2/3/2010 10:02:00 PM Editorial: A 'virtual fence' to nowhere?
Spending obscene amounts of money to save obscene amounts of money typically makes for unbalanced budgeting.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Wednesday that the in-progress construction of a "virtual fence" along the Arizona-Mexico border has two major disadvantages: its cost is spiraling out of control, and its results are inconsistent at best.
The entire project, at $6.7 billion, is in jeopardy after a string of technical glitches and delays. The cost to this point has been $672 million and the results are anything but effective. President Obama wants to cut $189 million from the failing venture, and changes could include the installation of virtual fences along just a few segments of America's 2,000-mile southern border without further expansion.
"The worst that happens is that we have a system which gives us some value but we conclude that it's not worth buying any more of it," Mark Borkowski, the government's director of the project at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told The Associated Press.
Is the project - launched by the Bush Administration in 2005, scheduled for completion by 2011, and now delayed until 2014 - worth the expense? Clearly doing nothing is not a practical solution.
A Bear Stearns 2005 study says a conservative average of 962,000 immigrants cross the border illegally each year, and that undocumented immigrants account for 12-15 million U.S. jobs. According to a Rand Corp. study conducted a year later, the U.S. spends $1.1 billion in federal, state and local government funds annually on health care for undocumented immigrants aged 18 to 64. And, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, 14 percent of inmates in custody are illegal immigrants - adding crime and state-subsidized prison terms to the bottom line.
Are there two sides to the story? Of course.
Eighty-six percent of state inmates are legal citizens and overwhelmingly impact our crime rates and costs. And the same Rand Corp. study spotlighting health care costs estimates $88 billion in government funds is spent for all non-elderly - legal - adults.
The virtual fence project, however, is under scrutiny at the moment, as are its failings and costs. Border Patrol is negotiating a deal to begin using the first permanent stretch of virtual fence at night while the contractor is still working on it.
We all await the results when Border Patrol takes over to see about a return on the investment.
Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, February 07, 2010
Article comment by:
Judgement of Real Americans?
Great thoughts Dave. You should be advised that Mr. Tom Steele actually has a business card with his name on it, the Flag and pronouncing / introducing himself to all as a Patriot, Christian businessman.
He goes around town sticking these cards on people's windsheilds, whose car's bear bumper-stickers he doesn't like.
I DOUBT your thoughful discourse will really help someone that thinks, business cards on windsheilds is a "Solution" to political disagreement.
Posted: Sunday, February 07, 2010
Article comment by:
A REAL AMERICAN
Tom, I know it will be hard, but research what you comment on, I feel sorry for you .... Remember put brain in gear before engaging comments. I am, I was, I will always be a REAL AMERICAN.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
No Name Needed
Dave...Thanks for the well written opinion. I'm afraid in this day and age we live in a sound bite society. In depth thinking has gone away for the most part and to label is to dismiss...no one wants the hard work it takes to stay informed. Hence the flourishing of the Limbaughs, Obermans and Beck's.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
Dave
Tom Steele, I don't see where "A REAL AMERICAN" mentioned anything about Bible thumpers, the EU or the U.S. Constitution. You brought those items up as a means to distract from the questions at hand. You seem to be real quick to pull the trigger and show contempt for someone you assume to have a liberal position, but you don't seem willing to address your own inconsistent positions for the current political situation America is in today. "A REAL AMERICAN" did mention billions of dollars spent for two wars. These wars were NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY approved of by Congress. Why isn't this issue front and center in your "return to the Constitution" argument? Why didn't your fiscally conservative, bible thumping Americans demand that these two wars be paid for using war bonds, or be offset with current year budget cuts? In fact these costs were "OFF BUDGET" during the last republican administration and were an attempt to hide the dollar costs of these wars. Much the same as forbidding photographs of soldier's caskets from the press hid the human cost of the wars. Most of America got caught up in the flag waving, boot stomping "Toby Keith" patriotism in a rush to revenge the twin tower attacks and didn't consider these Constitutional questions and even accepted the loss of additional freedoms with the "Patriot Act". Why, Mr. Steele aren't you concerned about the loss of these Constitutional Freedoms? Today these same "patriots" want to call the current President a socialist for trying to manage these problems that were ignored during our years of flag waving psychosis. (We blindly gave up our constitutional freedoms during the Bush/Cheney administration, so why is Obama being called a socialist?) I digress. So Mr. Steele, where is your "CONSTITUTIONAL" outrage for two wars being fought without following the Congressional War Powers Act? Aren't you angry about the loss of CONSTITUTIONAL freedoms when the Patriot Act was rammed through Congress? Do you think America is gaining any freedom by borrowing $3 Trillion to fight these wars from our communist benefactors in China, or do you think that debt will be used against our national security in the future as perhaps leverage to allow the return of Taiwan to Communist rule? Where does Mr. Steele stand in the midst of these facts and inconsistencies? You are quick to point out another person's political position as if they have a disease. You, Mr. Steele need to see that the issues in front of us are not easy to define, nor resolve. I don't have any quick solutions. There's enough blame to go around Mr. Steele. Until you are personally willing to accept your part of the blame and recognize that your finger pointing to the left does no good, little will change. You have a voice in this community, be responsible with how you use it and try to be a part of the solution, as our current President is. Read the Constitution and be man enough to admit when the guys on your side abused the rules and created many of the problems that we have today.
