Posted on 10/27/2007 10:20:54 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
Texas Landowners Have Refused To Allow Federal Government To Build 370 Mile Steel Fence
(AP) EL PASO, Texas -- Cold, hard cash is apparently not enough to quell the anger among landowners over a planned fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Opponents of the fence refused federal workers access to their land last month in South Texas. About the same time, the government offered to pay some property owners $3,000 in exchange for permission to conduct surveys for the project.
After many of them balked at the money on principle, the government abandoned the plan.
"I think it's blood money, bribery," said Brownsville Mayor Patricio M. Ahumada Jr.
The proposal to build 370 miles of steel fence is widely opposed in the Rio Grande Valley, the most heavily populated part of the Texas-Mexico border and a region with an economy and culture dependent on cross-border traffic.
The payments were being offered in a region where the median family income is about $30,000. But instead of welcoming the windfall, many residents were outraged when federal officials described the payment plan.
Ahumada, whose border city has already denied fence-planners access to city property, said the payments were insulting and disingenuous.
"The federal government is doing all it can to get access," Ahumada said. "They are thinning the herd (of opposition), so to speak, one by one. These tactics are not unusual when they want to get something done like this."
Johnny Hart, owner of the Riverside Club in Mission, said he sees the money as "nothing more than a bribe." But he wouldn't turn it down.
"Give me $3,000 and you can survey all you want, but it doesn't mean I am not going to fight you" on building the fence, Hart said.
Congress has authorized $1.2 billion to build 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. The project includes about 330 miles of so-called virtual fence - a network of cameras, high-tech sensors, radar and other technology. The remaining sections, primarily in urban areas are expected to have an actual fence. About 70 miles of actual fence is planned in South Texas.
Noel Benavides, a city councilman and business owner in Roma, said the payments would cloud the issue.
"If this was really something that was going to be beneficial to the whole community and the whole nation, I would be the first person to say, 'My friend, you can go in there and do what you need to do,"' Benavides said. "It's going to be a waste of time. It's not going to stop illegal immigrants."
Benavides, a lifelong resident of Roma, said residents and local governments may eventually lose their battle against the fence, but they plan to keep fighting. State officials, including Republican Gov. Rick Perry, also oppose plans to build the fence.
On Tuesday, Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Laredo who is opposed to the fence, said Homeland Security authorities told him the payment plan was off. He did not elaborate.
It was not clear what prompted the change of heart. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Brad Benson did not return several phone calls from The Associated Press.
Ahumada said the issue was also a matter of historical and patriotic pride.
"You are talking about land that Texans and Americans shed blood for to keep," he said. "And now they are trying to move the border further north than established by treaty."
Before jumping to big govt. taking from citizens (eminent domain) or making negative comments about a whole group of people (surname reference) maybe a little analysis of why there is opposition should take place. Aren’t those on the border the most vulnerable and shouldn't they be the first to support a fence?
Gov. Perry certainly thinks the state of Texas has the right of eminent domain to take the land from farmers for the Trans Texas corridor, so surely the US should have that same right along its southern border. Let’s have some consistency here.
Next, these guys will want to give back the Alamo. :-(
Have the landowners never heard of eminent domain? That is the next step, and a legitimate use of the government’s power. A step towards national defense, if you will.
That is opposed to the local (New Jersey) situation in which communities are trying to take well located properties to enable larger tax ratables to be built.
EMMINENT DOMAIN
No doubt you could see trails as there is no pavement. May people line up by the river holding cups, begging.
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begging is it? so your point is that mexico’s elites are both greedier and smarter than america’s elites. I don’t think you really understand what’s happening.
I am not saying that some people dont swim across. They do. But you have to admit that you dont see the pictures of them swimming like you see them walking across in Arizona, hundreds at a time. Arizona is where the fence is needed.
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what you see are trash piles. some of the junk is not bad looking. Mexico doesn’t have poverty like say the indonesia or sections of india.
the rio grande is the border but it is no barrier.
arizona needs a fense too.
I've often heard from Texans "Don't Mess with Texas." But is McAllen to Brownsville really "Texas" any more? Is it more Mexico than Texas? What if it was made a Mexican State instead of a US State? Would Texans miss it?
Go ahead, take Chertoffs plan for a fence. I don’t care.
I have lived 9 miles from the border for the past 20 years. Maybe, I don’t understand as you have flown over the border and you are a know it all. NOT.
Our city bus route goes to the border. Illegals have border crossing cards and most don’t have to swim. This is the reason for the over stay of visas.
Mexico claims approximately 400 deaths in the desert each year with about 60 deaths from drowning. The numbers aren’t even close.
Chertoff would love for you to back him. You can’t smell a set up by Chertoff? The border mayors are trying for money not to build a fence but they claim other programs to keep the illegals out. They want money.
Where do you live? Maybe we can change that to little Mexico also.
It is true that the population is 95% hispanic. More people are over here since Bush. Your government has invested over a billion in this economy to make it go. Welfare and food stamps is rampant here. Nafta almost did this area in when Mexico hoarded water in 1992. Bush did nothing.
We still speak English.LOL!
Brownsville is part of Cameron County which went red for the first time in who knows when. I agree that most don’t wade the river. If the rest of the border gets fenced then they might though. I believe we need a fence but we don’t have to have one to claim our territory. It doesn’t have to be at the waters edge.
When did that ever matter?
Or just make the southernmost four counties (Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy and Starr) their own 51st US State?
And maybe El Paso a 52nd. Then the rest of Texas can be Texas.
I was in the Del Rio area recently. The Rio Grande is so narrow there I could throw a rock across it. And anyone crossing has ideal cover in the thick growth of cane on the US side. If any place needs a fence, that does. Their big problem is going to be the homeowners whose houses line the banks. I don't know how they're going to accommodate them.
Cameron County only went for Bush. The Catholic bishop was running half page ads. He is against abortion. That is the reason they went for Bush. The other democrats that were running in Cameron County were reeleted with large majorities.
I believe the majority of illegals walk across. They don’t swim. Arizona needs the fence more than we do since we will only have 700 miles. Put it where it will do the most good.
LOL! It won't be long.
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