BORDERLANDS Land granted from King of Spain could see new owner — Uncle Sam

The Brownsville Herald ^ | Kevin Sieff

[Kay Ludlow]

Those in power have absolutely NO INTENTION of building any real fence.

Exactly - that's why they are trying to rabble-rouse by starting off with the PRIVATE PROPERTY instead of on the 80-90% of the border that is government owned. Chertoff thinks going after private landowners will get us to re-think our desire for a fence. He's wrong! They should build on the government land first though, so the private landowners have a chance to change their mind or offer alternatives.

[deport]

One wanders what the criteria is to decide the route of the border fence. I naively thought that it would run along the Rio Grande.

---

I’m not sure what they use as a selection criteria but I suspect some things include ease of construction, terrain type, etc. The feds own some streches along the river where there are National Parks, major dams, control structures, etc. But a lot of the river bank is privately owned land as I understand it with ownership extending to the border line which I think is the middle of the river.

In the cities I’m sure you’ll find other types of problems which probably would have to be address much like a new road or utility easement would be done today, eminent domain.

[deport]

So, Spain “surveyed” this part of the SW ?

---

Spain and/or later Mexico owned this part of the country from which Texas fought Mexico and formed the Republic of Texas. I think it’s interesting that they have land titles, etc. dating that far back in history. A lot of the early land settlements in Texas were established under land grants from Mexico prior to Texas becoming a Republic. Once Texas became a Republic and then joined the United States as a state it retain the public lands and eventually sold some of it to the US from which other states or parts of other states were formed. Texas used the money to pay off debts of the newly formed state.

[livius]

See my post #11. This is a really fascinating part of US history (the Spanish colonial territories and their eventual transfer to the US). Few Americans know much about it, except for folks who live in those areas.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Wife and I checked into a hotel in Oaxaca, Mexico some years ago, on vacation from Huatulco.
The front desk backdrop was a map of Mexico dated 1570 or so, incorporating Texas, NM, California and other states.

[deport]

I had some property at one time that had the title structure all the way back to the original land grants. I though it was interesting.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I’ve always found it pays to be humble while traveling.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

No it should be as close as possible while staying out of the flood plain - hence just inside the woman’s levee.

Then why not simply build a new levee closer to the river and place the fence on top of that?

[muawiyah]

Most of my people got here long before the USA came along, and today almost all of the old family estates are state or national parks, some of them quite large.

Time for this old family to step aside and cough up some parkland.

[marktwain]

Most of my families land was taken by eminent domain for a public park. This land is being taken for national security of the border. It is a clear constitutionally intended use of eminent domain.

[muawiyah]

Good place to “park” the wall.

[AuntB]

“The problem I see is that the area they are surveying for the border fence is anywhere from hundreds to thousands of feet inside the US border. The fence should be as exactly on the border as possible.”

From the reports we are getting it seems like the feds are trying to put the fence far from the border. Probably some Mexican Government appeasement going on here.

[AuntB]

“Most of my people got here long before the USA came along, and today almost all of the old family estates are state or national parks, some of them quite large.

Time for this old family to step aside and cough up some parkland.”

I hear ya. Some of my relatives covered the backsides of the Texans when they fought for independence. They were promised they could have the land they’d been living on for years for their help by Sam Houston and the Texans. When Texas became a state, the Feds refused to honor that agreement and as usual kicked out the Cherokees. And it wasn’t for nearly as good an excuse as this fence is.

I’ve got a bad feeling however, that homeland security is not getting as close to the border as they should in an effort to appease Mexico.

[Forrestfire]

I agree circumvent the property, but only if it is directly on the border,with no gates, after a survey. Then charge them the additional cost.

[Travis McGee]

Tough mierda. Most of their money probably comes from smuggling, and they don’t want a fence to hinder the familia business.

[Tspud1]

That map on the wall wasn’t of Mexico because Mexico wasn’t a country until 1821 or 1824.

[okie01]

The problem I see is that the area they are surveying for the border fence is anywhere from hundreds to thousands of feet inside the US border. The fence should be as exactly on the border as possible.

Which is the middle of the Rio Grande -- from El Paso to the Gulf.

A fence is easy. And, from the Pacific to El Paso, a good idea. From El Paso east, though, we need a better idea.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Whatever it was, it was in Spanish.

[Tspud1]

That I believe. Most people don’t know the history of Mexico and when defending ILLEGALS they make the false claim that most of the western US was part of Mexico for a long time.
The US was a country before Mexico and bought most of the land Mexicans seem to think is theirs.

[Redbob]

"Why not circumvent the property, either to the north or the south, of those who have valid objections to the Fence’s crossing their property?"

That's a fine idea, and it leads to an even better one:

Why not put the fence on the SOUTH side of the river???