Posted on 12/06/2006 12:29:09 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
DHS also says the high-tech answer to border control will take 5 years to build
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's plan to build a high-tech ''virtual fence" along the Southwest border will require nearly $8 billion and five years to complete, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.
The report, demanded by Congress, provided the most detailed timeline and cost estimate yet for completion of a Secure Border Initiative designed to bring the border under operational control by the end of 2011.
The Department of Homeland Security concedes that it has effective control of 284 miles of the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. Its goal is to control 345 miles by next year and the entire border in five years.
More than 1 million people are apprehended yearly trying to enter the U.S. illegally through Mexico, and billions of dollars in illicit drugs and other contraband are smuggled into the country even as Congress and the Bush administration have devoted significant new resources to heighten border security.
The crucial part of the border-control initiative is the "virtual fence," known as SBInet, designed to deter illegal immigration and provide effective border control with a mix of ground sensors, lighting, aerial surveillance, fencing and vehicle barriers.
As an early part of the "virtual fence's" development, the government has earmarked $20 million for a project beginning in Texas in January known as the Texas Mobile System. The effort will provide mobile observation towers and ground sensors along sections of the Texas-Mexico border.
The plan adjusts for differing geographical, traffic and other considerations.
In San Diego, for instance, the department is adding to miles of physical fencing built in the 1990s.
The department's spending outline offers no sign, however, that it is moving ahead on a mandate by Congress to build 700 miles of actual fencing along the Mexico border, including nearly 300 miles in Texas.
This year, Bush signed into law a bill that ordered up 700 miles of fencing — nearly double the amount sought by the Department of Homeland Security — but didn't provide funding for the mandate.
"There is no question that traditional fencing is a core element of our strategy at the border, particularly in urban areas," said Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke. "And it certainly is going to be a core part of SBInet as we go forward. But experience has proven that in more desolate areas, military-proven technology is going to be more advantageous for our Border Patrol."
The Department of Homeland Security pegs SBInet's costs at $7.6 billion, but the department's own inspector general estimated last month that costs could swell to $30 billion.
"It does seem the numbers may be low," Sen. Judd Gregg, the New Hampshire Republican who chairs the Senate panel that funds the department's operations, said Tuesday of the $7.6 billion estimate.
Gregg welcomed the department's strategy, however.
"It's being done aggressively because we've put the resources in to do it aggressively," he said.
But Gregg said Congress will watch how the money is spent, noting that two prior border-control efforts were mired in technological difficulties, cost overruns and ultimate failure.
The most recent prior effort, the America's Shield initiative, "turned out to be total junk," Gregg said. "And we were set back by almost five years. We can't go through that exercise again."
michelle.mittelstadt@chron.com
• High-tech solution: Congress and the White House are pushing forward with SBInet, a security plan that would deploy a mix of fencing, sensors, cameras and other surveillance technology to create a virtual barrier along U.S. borders.
• Current costs : SBInet will cost $1.2 billion this year and $7.6 billion through 2011 on the southern border alone, the Department of Homeland Security reported.
ping
Sounds like a great way to expand pork opportunities.
And to be tripped by every Jackrabbit that comes along.
What's the matter with building a real, visible, concrete-and barbed-wire fence?
This just sounds like a Contract giveaway.
While not build a 'real' fence, aka wall, that is cheaper and more effective.
Pay for it by fining the **** out of companies that support illegal immigration.
Nothing like wasting taxpayers money!
No "virtual" fence, build the real thing and keep the varmints out.
Too easy to complete, and, too cheap (not enough payoffs to contractors). Too visible - the public can see and understand if they're being ripped off by shoddy fence construction. All this hi-tech crap is easier to conceal, and make excuses for, when it doesn't work.
They don't need a Virtual Fence. And it certainly shouldn't cost $8M.
We have all the labor we need - millions of illegal invaders.
We have all the material we need - a lot of rock along the southern border.
Put them together and build the wall.
They should take a look at the Great Wall of China and use that as a pattern.
