Failure on the Border

In Saturday's editorial, The New York Times said that Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, should eliminate the costly and inefficient "virtual fence", called (SBInet ) that the federal government has been trying to erect on the border with Mexico.

The program SBInet (Secure Border Initiative Network), consisting of towers with radar and cameras to curb illegal immigration alog the 2000 miles border, "is a costly failure" and now is time to "disconnect the virtual fence," said the New York daily.

The project, initially estimated at 7, 600 billion ($7.600.000.000) was supported in 2006 by George Bush and continued by his successor, Barack Obama, but has been plagued by software defects.

Today over $1 billion ($1.000.000.000) already has been spent, and have covered only 50 miles of border. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) adds critical reports, which question the failure to meet deadlines and established.

Napolitano, who this year halted new works of SBInet, and diverted 50 million of its funds to other programs, should delete "once and for all" the the contract with Boeing signature,  when ends next month, said.

The GAO also criticized Boeing for providing evaluation data "incomplete and anomalous", leaving Homeland Security unable to hold the company to standards for controlling costs and meeting deadlines., said The New York Times.

Said the virtual fence was a misconceived idea based on the false premise that immigration control is achieved by closing the border, with more sensors and fences " As long as the demand for cheap labor, the need for better jobs and legal impediments to enter the country, people will continue to seek ways of crossing the border, the newspaper said. Urged a comprehensive immigration reform that allows for greater border security.

According to my calculations:

 $ 7.6 billion/2000 miles = $ 3.800.000/milla

$ 1 billon/50 miles = $ 20.000.000/milla

That is, the real cost is 20 / 3.8 = 5.26 times the estimated cost

Thus the real cost would total $ 40 billons on 2000 miles

In ¢ / m = ($ 20,000,000) * (507.09) /1609 = ¢6,300,000 / m

My opinion is that the American lifestyle is based on consumerism.  Imagine building a luxurious home in the midst of slum, you know what would happen.