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| Momentum builds for fence along U.S.-Mexican border |
| 2005-11-17 |
| USA TODAY Page 1 A A once-radical idea to build a 2,000-mile steel-and-wire fence on the U.S.-Mexican border is gaining momentum amid warnings that terrorists can easily sneak into the country. In Congress, a powerful Republican lawmaker this week proposed building such a fence across the entire border and two dozen other lawmakers signed on. And via the Internet, a group called weneedafence.com has raised enough money to air TV ads warning that the border is open to terrorists. Even at the Homeland Security Department, which opposes building a border-long fence, Secretary Michael Chertoff this fall waived environmental laws so that construction can continue on a 14-mile section of fence near San Diego that has helped border agents stem the flow of illegal migrants and drug runners. âYou have to be able to enforce your borders,â says California Rep. Duncan Hunter, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He's proposing a fence from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas. Colin Hanna of weneedafence.com says âthere is incredible momentum on this issue,â fueled by the specter of another Sept. 11. His group aired TV ads in Washington, D.C., this fall and plans more next year. Fencing the border, originally proposed in the debate over how to stop illegal immigration, is controversial. The Bush administration argues that a Berlin Wall-style barrier would be a huge waste of money â costing up to $8 billion. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar says it makes more sense to use a mix of additional agents, better surveillance and tougher enforcement of immigration laws â and fences. But Hunter points to the experience in San Diego, where the number of illegal migrants arrested is one-sixth of what it was before the fence was built. âPeople have made stupid editorial comments about the Great Wall of China,â he says, âbut the only thing that has worked is that fence.â |
| Posted by:Wholurong Threting8855 |
| #8 Good neighbors make good fences. |
| Posted by: John Q. Citizen 2005-11-17 22:01 |
| #7 We also need a cadre of good sharp patrol dogs -- Keen of eyesight and hearing, they will make upo for deficiencies of human hireees... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2005-11-17 17:34 |
| #6 If the Congress provides the right to build a wall on the land a private company could build it using donations. I bet they'd get enough money in donations within a year to pay for the thing. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-11-17 15:04 |
| #5 I am not opposed to the wall concept, however, I feel that every villain opposed to any immigration controls will attempt to manipulate the wall idea to have just the opposite effect from what is intended. First of all, they will try to argue an "all or nothing" approach to the problem. That is, either we have a wall the entire length, or no wall at all; and either we keep out all immigrants, or we keep out none. Both are duplicitous efforts to stop any controls from being put in place at all. Second, they will try to finagle having the wall put where it is needed least, first. To make them put it out in the middle of the desert, nowhere near the major corridors. On top of that, then they will try to drive the price up to many times its currently estimated costs. Third, they will throw in time-consuming obstacles, like demands for environmental impact statements for every square inch of the land the wall is to be erected on. In past, this could delay it by years; today, maybe by months. Still, driving up the costs. Fourth, to turn it into a political football. The "moderates" on both sides would love such a thing. Picture John McCain and Hillary Clinton creating some monster like the McCain-Feingold bill, but about immigration. What a nightmare. The far left could also rant and rave against it, like they did against the Israeli wall. This would be done to try and get more of the hispanic vote, to portray the wall as "racist". Lots of businesses will also try to subvert the process, wanting the cheap illegal labor instead of more expensive green card legal labor. Bottom line: this is going to be a heck of a fight, no holds barred, cage match. No matter what happens it will take years of bitterness and acrimony. If a democrat gets elected president, the price could climb well into the double-digits of billions of dollars. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-11-17 13:58 |
| #4 The Bush administration argues that a Berlin Wall-style barrier would be a huge waste of money â costing up to $8 billion. A wise use of such money, as opposed to pork project funding that only benefits a handful, something he doesn't seem to have a problem with.. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-11-17 13:44 |
| #3 Yes, we absolutely do need a fence. Faster, please. |
| Posted by: mac 2005-11-17 13:22 |
| #2 Reframe the debate. Its about national security,and its for the good of Mexico and the millions there whose government has avoided political reform because immigration has provided a safety valve. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2005-11-17 13:19 |
| #1 Good fences make good neighbors. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-11-17 13:04 |