

mr. chairman. >> secretary lynn. >> thank you, mr. chairman. distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to prepare for you to discuss the department that efficiency efforts. i like to put the full statement in the record and summarize it here briefly in an oral statement. during his speech at the eisenhower library, secretary gates outline how to modernize america's key military capabilities at a time of war and fiscal pressure, the department would be to finally change the way that it does business. to sustain the current force structure, which we must do, it requires the equivalent of real budget growth of up to 3%. the overall defense budget is projected to rise in real terms by about 1% based on a inflation assumptions. the department cannot and should not ask congress and the american taxpayers for more increases in any year unless we have done everything possible to make the dollars we already have account for more. the bridging that gap requires: the department's massive overhead costs and structures in detail

the second is through the resignation of jul lynn pasrsons. mr. larkin is here to seek reappointment. supervisor campos: thank you. if we could have mr. larkin come forward. good morning. >> good morning committee members -- good morning, committee members. supervisor campos: if you could make a brief statement as to why you would like to be appointed, we will take questions from the committee. >> i have been a san francisco resident since 1979,. i have been on the cac since 2004. i was the vice chair in 2005. this is the first year in a while that i have not been in either one of those positions. i am a transit professional, by my own admission. i continue to have been interested in this, professionally and in the interest of residence. i will take any questions. my life is an open book. supervisor campos: first of all, anyone who comes forward and present themselves for consideration, i applaud them for their willingness to go through this process and to serve the city and county of san francisco. i am familiar with your work and i appreciate yo

mr. gingrich? let me bring in reverend barry lynn, executive director of americans united for separation of churchverend, good to have you with us tonight. >> nice to be back. >> here we go! mixing religions, scaring americans right back to the voting booth and president obama is evil. >> you know i always wonder, where does newt gingrich get his values? i think, possibly, from -- he gets them in dreams after really bad fish dinners, because frankly, let me give you some numbers. the american people 75% of us believe, for example, that gays should serve openly in the military. 75%. newt gingrich says, no, no, no, no they shouldn't. the majority of americans in polls and in elections say no to those school vouchers, the things that governor christie in new jersey wants to implement in order to destroy public education. the majority of americans oppose it. newt gingrich wants it. in other words, if the american people want all the things that i would say, normal people want, why is he an outlier, why is he promoting values that most americans don't want? this guy always had bad ideas. we that when h

mr. chairman. >> thank you very much, center web. i think we ought to give secretary lynn an opportunity if he wants to comment. he can do that now or later. the vote has started, but if you want to take an opportunity now to comment, if you wish. you may not wish to do so -- >> i would like to comment. senator webb, former secretary webb, i appreciate you did not feel we have shared as much information as you would like. although i think the core issue here is a disagreement over the recommendation. this was not a business case analysis as some have described it. this was a military decision. the secretary consulted with his closest military advisers on the rationale for the joint forces command. there are four central purposes having to do with joint manning, a joint training, joint experimentation. on the joint manning areas, the conclusion was a was duplicative and not a value-added function. the function was better performed in a joint staff and the joint forces command should be taken out of it. on the joint training, joint doctrine, those are purposes the continue a

mr. mayor. please join us in a moment of silence to remember september 11th. [moment of silence] >> farther cock lynntion. >> lord, god, the events of 9/11 awakened a sleeping giant. while violence shook the whole earth will uncertainty, this wounded healer learned to spoke softly so scars would never be forgott forgotten. so blessed are we even to this day. once thought less powerless because pockets were torn and speared were snapped, we hoped for an end. suddenly, on that day, there was silence. people came together. connected like family and heard be still and no that i am good. supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth. refusing to be stirred by lower passions but relying on intelligence, terrorism would be sought out and destroyed. so the giant shed the cloaks of manipulation and hate red to become a blessed dwelling place for hopes and lasting values. lord, this awakened giant stands here today, representative of free people who realize the stony heard has been removed with its divisive fears. we are blessed to respond with natural hearts to human needs. fully aware that spiritual renewa

peter king, congress woman carol lynn maloney and the entire bipartisan new york delegation for giving us this opportunity today to do what is right and fair and just. mr. speaker, in observance of 9/11 earlier this month, we stood on the steps of the capitol, democrats and republicans alike, to honor the memory that we lost that day. as we were standing there i was thinking back to my first visit to ground zero. when you went there at that time following the tragedy, you knew that when you stepped there, you were walking on sacred ground. there was an incredible silence as the workers feverishly, feverishly tried to retrieve the remains of those who were lost and just repair the damage that was done, to clear, to clear the wreckage. no pictures were allowed in recognition that we were on sacred ground. no photographs were allowed. and of course silence was generally observed. that those who were working could hear each other as they quietly went about their very, very sad assignment. they and those who rushed to the scene in real time when it happened, risked their lives and their health to do so. they didn't ask any questions. is anybody going to tak

mr. lynn, isn't the biggest cost escalation to d.o.d. today in health care? >> >> yes, sir. i don't know it's the biggest in terms of increase but it's the largest account growing at a substantial pace. >> you have any ideas on that issue? >> we are reviewing that and as part of the fiscal 2012 budget i think we'll be proposing to congress on ideas to restrain health care costs. >> there is no doubt it's growing in dramatic fashion. >> there is no doubt. >> and double-digit inflation. >> in some years. >> recently. >> yes. >> the other thing which might be helpful to this committee if you -- after asking for a report, maybe you could do a little study for us or just compile statistics on the so-called tooth to tail ratio say over the last 20, 25 years. i think that we'll find is a dramatic growth in civilian personnel, pentagon and other places. and i think we're also going to see a dramatic growth in staffing and the tooth to tail ratio becoming less and less optimum to say the least. would you agree that's pretty much the case, general cartwright? >> yes, i do, senator. we