When they finish have them dig a moat on the Mexican side of the wall.
VOILA!! TWO problems solved for the cost of one.
We can use aerial surveillance to make sure nobody is crossing it.
ropes and wire snippers? :p
8 billion for a virtual fence? I guess the illegals have crossed over into virtual reality.
Actually,I think it is the people in our government, elected and appointed, that live in virtual reality.
The Pentagon took 16 months to build at a cost of $83 Million (1943 dollars). Pentagon Facts & Figures
Is there anything our current government can touch without screwing it up completely? < /rhetorical >
Border Fence bump for later..........
But the statistics will be wonderful. They will show that we need an extra Billion for more sensors because our count is only accurate to the second decimal place.
Maybe we can tie these into a virtual hunting game in which you get to zap illegals as they cross the border. Then the virtual ICE agents can arrest them.
Boy do they take us for the fools we often are.
That would be around 943 million in todays money. Not bad.
How about we enforce the law and fine every freaking company that hires illegals.
Who would pay for congressional and presidential campaigns, then?
me and soon to be ex-Mrs. McCartney are with you.
Do you think if for a minute that had Israel constructed a similar 'virtual fence' it would have stopped the very real HOMICIDE BOMBERS from coming into the country to kill innocent people? Well the REAL FENCE was properly constructed and it has stopped thousands of attacks from happening.
Also this article is just looking at the cost of having a fence. What about the real cost to the society in general: The cost of murders, crime, illegal drugs, cost of providing healthcare for their brood as they breed a lot of 'anchor babies', the cost of providing for millions illegals being in the school systems, the cost it also create as they take away jobs from american citizens and literally taking bread away from our children;
That should be the primary concern of the debate for having a REAL FENCE and enforcing our borders.
Virtual ping!
For that money I'd built a minefields belt.
As long as they get started..I'm for it.
"Virtual fence",is that a joke?Since when does a camera and a few listening devices ACTUALLY CATCH AND DETAIN anyone?!These people don't care about that because they know nothing will happen to them.Try landmines!
Is that $8B real dollars or virtual dollars?
I just the ran the numbers on a nifty on-line fence calculator. For 1 mile of commercial grade #7 wire chain-link with barbed & razor wire on top, the best commercially available security type fence produced, and of course no gates the cost is $750,000.00. Doing the fancy math to stretch this sucker over 345 miles would set you back a cool $250M and change. If we really have to spend $8 Billion we could just run this fence 30 times at ten foot intervals over the 345 miles. Surely anyone with the tenacity to climb over thirty 12' razor topped fences would be a welcomed addition to the USA.
virtual fence equals very real pork.
I predict within 15 years some of the contractors will be going to jail for fraud can embezzelment.
Seems a REAL fence will be far less than a virtual fence alone.
You can't de fund bricks and steel.
Make it mandatory that all Congressmen AND THEIR STAFFERS, and the families of all congressmen and their staffers have to live on the border protected only by the virtual fences.
A virtual fence makes as much sense as virtual toilet paper.
I think we should take the fences down in Washington D.C. around the White House. and the Capitol building and install a virtual fence.. good enough for my back yard, it is good enough for Washington inhabitants...
"8 billion for a virtual fence? I guess the illegals have crossed over into virtual reality."
I thought highways cost $1million a mile. 2000 mile border gives $2 billion. How the hell do they get to $8 billion? Someone should ask for competitive bids, I bet you'd be surprised.
A 'virtual fence' does little or nothing to provide REAL SECURITY.
I bet a real fence - concrete, steel and concertina wire, would cost less and be more effective.
