And thanks to several fellow FReepers (especially ForGod'sSake, squantos and tet68) for a correction and especially kind comments on the original post. :)
"If we were to station guards at each station so that each worked an 8-hour shift, five days a week – and hired a sufficient number of guards so as to have a guard on duty 24 hour a day, seven days a week -- we would require 21 eight-hour shifts (totaling 168 hours) per week with each guard working a 40 hour week. Therefore we would require 4.2 guards per station."
OK, so nobody working on this job can ever take vacation or get sick, because there is no reserve of manpower. Additionally, there are places on the border where you can't see what's going on fifty feet away, let alone half a mile.
Finally, if more than a very few illegal aliens DO get over, under, or around the wall in one area, the guards can't do anything about them, because there is absolutely no reserve of manpower available.
Also, you make no allowance for supervisory personnel, or for administrative overhead. Typically, you want a low-level supervisor for every 10-15 people, and a similar ratio of higher-up supervisors at each level.
"Assume that each guard is paid an annual salary and benefits totaling $75,000."
Nice assumption--but not true. The federal government costs out a civil servant at an average of $150K, which does not include any mission equipment (such as weapons, vehicles, or radios).
Finally, you have, at great expense, closed 2,000 miles of border.
That only leaves 17,000 miles unguarded.
lots to read, but I'll bump for later, hoping it's interesting
Walls and fences don’t stop people determined to cross. (Israel Allows people to cross at gates therefore they don’t need to climb the fence) The Berlin Wall didn’t stop anyone, it was the guards every 50 yards with machine guns who stopped people who would otherwise have just climbed over. But if a ratio 0f 32 guards per mile weren’t enough at Operation Gate Keeper, your 9 guards per mile certainly won’t be effective.
Since 9/11 the DHS has been developing a “Virtual” fence to aid in securing the border against terrorists and smugglers. They have spent about $5 Billion on high tech surveillance. I posted an article on it yesterday and Tom DeLasys has been mentioning it this week.
The virtual fence includes sensory equipment mounted on blimps that are tethered, satellites, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, manned fixed wing and rotary winged aircraft, towers, and even underground.
If a guard sees a truck crossing the border about a mile away all he can do is radio in the location and direction of the truck.
But consider the possibilities of a virtual fence. A satellite potentially can spot the truck ten miles before it gets to the border, read the license plate, cross reference it to known smugglers, farmers or government agencies, compare the depth of it’s tracks to known tare weights to determine the payload it’s carrying, and redirect an UAV if considered necessary.
The sensors might be able to detect radiation, explosives, drugs or other materials. Any individuals getting out of the truck could be individually tracked.
Border guards in land vehicles or helicopters could then be guided to intercept the truck or passengers if it fell outside certain parameters.
This is the future for securing our borders, not brick and mortar fences, but the anti-illegals will not be happy with it and they will continue to say that President Bush is a traitor for not protecting us from terrorists…….
bookmk ping
Great post, Joanie... I've passed your thoughts to many of my friends... someone suggested that if everyone who was against illegal immigration donated a brick or two, we'd have a wall up in no time and it wouldn't cost the gubmint nuthin'...lol Sounds like a good campaign to me... The "Donate a Brick for a Safe America" campaign....lol