Tom, Fiscal Conservatism has been proven in the Last Decade, to be More than a Joke, More than an Election-time Tag Line, it's a LIE, Pl;ain & Simple. You might be surprised that the Euro is at $1.40 compared to Our Dollar at Reality, about .53 cents and declining.
And that; "Bible thumping Americans supporting a return to the U. S. Constitution" How's that Jive with Chief Justice Roberts and the 5-4 Conservative Decision to allow the Chinese to OWN our government too.
I think more than just the fumes from your furnace have warped your reality.
Tom, Fiscal Conservatism has been proven in the Last Decade, to be More than a Joke, More than an Election-time Tag Line, it's a LIE, Plain & Simple. You might be surprised that the Euro is at $1.40 compared to Our Dollar at Reality, about .53 cents and declining.
And that; "Bible thumping Americans supporting a return to the U. S. Constitution" How's that Jive with Chief Justice Roberts and the 5-4 Conservative Decision to allow the Chinese to OWN our government too.
I think more than just the fumes from your furnace have warped your reality.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
I'm just sayin'
"Inaccurate" or not, something needs to be done about illegal immigration. We're a border state (hello!) with thousands coming over the border monthly. What do we do about the 20 million illegal immigrants here receiving benefits? Without that problem, our budget would be balanced. Don't attack the messenger, attack those politicians who don't want to solve the problem.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
To "A Real American"; you are NOT. You are clearly a narrow minded progressive. You probably blindly believe the European Union is a better place to live than America and the Bible thumping Americans that support a return to the U. S. Constitution.
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Your studies are outdated
Quoting reports that are four and five years old? What a joke. This is the best research the Courier can do? Or have they deliberately ommitted last year's study which showed illegal immigrant population in this state is DOWN 30% from 2005 and 2006? Heck, it is even down from 2008. This editorial is nothing but a wasteful practice of hyperbole and rhetoric. Did the Courier ACTUALLY pay someone to write this inaccurate, biased so-called editorial?
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Jim
Boeing has their Lobby Shop set up on K Street in D.C. complete with marble floors and brass railings. And, Boeing feceived the "virtual fence" contract, of course.
You want to complain about this fence then start by blaming the lobbyists I guess.
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Grassroots
Put the military on the border. End of story.
Stop the waste and the scamming of the public that we're trying to stop illegal immigration. We're not.
Eisenhower deported 100,000 and one million left on their own because of that. Again, put the military on our border instead of halfway around the world. It'll keep out terrorists too.
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Phony Fence Bush Stimulus Package?
McCain Kyl, all the Partisan Hacks, Promoted it, Pumped it up, Voted for it, then Ran FROM it when they realized that is angered the Fastest Growing Group of Voters, Hispanics.
Has anyone been paying attention?
Every Border Fence WE construct, the Mexicans Cut Holes in, Knock down, Tunnel under, Ladder over, even Ramp over to drive Drug Laden Trucks over. WHY, they're as American as anybody in their GREED Driven, PROFIT Motivated. You see How successful we've been at regulating GREED in America to this point, Why would the Border be any different?
Figure it OUT! THEIR Labor Costs are a small Fraction of OURS and they Actually Make MONEY for ALL their Efforts whether it's Through Human Trafficing, Drug Trafficing, an American Pay-Check or Services, BILLIONS!
WHAT about this Simple Equation eluded Bush and Republicans that Started this Worthless Fence Idea in the first place?
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
A REAL AMERICAN
What a waste of Tax Payer Money. The Repubs say they don't Spend Money. Maybe not, just got us in to TWO WARS costing Billions. Now blowing millions, soon Billions on a Fence that stops no one. Time get off the Fence for sure.
