September 13, 2008
Border fence: Now over budget, too!

Everything the Bush administration has touched has been a screwup. Why should the border fence be any different?


The Bush administration needs an extra $400 million to complete its fence along the country's southwestern border, and government investigators say that may not even be enough to finish construction by the end of this year.

To complete the 670-mile fence - already half built - the administration has asked Congress to approve the use of $400 million set aside for other programs, mostly surveillance technology projects along the U.S.-Mexico border, Jayson Ahern, the deputy commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, said on Tuesday.

Higher costs of fuel, steel and labor have led to the $400 million shortfall, Ahern said.

"If we run out of money, unfortunately the construction will have to stop," Ahern said.


You say that as though it were something bad. If this is what it takes to ashcan this travesty, that's fine by me.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 13, 2008 to National news
Comments

This would be an excellent time for McCain to demonstrate his fiscal conservative credentials. Denying DHS $400 million for a wall that the Congressional Research Service said had "no discernible impact" on undocumented immigration would seem like a no-brainer.

Or maybe the governors of border states could just say "Thanks but no thanks."

Posted by: No Border Wall on September 14, 2008 10:22 PM
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