Thread: Border fence's slow progress panned

Border fence's slow progress panned

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... nes-nation
Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times


A corrugated metal fence that separates the U.S. from Mexico comes to an abrupt end at the western edge of Jacumba, Calif. The town and the neighboring Mexican village of Jacume are considered "black holes," a term used to describe border enclaves that serve as conduits for alien and drug smuggling.

Only 15 miles of fencing have been built. Officials say the project is on track after being slowed by environmental and design issues.

By Richard Marosi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 25, 2007

SAN DIEGO -- Nearly a year after Congress passed legislation calling for the construction of 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, about 15 miles have been built, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Some Republicans and anti-illegal immigration groups have recently criticized the lack of progress, but Homeland Security, which had committed to putting up 70 miles of fencing by Sept. 30, said the project was back on track after being slowed by environmental, hiring and design issues.

Workers are scheduled to break ground next week on a seven-mile stretch southwest of Tucson. Work on the remainder of a 37-mile barrier near Yuma, Ariz., will also continue.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), a longtime fence supporter, said in a letter to President Bush last week: "This lack of progress is unacceptable, especially when adequate funding is available to earnestly proceed with fence construction."

Bush signed the Secure Fence Act last fall in hopes that bolstered enforcement would lead the then-Republican-led Congress to pass broader immigration overhaul.

Opponents said that the legislation came during an election year when many lawmakers expressed skepticism about the idea but didn't want to be vulnerable to attacks for being soft on border enforcement.

"It was an election-year political gimmick. People knew that it was more about symbolism than about reality," said Tamar Jacoby, a Manhattan Institute policy analyst who supports immigration reform.

The act calls for fencing in five areas along the 1,952-mile border. The longest stretch -- from east of Calexico, Calif., to Douglas, Ariz. -- would be about 300 miles long. Other large segments would be built along the Rio Grande in Texas. There are about 90 miles of fence, most of it in California.

The White House has said the border cannot be controlled by fencing alone, insisting that vehicle barriers, improved sensors, camera towers and more agents must be added.

Homeland Security set a timetable that calls for 300 miles of fencing and 150 miles of vehicle barriers to be built by the end of 2008. Congress allocated $1.2 billion for border improvements this year. The administration requested $1 billion for 2008.

But construction couldn't begin, officials said, until more effective fencing could be designed, contractors hired and environmental issues addressed. Outside Yuma, for instance, the fence is being built with small holes to allow movement by the horned lizard. The government also has met with opponents of the plan.

"The administration has made the decision to address local land concerns and environmental concerns to the extent that they can. . . . It slows the process down, but we're still committed to getting it done. Ultimately, the goal is to secure the border," said Brad Benson, a spokesman for Customs and Border Protection, the agency responsible for the fence.

The plan calls for much of the fencing to be built by the National Guard. But with the administration reducing guard troops on the border by half, to 3,000, by October, labor may be in short supply. And the recent reassignment of about 100 Border Patrol agents to fence building may not be enough, anti- illegal immigration groups say.

To immigration reform advocates, the lack of progress is a hopeful sign that the fencing may never be completed.

"It's just absolutely wrong. The fence is not going to stop anything," said Enrique Morones, president of the Border Angels, a immigrant-rights group. "I think people really do realize that it is not the solution. . . . It's extremely expensive, and it's not effective."

richard.marosi@latimes.com

That thing above is called a fence? It's certainly not Duncan Hunter's double layered fence!

Excerpt:

Hunter would like the entire 1,933-mile Mexican border to have double-layered fencing, according to his spokesman.

[quote][b]The Secure Fence Act says “the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide for least 2 layers of reinforced fencing, the installation of additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras and sensorsâ€

That thing wouldn't keep out my dog!

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Border Security: Failure By Design
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDpw7ojGtT0

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Population Clocks
U.S. 302,696,031
World 6,614,038,633
17:31 GMT (EST+5) Aug 25, 2007

About 15 years ago a new freeway was built on the outskirts of my city. A bridge was built over the river covering up a favorite fishing hole of the locals. The fishermen quickly found a way to negotiate a driving path by turning off the freeway onto the shoulder of the road. It created a dangerous situation to have cars pulling on and off the freeway where there was no road.

The highway department placed ‘no parking’ signs along the freeway where they were exiting. It didn’t stop them. Next the police department started issuing citations. That didn’t stop them. This went on for about five years with the newspaper constantly shaming them by publishing pictures of their cars. At any time during daylight hours there would be up to a dozen cars parked on the path.

Finally, the highway department erected a fence that completely shut off any access to gain entry to the river. The problem was immediately solved. I wondered then, as I wonder now, why the obvious remedy was not put in place straight away.

Little progress on border fence
ONLY 15 MILES BUILT IN THE PAST YEAR
By Richard Marosi
Los Angeles Times
Article Launched: 08/25/2007 01:32:50 AM PDT
http://www.mercurynews.com/localnewshea ... ck_check=1

SAN DIEGO - Nearly a year after Congress passed legislation calling for the construction of 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, about 15 miles have been built, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Some Republicans and anti-illegal immigration groups in recent days have criticized the lack of progress, but DHS - which had committed to erecting 70 miles of fencing by Sept. 30 - says the project is back on track after being slowed by environmental concerns, contractor hiring and design issues.

Workers are scheduled to break ground next week on a seven-mile stretch southwest of Tucson, Ariz.; work on the remainder of a 37-mile barrier outside Yuma, Ariz., is continuing as well.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, a longtime fence backer, said in a letter to President Bush last week: "This lack of progress is unacceptable, especially when adequate funding is available to earnestly proceed with fence construction."

Bush signed the Secure Fence Act last autumn in hopes that bolstered enforcement would lead the then-Republican-led Congress to pass a broader immigration overhaul.

Opponents noted that the legislation came during an election year when many lawmakers expressed skepticism about the fence idea, but didn't want to be vulnerable to attacks for being soft on border enforcement.

"It was an election year political gimmick. People knew that it was more about symbolism than about reality," said

The act calls for new fencing in five areas along the 1,952-mile southern border. The longest stretch - from east of Calexico to Douglas, Ariz. - would extend about 300 miles. Other large segments would be built along the Rio Grande in Texas. Including fencing that was up before the law passed, there are about 90 miles, most of it in California.

Homeland Security has set out a timetable that calls for 300 miles of new fencing and 150 miles of vehicle barriers to be in place by the end of 2008. Congress allocated $1.2 billion for border infrastructure improvements this year, and the administration has requested another $1 billion for next year.

But construction couldn't begin, federal officials said, until more effective fencing could be designed, contractors hired and environmental issues addressed. Outside Yuma, for instance, the fencing is being built with small holes to allow a native species, the horned lizard, to move freely across the border. The government also has met with ranchers and local lawmakers opposed to the plan.

The plan calls for much of the fencing to be built by the National Guard. But with the administration reducing the number of guard troops on the border by half, to 3,000, by October, labor could be in short supply. And the recent reassignment of about 100 Border Patrol agents to fence-building work might not be enough, anti-illegal immigration forces say.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-El Cajon), a longtime fence supporter, said in a letter to President Bush last week: "This lack of progress is unacceptable, especially when adequate funding is available to earnestly proceed with fence construction."

Build the fence. To hell with the lizards and local politicians.