Virtual Border Fence a Virtual Failure

Just last week, Homeland Security Secretary, Michael Chertoff was happy to announce a 28-mile section of the electronic surveillance fence watching the Arizona and Mexican border was operational. The fence which had been delayed a full year due to technical glitches was being hailed as the first step in securing both our Canadian and Mexican borders against illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Ah, what a difference a week makes.

In a story that shows just how out of the loop our Homeland Security Director is, the fence has already gone off line. The reason? It seems it doesn’t work. Oh, well what’s $60 million when you continue to print money as you need it and sell the debt to China? That price tag is how much Boeing Corp. has received so far to build the electronic fence that doesn’t really work today although we were told last week it did.

The surveillance system, which consists of a series of 98-foot towers that carry sophisticated radar and camera equipment, was hailed as a success without any comments made about the incredible costs this system will burden taxpayers with over the next five years. I wonder what we will hear now that the electronics don’t seem to be able to withstand the elements. It seems the equipment used wasn’t made to take the outside weather. Gee is that why my home computer doesn’t work when I take it outside in a thunderstorm. One would think Boeing would have figured this out early on in their development but why worry. With the government a company doesn’t have to honor a bid. Screw up, make something inferior and create a product that doesn’t work. No problem. You not only will still get your money but can charge taxpayers more than you said it would cost as well. Only in America can we get nothing for something.

The government states the entire fence running the length of our northern and southern borders will run approximately $8 billion dollars but other critics, government watchdogs and experts maintain the final costs could reach $30 billion by 2013. Since we have already spent $60 million on something that doesn’t work, I will go along with the estimates of the critics on this one.

One anonymous government source had stated last week that the fence already was working. It just wasn’t working well nor all of the time but still we were given a spin on the accomplishments of the system. It was claimed a group of 100 illegals crossing the border were either apprehended or chased back into Mexico when the surveillance cameras caught their activity and ground and air border guards were rushed to the scene. Let’s see, dividing 100 illegals into $60 million comes out to $600,000 per interloper. Multiply $600,000 by somewhere between 12 and 20 million illegals in the country and we better keep printing money or we will never have enough to make a dent in the population of people who don’t follow our rules.

It should be obvious this clandestine, unofficial leak telling reporters how good the fence worked that isn’t working anymore was approved by upper management trying to wipe the electrons off their faces. Already top border officials are telling us how great the system will obviously be once it can actually work all of the time rather than some of the time if at all. I’m glad the government doesn’t build cars, aren’t you. 

It would be interesting to determine how many decent paying jobs could have been created for border patrol agents using $60 million dollars. What would that stimulus do to the local economies? How much in taxes would we get back from payroll, and sales and property taxes?  

We seem to not only have an affinity for outsourcing our jobs overseas but we also can't create ones at home. Even right at the starting points, which are our borders.