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Wayne Besen
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To protect out border from illegal nannies, Bush is launching a $115 million (this year) program called Secure Border. At least five so-called system integrators — Lockheed, Raytheon and Northrop, as well as Boeing and Ericsson — are expected to submit bids. However, skeptics think this might just be another big example of corporate welfare. Past efforts at employing high technology to police a 6,000 mile border have proved futile.
Because of poor contract oversight, nearly half of video cameras ordered in the late 1990's did not work or were not installed. The ground sensors installed along the border frequently sounded alarms. But in 92 percent of the cases, they were sending out agents to respond to what turned out to be a passing wild animal, a train or other nuisances, according to a report late last year by the homeland security inspector general.
A more recent test with an unmanned aerial vehicle bought by the department got off to a similarly troubling start. The $6.8 million device, which has been used in the last year to patrol a 300-mile stretch of the Arizona border at night, crashed last month.
With such a dismal record in the past, I have no confidence that Bush will be the one who gets it right.
3 Comments:
the illegal border crossings are enormous. i live in san diego. we see illegals everywhere. no one does anything. it is now part of the culture. the border patrol needs an overhaul of it's managment system. it is also corrupt.
posted by Anonymous, at
5/18/2006 12:26 PM
The conservatives only want small government if it's to help the poor and middle class; if it's big programs to enrich the corporatists, they're all for it. Gary (NJ)
posted by Anonymous, at
5/18/2006 1:37 PM
See my tongue-in-cheek visual depicting George Bush addressing the immigration issue and another national issue at the same time...here:
