I listened to president Obama's speech down on the American-Mexican border in El Paso, TX., yesterday. I was pleased that he actually took the time to address the issue at a time when politicians are focused on deficits and spending as opposed to job creating and economic boost. But I suppose when you're seeking reelection, a little pandering doesn't hurt; especially when it's related to a campaign promise long broken. He did make a good case for reform beyond the usual rhetoric; he made it clear that immigration reform is of economic imperative. Of course this is a point I've discussed before on this site.
I'm of the belief that if more people realized the economic benefit of comprehensive immigration reform, then at least we can see our way forward making positive changes. Unfortunately for the cause, the racist anti-immigration movement spends a lot of money suppressing this notion with nothing but ignorant lies as they push for enforcement of immigration laws, and the tired talk of securing the border. If they had it there way, all undocumented immigrants would be rounded and deported.
And of course it doesn't matter than doing so isn't cost effective; and, providing a path to legalization is. The anti-immigrant movement positions itself as pro-America, when in truth they're pro-racist. This is why I was happy Obama mentioned the economic benefit. Enforcement is one thing, but the economic contributions to this country should not be ignored.
Speaking of enforcement, and the 70% increase in deportations since president Obama has taken office. Check out the following story which illustrates the "problem" with the ICE's Secure Communities program, and just why said detentions and subsequent deportations via effective policing, is working depending on who you ask or who is doing the pandering to secure reelection:
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), its Secure Communities program "improves public safety every day by transforming the way criminal aliens are identified and removed from the United States."
It's certainly transforming the way at least one alien was identified as criminals. Isaura Garcia is now embroiled in deportation proceedings after landing on the Secure Communities radar.
Her "crime"? Reporting to cops the domestic violence she was suffering.
This has to be the strangest justification ever for the need for border security along the southern border. In my opinion, it amounts to nothing but more of the same old politics of fear. A tactic that Republicans have advanced with much success under the previous administration:
I don't know, and I could be wrong, but ain't no way a Somali is going to pass him/herself off as no damn Mexican. Yeah, sure there are dark skinned Latinos; I'm not stupid, and I know that. Hell, I came up in Brooklyn, New York. But, er, um, some cat trying to sneak into the country sounding like Manute Bol trying to pass himself off as a Lucha Libre wrestler? Yeah, that one just ain't happening.
You just don't slap a Sombrero on a black dudes head and he automatically becomes a bull fighter. Now of course this throws that whole racial profiling thing in a quandary; and yes, I could understand how frustrating and embarrassing it could be for border patrol personnel, should they allow some Somaili-Mexican terrorist to sneak into the country. But trust me, this is bullshit, and it's not gonna happen. But just for the sake of argument, how do you "train" someone to look Mexican? Wait a minute, forget that question. I mean if Brad Pitt can get away with playing The Mexican, then anything is possible.
So I've been focusing a lot on the immigration debate as it involves our neighbors to the south lately. Forgotten in the discussion are our friendly, less criminal neighbors to the north. I know it's hard to believe, but there's actually another border other than the southern border. I'm aware that a significant number of visitors to this site are actual residents of Canada. They don't comment, but I guess taking a peek to see e'ry now and then, to see how fucked up life is here in the America, is enough to deter any thoughts of sneaking into our country in seek of a better life.
That's with the exception of the parents of Brendan Fraser who who could possibly be considered terrorists for the assault their son has had on American popular culture. But other than the Fraser family, it's safe to say that Canadians are all law abiding, unlike our Latin American neighbors to the south. I mean think about it. We never hear about a Canadian drug war, do we? OK, so the fact that all the dope gets consumed before gets to Canada might be a contributing factor, but you get what I'm saying. I'll posit that Canadians do not sneak into America, because unlike Latin Americans, they respect the laws that govern the United States.
Of course there are exceptions to the rule, as was the case of Maher Arar, a suspected terrorist, and Canadian citizen with Al Qaeda connections. Sure he was arrested here in the U.S., beaten, tortured, and eventually deported to Syria; but hey, you can't take any chances with those ethnic middle eastern looking guys; what more "reasonable suspicion" does law enforcement need, right? I mean, why else would the Obama administration through the Justice Department, urge the Supreme Court to not hear his case, right?
