Thread: Napolitano halts funding for 'virtual fence'

Napolitano halts funding for 'virtual fence'

Erin Kelly -
Mar. 16, 2010 03:08 PM
Republic Washington Bureau .

WASHINGTON -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Tuesday that she has cut off funding for a costly surveillance system billed as a "virtual fence" to protect the Southwest border.

Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security will redirect $50 million of Recovery Act funding originally allocated for the Southwest Border Initiative's SBInet to be spent instead on other tested, commercially available security technology, Napolitano said.

The federal government has spent about $1.1 billion in contracts with Boeing Co. to develop SBInet, which is being tested in the Ajo and Tucson areas of Arizona.

The surveillance system, initiated in 2006 under the Bush administration, employs sensors, cameras and radar mounted on towers to provide intelligence to Border Patrol officials.

But there have been frequent delays and failures with its equipment, including problems with cameras remaining steady in bad weather. Napolitano has often expressed frustration with the program.

"Not only do we have an obligation to secure our borders, we have a responsibility to do so in the most cost effective way possible," Napolitano said in a written statement. "The system of sensors and cameras along the Southwest border known as SBInet has been plagued with cost overruns and missed deadlines."

The system was supposed to be deployed along the entire border last fall, but completion had been pushed back to 2016 because of all the problems.

Napolitano said the $50 million in Recovery Act money will instead be used for mobile surveillance, thermal imaging devices, ultralight-aircraft detection, mobile radios, cameras and laptops for pursuit vehicles, and remote video surveillance system improvements.

Napolitano also announced that her department would freeze all SBI net funding beyond its initial deployment to the Tucson and Ajo regions until an assessment that she ordered in January is completed.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., praised Napolitano's decision as good news for taxpayers.

"After spending over $1 billion of taxpayers' dollars on a failed system of sensors and cameras along the Southwest border, known as SBInet, I am pleased that Secretary Napolitano has decided to instead turn to commercially available technology that can be used to immediately secure our border from illegal entries," McCain said. "I have been calling for congressional oversight and administrative action on this issue since it became clear that SBInet was a complete failure."

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... alted.html

SURPRISE SURPRISE………..THE DEMOCRATS WANT AN OPEN BORDER FOR THEIR VOTERS TO GET IN!! Here's a better and cheaper plan......They need to replace that expensive fence with sentry’s behind .50 caliber machine guns and instructions to shoot on sight any person attempting to illegally enter the United States of America.

Napolitano said the $50 million in Recovery Act money will instead be used for mobile surveillance, thermal imaging devices, ultralight-aircraft detection, mobile radios, cameras and laptops for pursuit vehicles, and remote video surveillance system improvements.

Hmmm........why not use it for double-layered fencing (high speed road between layers), sensors, and stadium lighting that was called for in the Secure Fence Act of 2006? We need a strong physical barrier along the border, not more doo-dads and gadgetry.

Originally Posted by MW

Napolitano said the $50 million in Recovery Act money will instead be used for mobile surveillance, thermal imaging devices, ultralight-aircraft detection, mobile radios, cameras and laptops for pursuit vehicles, and remote video surveillance system improvements.

Hmmm........why not use it for double-layered fencing (high speed road between layers), sensors, and stadium lighting that was called for in the Secure Fence Act of 2006? We need a strong physical barrier along the border, not more doo-dads and gadgetry.

Exactly! And imagine the jobs that would be created by building that double layer fence with stadium lighting that has already been mandated for in the SFA of 2006!

We can secure our border and create jobs for Americans at the same time!

More government incompetency and waste of taxpayers money.

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-5024--0-0.html

Again, we have to remove from office all Democrats. They help illegal aliens. This November we will remove from office all Democrats.

They have been dragging their feet as long as they've been talking about this. It should have been done.

HA! What a waste! Everybody here hated the stupid virtual idea and wanted a real fence to be built in the first place. Congress can't seem to do the job of fourth graders.

Originally Posted by ShockedinCalifornia

HA! What a waste! Everybody here hated the stupid virtual idea and wanted a real fence to be built in the first place. Congress can't seem to do the job of fourth graders.

Call me a conspiracy nut if you want but I believe our government agencies are not that stupid. Things like this are done intentionally!

"Our" government has no intention of actually sealing the border. Isn't it obvious by now. They will pass law to require a double layer fence and then decide that virtual fences and cameras are better. When all the money has been spent on worthless cameras and sensors that can not actually stop anyone, declare the technology a failure.
Now with no more money, we are cutting border patrol, we have no double layered fence, and less protection from increasing drug cartel violence.
This government, and previous gov., does not want tp protect citizens. It wants a ONE WORLD ORDER that places all of us under U.N. control.
Our paychecks are paying for the privilege of giving away our freedoms, our country's heritage and culture. We are nothing more than slaves working to generate funds to advance the one world agenda.
REMEMBER THE BOSTON TEAPARTY. Without our tax money, their plan does not work. Maybe its time for a citizen protest that requires workers to stay home for a day or a few days to get the message across. Is the future of the U.S. worth risking your job over? If 20 million illegal immigrants get legal status, you may lose your job anyway. They know how to cheat the IRS. We know how to do it legally.....