Thread: Border plan worries Texas Rangers

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Border Fence Plan Worries Texas Ranchers
4 days ago Border Fence Plan Worries Texas Ranchers
4 days ago Texas ranchers, business owners are troubled by border fence plan
4 days ago Texans Worried by Border Fence Plan
5 days ago Border Texans see holes in fence proposal
25 days ago Congressman insists 700 miles of border fence will be built



(AP Photo/Joel Martinez)
Jeff Reed, co owner of Pepe's on the River bar and grill, looks out along the Rio Grande River, the river that is the border between Mexico and the United States, from the edge of the water along his business in Mission, Texas, Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006. Reed and other business owners wonder how the building of a wall along the Texas-Mexico border will effect their businesses. Printer Friendly | PDF | Email | digg
By LYNN BREZOSKY, The Associated Press
Oct 27, 2006 2:18 PM (4 days ago)
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MISSION, Texas - Jeff Reed offers outdoor dining on the Rio Grande at his restaurant, Pepe's on the River. But with the U.S. government planning to build 700 miles of fence along the Mexican border, he has to wonder: Will his restaurant soon be "Pepe's on the Fence"?


Downriver in Brownsville, where the jalapeno and lima bean fields run down to the water's edge, farmer Fermin Leal is wondering whether the government intends to cut through his crops, run irrigation pipes under the fence, or buy him out.

"Most of our land goes up to what's supposed to be the border, and yes, we need access to river water," Leal said.

President Bush signed a law Thursday to erect more fences along the border to secure it against illegal immigrants, drug smugglers and terrorists. Republicans in Congress see it as their most significant accomplishment on immigration. The president called it "an important step in our nation's efforts to secure our borders."

But up and down Texas' watery boundary with Mexico, farmers, ranchers and business owners are worried a fence will endanger their livelihoods and encroach on their property.

Texas landowners - sick of illegal immigrants cutting their fences, stealing and trespassing, and tired of worrying about smugglers of humans and drugs endangering their families - have been demanding for years that Congress tighten the border.

But not, some say, with a double-layer, $6 billion fence cutting through their land and keeping them and their livestock from the river.

"It's not going to work in Texas," said Michael Vickers, who owns a cattle ranch on the border. "Who wants to close off the river to Mexico? The river is the lifeblood for a lot of cities."

Vickers said he worries that either his land will be cut off from the rest of the state and the country or he will lose access to 50 acres of water rights he has and can sell to area municipalities for up to $2,000 an acre.

"I'd be in a DMZ-type zone, in between two countries," Vickers said.

The exact route the fences will take is not yet clear. And it is not yet known what the fences will look like - how tall they will be, whether they will be solid walls, or bars.

Much of the land along the Texas side of the river is privately owned, some dating back to Spanish land grants. The government's $1.2 billion "down payment" on the fences is only a fraction of the estimated cost, which will also include the expense of compensating property owners for any land taken through eminent domain.

Environmentalists say the fence also would destroy decades of government work building up wildlife corridors to allow endangered species like ocelots and jaguarundi access to the river.

The legislation calls for one Texas section of fence stretching from Del Rio to Eagle Pass and a much larger piece along the 361 river-miles from Laredo to Brownsville, where much of the border population lives.

"I could see if they put the fence in desolate areas and isolated areas, but to come down here and interfere with businesses and stuff such as mine?" said Reed, the waterfront restaurant owner. "Nobody's crossing right here anyway, not with a lot of activity. We've got 500, 600 people sitting out here. They're not going to pull up a boatload and start unloading."

Mexican President Vicente Fox has called the plan "an embarrassment for the United States" and said a fence would not stop millions of Mexicans from heading north in search of jobs.

Similarly, mayors of U.S. cities close to the river have spoken out against the economic and diplomatic effect of a fence in a region where Mexico and the United States interact fluidly.

"Here we are in the midst of an economic mega-boom and we're building fences," said Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas. "What ridiculous symbolism. Here we are tearing walls down around the world and we're putting up walls."

Mexican customers make up about 35 percent of the city of McAllen's retail trade and have been buying real estate and opening businesses in the city at a rapid pace.

A fence "sends the message that you're not wanted or you're not welcome. I know I would be insulted," said Steve Ahlenius, president of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce. And he questioned whether a fence would even work: "Human instinct is that if you have a 10-foot fence, you're going to find an 11-foot ladder."

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Associated Press Writer Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report from El Paso.

A fence "sends the message that you're not wanted or you're not welcome.

Just try going over into mexico illegally and see what happens to you. There concerned the drug smuggler's want be able to get the drugs in and they won't be able to continue to fill up our country with illegals.

A fence "sends the message that you're not wanted or you're not welcome. I know I would be insulted," said Steve Ahlenius, president of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce.

Obviously Mr. Ahlenius is missing the whole point. They aren't wanted, not if they are illegal. For those that are legal, there are official checkpoints. I can sympathize with those on the border that are negatively impacted by a fence, but they need to put the nations best interest above their own self-interest. A little inconvenience isn't going to kill the ranchers, but to do nothing is certainly destroying our nation!

"MW" I could`nt have said it better.

While I want something done, I am not sure this is the best thing.

This President could have simply began enforcing existing laws and there would be no need for a fence.

What gives me pause is the fact this President chose to do this particular thing to appease the people.

Will he deliberately choose areas that will adversely impact Americans in the hopes Americans will then be against the building of the fence. Then he can say, "Well, I tried and they didn't want it."

Nothing this government does is going to be for the good in this area.

Originally Posted by nntrixie

While I want something done, I am not sure this is the best thing.

This President could have simply began enforcing existing laws and there would be no need for a fence.

What gives me pause is the fact this President chose to do this particular thing to appease the people.

Will he deliberately choose areas that will adversely impact Americans in the hopes Americans will then be against the building of the fence. Then he can say, "Well, I tried and they didn't want it."

Nothing this government does is going to be for the good in this area.

Trixie, "the President" didn't choose to do anything. This was a bill crafted by Congress. I wish that people here would make some minimal attempt to understand how our government works. This is the same sort of nonsense that has the President setting oil and gasoline prices. I understand that villification and simplification are easier than dealing with reality, but they accomplish little other than getting people worked up.

nntrixie wrote:

While I want something done, I am not sure this is the best thing.
This President could have simply began enforcing existing laws and there would be no need for a fence.

Enforcing existing laws is not going to stop the drug cartels, human smugglers, and potential terroist. IMHO, a substantial physical barrier along our southern border is past due.

Kinda hard to believe we asked Germany & S. Korea to divide
their homogenous cultures to fight the Cold War. Now we got
people that only think about the economics like Junior & Che G.