Maybe we could build something like an invisible dog fences, LOL, and put RF dog collars on them that they can't remove. (tongue in cheek)
Because a real fence might keep some of the invading barbarians out. A virtual fence can be "built" then ignored.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1390933/posts
REYES’ CHILDREN WORKED FOR BORDER PROJECT CONTRACTORS
Posted on 04/25/2005 6:56:54 PM CDT by SwinneySwitch
All three children of U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, worked in some capacity for defense contractors that were criticized by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration for installing faulty or incomplete equipment for a border security technology system. International Microwave Corp. and L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. — through their political action committees and others — also gave Reyes about $17,000 in campaign contributions during the past five years. Reyes, who was in his El Paso district office Friday, said that while he was a proponent of the border technology system that the General Services Administration audit mentioned, he had nothing to do with International Microwave or L-3 Communications employing or paying for services provided by his children, Rebecca Reyes, Silvestre Reyes Jr. and Monica Reyes. Before working for the defense contractors, Rebecca Reyes worked for her father in his congressional office in Washington and for the city of Washington.
I like the minefield idea my self. Call it an invasion, designate the illegal aliens as enemy aliens, and militarize the border along the lines of the Korean DMZ.
Notice that it points out that congress approved building the actual fencing but didn't provide funding yet, but leave out the fact that Congress didn't allocate funding for any of it, not just the physical fencing.
We need both physical fencing as well as the surveillance systems to back it up.
With surveillance alone it's too easy for illegal border crossers to leave the covered area of get to populated areas where they are difficult to track before the border patrol can respond.
A physical fence with vehicle barriers that is maintained will slow down illegal border crossers at the border so the border patrol can get to them before they disappear.
We need both, the plan calls for both, now we need Congress to fund it.
Good idea! It's funny too. Adds new meaning to being a border-jumper...
You're probably more correct than you k now.
First, we have Cong. Silvester Reyes who will head up congressional border security. His kids worked for the first company that put in the bad scanners, cameras, etc. He also voted against the fence bill.
Second, Pres. Bush appointed David Norquist as head of finance at Homeland security. This, after Norquist headed finances for Defense Dept.and saw to the mishandling and overpends there.
He is the brother of Grover Norquist who never met an illegal alien he didn't love.
http://public.cq.com/public/20060508_homeland.html DHS Nominee for CFO Grilled About Role in Hiding Alleged Overcharges by Halliburton
Department of Homeland Security chief financial officer nominee David Norquist faced more questions at his confirmation hearing about Halliburton subsidiary KBR than about his plans to handle the department’s complex financial management system.
Senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Monday focused on Norquist’s role at the Department of Defense in allowing prime Iraq contractor Halliburton subsidiary KBR to conceal alleged overcharges in an investigation by a United Nations oversight board.
As the deputy undersecretary of defense and comptroller, Norquist was asked by the panel about more than 450 redactions in documents drafted by the Defense Contract Audit Agency. That agency found more than $177 million in overcharges, according to committee ranking member Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn.
DOD provided the documents to the U.N. oversight board, claiming the redactions were necessary to protect proprietary information for KBR.
It is “very troubling that a contractor implicated in an overcharging scandal would be given the final say on what information to provide to the U.N. oversight board,” Lieberman said.
“This episode is relevant to today’s hearing because DHS needs a CFO who puts taxpayers first, who is committed to sound financial management and transparency and who is willing to confront agencies that may be shirking their legal responsibilities.”
A virtual fence has an on/off button. Perfect for when big business decides they need more cheap labor. Not that they'd ever just turn it off. No, sir. But, glitches happen. Or did it fail to reboot after scheduled maintainance? Or a power failure? Or blind spots in coverage that inexplicably allow routes to develop.
*ahem* I mean, a physical wall is un-American, but an invisible wall works better and doesn't mar the landscape. Yeah, that's the ticket.
See post 46 to see who is "in charge"
Let the feds prove their sincerity and confidence in the "virtual fence" by installing it around the White House and Capitol and tearing down all the existing fences.
I wonder which Democrat crony will pocket the $500 million.
"The report, demanded by Congress, provided the most detailed timeline and cost estimate yet for completion of a Secure Border Initiative designed to bring the border under operational control by the end of 2011."
Current US census figures (2004) indicate 1 in 7 working age Mexicans, now live in the USA. That approx. 7 million. By 2011, they'll all be here! BTW; these figure are for the ones who took the census and does not include non-workers or dependents of either group.
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