U.S. Border Fence Protrudes Into Mexico
June 29th, 2007 . by TexasFredCOLUMBUS, N.M. (AP) - The 1.5-mile barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border was designed to keep cars from illegally crossing into the United States. There’s just one problem: It was accidentally built on Mexican soil. Now embarrassed border officials say the mistake could cost the federal government more than $3 million to fix.
The barrier was part of more than 15 miles of border fence built in 2000, stretching from the town of Columbus to an onion farm and cattle ranch.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman said the vertical metal tubes were sunk into the ground and filled with cement along what officials firmly believed was the border. But a routine aerial survey in March revealed that the barrier protrudes into Mexico by 1 to 6 feet.
James Johnson, whose onion farm is in the disputed area, said he thinks his forefathers may have started the confusion in the 19th century by placing a barbed-wire fence south of the border. No one discovered their error, and crews erecting the barrier may have used that fence as a guideline.
Full Story Here:
U.S. Border Fence Protrudes Into Mexico
Out of curiosity, I have got to ask, just how stupid were the people that erected this fence??
I may be wrong in my thinking on this but it seems to me that if you’re going to build a 15 mile long fence that is supposed to be the definitive line that indicates an INTERNATIONAL border, wouldn’t you use a survey crew to determine the precise location OF that barrier??
And maybe I’m asking for too much original thought here but wouldn’t you also build in an easement?? Just in case?? I mean, a few feet of land isn’t going to hurt the USA one way or another, build the damned thing inside our border, build it with a no mans land if you like, lay a mine field and set booby traps for all I care, but why in the hell didn’t they use a survey crew instead of making the assumption that the OLD fence was good and proper demarcation??
An old rule that applies to building ANYTHING: measure twice and cut once…
That my friends is going to be the $3,000,000.00 lesson for tonight…
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How freakin stupid can we be???? I mean damn, WHO is running this country, Jerry Lewis?
World opinion is on the right track these days…
Maybe they out-sourced construction to Mexico or illegals. Remember, Bush was going to our-source our ports to Muslims.
Unbelievable.
As much as it galls me to take up for Bush, Ranando, you didn’t read ALL the story, the fence was built in the year 2000…
George W. Bush was inaugurated on January 20, 2001…
This little faux pas occurred during the presidency of Bill Clinton…
OH, nevermind!
Just like in the steel mill I worked in never time to do it right, but always time to do it over. It’s the way things work in this country or maybe its the whole world cause I see a lot of ‘do-overs’ everyday on the Net.
Bubba’s fault.. *pointing finger* (Bahahaha!)
Just out of curiosity.. 15 miles of fence? How long is the border? Is it 15 miles long? Dang but that’s just plain stupid.. even I could walk AROUND that one.
Seems only fair that Mexico maintain it for free. After all…