Glitched-Up, Billion-Dollar “Virtual Border” Protection Cancelled — More Taxpayer Money Wasted (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on February 5, 2010
“Gives us some value” but “not worth buying any more of it” appears to be polite doublespeak for “thank goodness we only wasted $672 million on this before pulling the plug.” What will DHS head Janet Napolitano do now? Claim she “saved” billions of taxpayers’ dollars with this expensive “virtual border fence” project’s pending cancellation?
From CBS News: Virtual Border Fence in Doubt amid Delays:
(CBS/AP) An ambitious, $6.7 billion government project to secure nearly the entire Mexican border with a “virtual fence” of cameras, ground sensors and radar is in jeopardy after a string of technical glitches and delays.
Having spent $672 million so far with little to show for it, Washington has ordered a reassessment of the whole idea. The outlook became gloomier this week when President Barack Obama proposed cutting $189 million from the venture.
Ultimately, the project could be scaled back dramatically, with the government installing virtual fences along a few segments of the nation’s 2,000-mile southern boundary but dropping plans for any further expansion, officials said.
“The worst that happens is that we have a system which gives us some value but we conclude that it’s not worth buying any more of it,” said Mark Borkowski, the government’s director of the project at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
From FOX News:
The first permanent segment of virtual fence — a 23-mile (37-kilometer) stretch near Sasabe, Arizona — was supposed to be turned over to the Border Patrol by the main contractor, Boeing Co., for testing in January, but the handover has been delayed by problems involving the video recording equipment.
This video news segment about the virtual fence recently aired on 60 Minutes:
Blogger Doug Powers at The Powers That Be has a tongue-in-cheek alternative proposal for Mexico border protection in the United States:
Call me crazy, but if the government had $6.7 billion to spend on securing the 2,000 mile border, to hell with “cameras” — They could have hired 8,000 guys (one guard per quarter mile), given them all guns and $83,000 a year for the next ten years, and told them to blow away anything that jumped the border. It would be far more effective, and there’s nothing virtual about it.
At least this way we’d get better border security and a nice “jobs stimulus.” What have we gotten for the $672 million spent so far? A few bureaucrats hopelessly entangled in security camera wire and red tape while illegals hurdle over them into the U.S.?
So what’ll it be — virtual government fence, or non-virtual guys-with-guns fence? The choice is clear:
Other related reading:
Gateway Pundit: Chicago Mayor Blames Fort Hood Massacre On America’s Love of Guns and You Betcha!… Sarah Palin Honored By NRA With Assault Rifle and US Can’t Control Border- Mexico Can’t Either… Team Obama Solution: Ban Assault Weapons in US
Stop The ACLU: Anti-Gun Government Tyranny in Canada
Associated Content: Militias Growing Since Obama. Why?
Kristinn Taylor and Andrea Shea King: Obama Funder Jodie Evans on Her New ‘Tali’ Pals: Taliban Bring Peace and Justice, U.S. Created ‘Hell on Earth’ in Afghanistan and Jane Fonda: Obama Funder Jodie Evans Met With Taliban; Code Pink Gives Terrorists Direct Line to Obama
American Thinker: How many at Fort Hood died because of the Army’s gun ban?
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Michigan Militia Has Resurgence: Distrusts Where Nation Is Going, Lack of Adherence to Constitution (video) and Gunpowder and Lead… Bullet Shortage Increases in America, Fear of Democrat Anti-Gun Legislation Stokes Demand (update) and Sheriff Richard Mack: Oath of Office, Gun Control, 10th Amendment – States Have the Power to Tell President ‘Stay Out’ and Gun Control and Other Liberal Hogwash, through ‘60 Minutes’ Eyes
Flopping Aces: Nanny NATO Rules of Engagement hinder Marjah progress
Pajamas Media: Nationwide Ammunition Shortage Hits U.S.
Hot Air: Video: Would-be rapist/murderers receive Second Amendment lesson
The Hill: Holder dials back his commitment to pushing ban on assault weapons
NRA-ILA: “Yes We Can . . . Ban Guns”–Obama Announces Gun Ban Agenda Before The Final Vote Count Is In
Patrick Courrielche, Big Hollywood: Fear, Children, & Video – Ingredients for Obama’s Weapon of Mass Persuasion
Associated Press, Chron, Houston & Texas News: Bullet makers can’t keep up with demand
NewsBusters: Shocker: ‘Public Takes Conservative Turn on Gun Control, Abortion’
Deadline Live: There’s still a major ammo shortage in the U.S.
Random-American: Illegal immigrant charged with trying to kill police officer
Bad Trip’s World: Ammo shortage in US
Just Americans Making Ethical Statements Weblog: Gun Dealers are Reporting AMMO Shortage
Snarky Bytes: On the Ammo Shortage
Oath Keepers: Orders We Will Not Obey and Sheriff Richard Mack Gives His Testimonial
Steady Habits: The Oath to Defend the U.S. Constitution…
SayUncle: Support for gun control waning
Freedom Watch: Sheriff Richard Mack
See-dubya, Michelle Malkin: Obama wanted to ban gun stores within five miles of schools and parks?
The Conservative Post: Montana Leads the Way on Restricting Power of Federal Government
Michelle Malkin: Outpouring of support for Dallas vet whose flags were torched and Not-lifelong-Republican John Lott addresses Obama’s gun rights record and Debunking the “90 percent of guns used in Mexican crimes are American” lie and Taking a stand against the open-borders agenda
Riehl World View: FBI Wants More Gun Data
Moonbat Patrol: Schumer! Guns! Fort Hood! Mondays Moonbat Of The Day
The Raw Story: 100 new militia groups since Obama elected; watchdog alarmed
WTOL11 Toledo News: Toledo police layoffs leading to gun buying
Badger Blogger: A Memorial Day picnic I would like to have attended (First Open-Carry Event Held in Milwaukee County)
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[...] Administration From The Xmas Panty Bomber, “Actionable” or “Perishable”? Frugal Café: Glitched-Up, Billion-Dollar “Virtual Border” Protection Cancelled — More Taxpayer Money Wasted… and Finally, It’s Official: Scott Brown Sworn in As US Senator of Massachusetts (video) and [...]
[...] Administration From The Xmas Panty Bomber, “Actionable” or “Perishable”? Frugal Café: Glitched-Up, Billion-Dollar “Virtual Border” Protection Cancelled — More Taxpayer Money Wasted… and Finally, It’s Official: Scott Brown Sworn in As US Senator of Massachusetts (video) and [...]
Post signs along the border in English and Spanish stating that you are being watched.
Snipers don’t rattle.
Drones can see you, satellites can see you.
Area 51 has been secured for years using this technology.
Given the fact that Area 51 is a confined space, as opposed to an extended border is a moot point at this juncture.
The technology exists to accomplish the task.
The desire does not.
Here again, political stumbling blocks force poor decisions.
[...] taxpayer’s (that’s you and me) money. These people can’t do anything right, and protecting our borders shouldn’t be this hard. Thanks to Frugal Cafe Blog [...]
Great post Vicki! And AFVET, love your comment. The technology exists but the desire doesn’t. That’s good, and exactly true.
*smile*
Thank you, Pup – and thank you for the link and selection of Frugal Café Blog Zone on your blog post as one of “Pup’s Picks” – I appreciate it. How awesome! You’ve made my day.
where to begin…is this part of the ‘dialogue” Obama wants to avoid from Republicans? Is there a “we told you so” he smells is ready on their breath? Cetainly he has a dose coming… Is there some admission that this was BS from the getgo? Not likely on any o fthe aforementioned scores, but we do know that the rhetoric isn’t about to stop, nor the finger pointing to the GOP (and as eagerly back at ‘em) or the ceaseless blaming of Bush. To his credit it only exemplfied his point–they’re deaf from birth (please a November-after pill effective in January).Until then it is pretty clear the words dripping from Bayh’s remorse are too far a cry from reality for liberals to grip. If only the GOP could find some leadership amongst these ashes and DO something fruitful with it other than add to the nonsense afoul in DC.