Virtual border fence proves to be virtually worthless

The Boeing Company is hard at work building a virtual fence along the border between the United States and Mexico. Problem is, it’s about as effective as no fence at all.

Here’s how the Associated Press reports it:

A prototype virtual fence strung across 28 miles of the southern Arizona border has been in use since late 2007.

The Government Accountability Office told Congress last year the prototype fence did not fully meet expectations and its design wouldn’t be used as the basis for future developments. It is still operating, though, and its portable towers will be used in test scenarios elsewhere.

“I am hopeful that the department and its contractors have learned from previous failed attempts and will apply those lessons to the deployment (of the new system). We will be watching closely until SBInet is complete,” Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and a critic of the initial virtual fence efforts, said via e-mail Thursday.

The decision to move forward with construction was met with caution by a border security advocacy group.

“They’ve spent a lot of money and time on one (virtual fence) that didn’t work very well, so there’s reason to be skeptical,” said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. He said the high-tech devices aren’t a substitute for the promised actual fencing.

We’re budgeted to blow an unbelievable $6.7 billion on this border fence fiasco by 2014. To repeat, $6.7 billion.

Naturally, this boondoggle has the full support of the same people who complain that the “Star Wars” missile defense system is too expensive and that its technology is unproven.

Source: Associated Press via BluegrassPundit.com

Tagged as: Boeing, border, border fence, illegal immigration, Mexico, Virtual border fence

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