So here's John McCain, or whatever he calls himself these days, making an attempt to be the un-maverick "tough guy", and capitalize on the current immigration debate. Sure he voted YES on building a border fence in 2006. But I realize that he is in a political fight for the survival of his career, so yes, ushering in the sound-bite, "Just build the danged fence," bodes well for him as yet another battle cry. I mean, he is fighting for his political life, right?
In the sales and marketing field expertise, it is often said that a bargain is what is perceived. So while McCain appeals to the sense of larceny of mainly his supporters in Arizona and elsewhere. Let's take a look at the cost of building the Great Wall of Mexico, shall we? Yes, let us examine the cost of construction and maintaining a supposed fence across the 2,000 mile southern border.
According to the independent, non-partisan citizen watchdog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense. In a recent report, it is estimated that the cost of building and maintaining the fence will cost an astronomical "$300 million to $1.7 billion per mile, depending on materials." [Fact Sheet: Border Fence Cost Out of Bounds]
Congress mandated the constuction of hundreds of miles of fencing along our Southern border in 2006 without any real knowledge of its true costs. Taxpayers have paid $2.4 billion for fence construction to date, and annual funding has jumped from $6 million in 2002 to $843 million in 2008. Yet all signs indicate the fence is bound to cost us much more.
The only estimate of the fence’s cost in 2006 was a 1999 Army Corps of Engineers study which said the most common type of pedestrian fencing would cost around $431,000 per mile. The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol reports the fence already costs ten times that amount. In some locations, costs can run as high as $12 million per mile.
Construction contracts, however, indicate actual costs are even higher. These contracts show average costs at $4.5 million per mile for primary fencing and $1.6 million for vehicle barriers.
But the biggest future cost to taxpayes may be the high price of fence maintenance. U.S. Army Corps estimates for maintaining the 370 miles of “primary” fence range from $5 and $8 million per mile each year. The Congressional Budget Office estimated annual maintenance costs at 15 percent of construction costs. That means maintenance costs will surpass construction costs within seven years. These estimates—probably low, as they do not address the increasing problem of fence vandalism—indicate taxpayers are looking at least $8 billion to maintain the fence over its 25-year life cycle.
Yep, and keep in mind, those figures don't factor in:
Fluctuating fuel, labor and materials prices, exacerbated by the use of private contractors.
The high costs of purchasing land from private owners and fighting lawsuits challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s waiver of nearly 40 environmental and regulatory laws. Though CBP added $0.8 million per mile for land acquisition costs in their most recent estimates, this figure is likely low considering the more than 100 cases challenging the DHS awards currently before the courts.
Environmental mitigation. The $50 million Congress added to DHS’ 2009 budget for “regulatory and environmental requirements” is a drop in the bucket. Taxpayers often end up with the bill for long-term environmental impacts when the government is exempted by legal waivers.
So yeah, while the solution to the problem of "illegal immigration" may be the holes in the border. Why then don't we just go ahead like John McCain suggests and build the danged fence? Certainly the people who rallied against the Health Care Reform Bill, or the $787 billion for the Stimulus, wouldn't mind the very runaway spending spending they rally and complain about.
That is, only if it involves keeping "illegals" out of the country. Who needs to worry about a budget deficit then, when you're willing to spend more in enforcement than could be gained from true comprehensive immigration reform. Like I mentioned before, they think this way mostly because they believe that "illegal immigrants" are taking away jobs from citizens who are willing to commit crimes. That plus they're willing to work for $1.48 per hour...
Listen, I'm not particularly good at math, but even I can see that this is not a bargain. But then again, we could just make the fence a priority like the two wars we're involved in and borrow some more money from China to make it happen. But here's an even better idea. Why don't we save the expense and build a fence around the entire state of Arizona, so as to keep everybody else out. Ethnic studies ban aside, if that were the case, them being their own country, we couldn't say much. Sounds good to me; after all, do we really want to be all Arizonans now, as Sarah Palin alluded to this past weekend?
“He who warned uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed.” -- Sarah Palin on Paul Revere
