Posted on 02/27/2019 8:11:10 AM PST by BeauBo
I remember one Christmas taking a three segment extension ladder, having two guys help me and we set it in the rain on some concrete stairs against the side of our church trying to finish out hanging a five foot multipoint star sculpture with internal lighting that we couldn’t get secured from a third story window.
We slapped that against the wall and I went scampering up it in the rain with that 100 pound jagged sheetmetal star high above me and my bride about had a heart attack.
A 30 foot wall would take a 40 foot ladder to attack it. One that supports one 225 pound max person weighs 85 pounds in aluminum. Carry it about a quarter mile with two people and then set it up and climb it and get back to us is what I say.
Yes, the Army Corps of Engineers established two MATOCs for border wall building - an Eastern one (Texas), and a Western one (CA, AZ and NM). Each has a $5 billion total cap (but that can likely be raised if needed).
After the initial solicitations, they pre-approved a pool of vendors to participate in the contracts and bid on the individual task orders. Since then, most of the contract activity has required a password to see, and the vendors have been pretty tight-lipped about saying anything, until awards are announced for individual segments.
Those contracts, and the processes supporting the effort - such as the waiving of Environmental and other compliance requirements, detailed route planning and segment prioritization, the acquisition of right of way and condemnation under eminent domain where needed, and the design requirements and specifications; have all been tested and refined. The first few task orders have already been successfully delivered and accepted by the Government.
In 2018, they obligated three times as much money for twice as many (more difficult) miles of barrier as compared to year before, and did it quicker from the time they got the money. The program seems to be ready to scale up even more quickly on both the Government and Contractor sides.
With about five times more money seeming possible this year as compared to last, vendors must be scrambling to line up people, equipment and materials lined up for a flurry of bids in the coming months.
We are no longer just dipping our toes into the pool of border wall building - we are jumping into the deep end. If the funding that was identified under the Emergency Declaration comes through ($8 billion this year), there is going to be a stampede of wall building on the border.
Around last Christmas (2018), the President mentioned that he thought he would end up building about 500 miles in his first term - which would leave about 380 miles more to be awarded on contract. $8 billion is in the ball park to accomplish that, given the high cost per mile in the Rio Grande Valley.
Then someone should tell those contractors that, cause they said they’re waiting.
“Carry (a 40 foot ladder) about a quarter mile with two people and then set it up and climb it and get back to us is what I say.”
In San Diego, the 40 foot ladder would first have to get over or through the 18 foot bollards. The gap between the bollards is too small for an infant’s head, by design. Standard commercial ladders of that great length are unlikely to have such a narrow width, especially where sections overlap - so custom made ladders would likely be needed. Crude steel or wooden ladders of that length would be heavier and/or weaker than than off the shelf commercial aluminum ladders. Malfunctions could be fatal.
18 foot bollards (especially in isolated rural locations) will be reasonably vulnerable to deliberate ladder attacks by a well prepared average Joe (Jose), but the 30 footers or the double barriers get really challenging to ladder attempts.
A mess of concertina on the back side of the bollards is difficult to overcome quickly even if you do get to the dizzying top of the bollards with a ladder. The only quick way is throw something over the concertina, like a piece of carpet. At 30 feet in height however, a suitable carpet runner would be to unweildy to carry up the ladder.
Artificial intelligence software that monitor the camera feeds can be trained to recognize ladders particularly easily - they are very distinct objects. With the see though design of the bollards, they can watch for them approaching from the Mexican side, and alert responding officers early.
“someone should tell those contractors that, cause they said they’re waiting.”
The FY 2019 appropriation (law) that was just signed, includes new restrictions on what the Contract had required.
If less miles can now be built (e.g. the areas of the National Butterfly Center, Bentsen State Park and the La Lomita Chapel; which were blocked out in the appropriation), then the contract has to be modified, and costs and schedule adjusted.
That would likely take weeks if everything went well, but they may agree to commence on an undisputed portion, while the rest gets recomputed. That would be a real leap of faith/relationship test, but not unprecedented. Those sections blocked out from the appropriation might still be executable with different funds though, so a legal opinion would probably be needed for the Contracting Officer to proceed with mixing funding sources.
If there really is a work stoppage (and just more fake news), then the contractor’s potential bonuses for early delivery are melting away. The Government side is no doubt aware that the President of the United States will be personally demanding frequent status updates, so they are motivated to get things going as well.
I’d guess that they will get to work within days where they can, until the trickier parts get figured out later - if they are not already at work somewhere else in their awarded segments.
Says someone who never carried, or attempted to erect a 40’ ladder.
Probably be able to squeeze a preemie through there though. ;-)
LOL! I have wrestled a step stool a time or two.
A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
====================================
While a most excellent proverb, what we don't have in this situation is time.
With each passing month, our country is being overrun with over 30,000 foreign nationals that are "apprehended" trying to subvert our sovereignty and who knows how many more escape the border patrol completely. Every month. 30k+ It's really insane.
If ever there was a "national emergency" this is it...in spades.
On a Typical Day in Fiscal Year 2017, CBP...
CONDUCTED:
SEIZED:
IDENTIFIED:
INTERCEPTED:
Someone else asked.. and I am interested in the answer..
Why is the primary wall 18ft (more easily climbable) and the secondary wall of 30ft? (which is further inland)
The logical result will be that the first one (supposedly in the border) could be breached, and the illegal crossers will be arrested between the two walls.
So what is the point of the second wall? Between the walls is already within USA territory and all they have to do is claim asylum. They are already here.. done deal.
Why not make the primary wall 30 ft?
1) Make clear that citizen arrests are allowed for federal crimes.
2) Provide a ‘bounty’ for Visa overstays (lets say $10,000) and allow regular citizens to perform the arrests
That should do it.
Okay...... We gots to the tops. How does we gets down?
Ropes, etc? Can’t jump as I believe it would cause some
injuries, etc.
Robots
Not if there are any NY dems near by.
Did you win? :)
We’ll have fewer snowflakes once teenagers start with the basic landscaping work in the ‘burbs again.
Meanwhile I couldn’t be more thrilled to see (and hear) the illegals with their leaf-blowers go. First the sound that can be heard for blocks, so there’s always one popping off. Especially with a swarm of 4 or 5 of them in 1 yard.
Most of what they do is just blow the leaves off their customer’s property either into the street, onto the sidewalk, or onto the neighbors’ properties anyways.
Good riddance!
First off, if I understand correctly, this is a second wall in the interior, so after they make it in over the shorter first fence they are home free on US soil and ready to apply for asylum, yada yada.
Second, this design not only makes it handy for still passing contraband anywhere across the border, but it also makes it easy to just get a rope with a lasso end tossed over the top. Then you can slip the other end through and have a rope ready for all those incoming landscapers to scamper up and over. No tall ladders required.
And don’t go telling me they are safer than a solid wall, since they set up patrolling officers for being shot from the Mexico side with ease.
Thank you.
Impressive statistics of this national crisis.
Do the average front porch mom and dad Americans have to have their own home invaded, their own daughter gang raped, the wife carjacked while getting gas and shot four times and taking a year to recover in the hospital and rehab——
and THEN will say: Why doesn’t our government do something to stop these illegals (and their sanctuary protection) in our country?
I hope not.
We are in danger and it’s getting worse every week. And the votes allowed by some places to noncitizens is so reprehensible it is staggering. What good are our laws?
That meme of Trump saying “They’re really out to get you—I’m just in the way” is true. One man while here is protecting the meek, passive, uninformed American from disaster.
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