DHS claims it will cost over 5 thousand dollars a foot to build wall

so, free room and board, free medical care,free clothing, free transportation,free education, free training in a trade of your choice,free entertainment facilities,etc,etc isn`t fair compensation for 8 hours a day of work?

what the hell does the DHS know about building walls? or the cost of building walls?

a wall is a one time expense, dealing with illegals and the problems they cause is an ongoing never ending expense.

It will be wonderful for the economy and citizens without work.. but be ware not to built your own prison.

Is this for a wall made of gold? So $26,400,000 per mile..... I wonder what the design plan is as far as materials etc. Seems pretty steep to me but I have never priced checked a border wall before.

a reply to: iTruthSeeker
One more time. Let it sink in. The genius that came up with the wall idea (one Donald Trump) says it will cost between $5-$12B. So who the hell are you to question the Genius in Chief? It was his idea. He knows stuff no one else does including you.

I would be surprised if the Mexican side is not already building networks of tunnels.
Remember El Chapo?

Just put up remote controlled sentry towers with .50 cals, telescopic camera sights with FLIR option and charge people by the hour to sign in and man a virtual sentry post.

Not only will it be totally effective, it'll pay for itself the first month.

originally posted by: tribal
if Trump asked for volunteers to come help build it for free i can guarantee thousands would show up. All he would have to do is offer to feed everyone who works, give them a commemorative plaque or take a picture with them and he would have to TURN people away.

Another thing he could do is ask companies who specialize in making the materials needed for the wall available at a special rate in exchange for special status or recognition and again he would probably have to turn businesses away.

There are many ways to skin a cat here and as usual the Lefties have no imagination at all and prefer to create a completely distorted version of reality.

You realize Americans' general unwillingness to do this sort of labor for the price employers want to pay them is why illegal immigrants get jobs, right?

Re: The general topic - let me paint a picture. I spent awhile looking at the boarder on Google Earth.

There's already a man-made barrier along most of the U.S./Mexico border. Mostly it's a barrier to vehicles, but in more urban areas there are fences. Shockingly (unless you know the terrain), the state with the least man-made barrier is Texas.

Here are the start and end points in latitude, longitude; converting them to distance is left up to the reader. A few special things I saw along the way, like a train tunnel going through the border.

California:
west coast ----> 32.555, -116.878 (mountains)
32.557, -116.853 ----> 32.562, -116.800 (valley)
32.572, -116.678 ----> 32.581, -116.570 (mountains)
32.581, -116.565 ----> 32.582, -116.555 (mountains)
train tunnel: 32.584, -116.535
32.584, -116.533 ----> 32.586, -116.510 (mountains)
32.586, -116.509 ----> 32.586, -116.508 (mountains)
32.586, -116.508 ----> 32.586, -116.499 (mountains)
32.587, -116.498 ----> 32.587, -116.498 (mountains)
32.587, -116.497 ----> 32.587. -116.492 (mountains)
32.587, -116.490 ----> 32.593, -116.420 (mountains)
32.593, -116.414 ----> 32.606, -116.261 (mountains)
32.608, -116.244 ----> 32.607, -116.243 (mountains)
32.611, -116.224 ----> 32.615, -116.149 (mountains)
32.615, -116.145 ----> 32.615, -116.143 (mountains)
32.616, -116.140 ----> 32.618, -116.115 (mountains)
32.633, -115.923 ----> 32.648, -115.725 (desert)
rock conveyor: 32.675, -115.369
32.650, -115.696 ----> 32.719, -114.720 (river)
Arizona:
32.704, -114.726 ----> 32.569, -114.791 (canal)
32.567, -114.790 ----> 32.378, -114.428 (mountains)
32.377, -114.427 ----> 32.280, -114.109 (mountains)
32.279, -114.107 ----> 32.279, -114.107 (mountains)
32.279, -114.107 ----> 32.274, -114.088 (mountains)
32.273, -114.084 ----> 32.272, -114.083 (mountains)
32.273, -114.081 ----> 32.271, -114.079 (mountains)
32.269, -114.072 ----> 32.268, -114.069 (mountains)
32.267, -114.067 ----> 32.266, -114.063 (mountains)
32.253, -114.019 ----> 32.251, -114.014 (mountains)
32.245, -113.996 ----> 32.242, -113.984 (mountains)
32.233, -113.955 ----> 32.199, -113.846 (mountains)
32.193, -113.827 ----> 32.186, -113.804 (mountains)
32.181, -113.786 ----> 32.179, -113.784 (mountains)
32.179, -113.781 ----> 32.177, -113.776 (mountains)
32.151, -113.691 ----> 32.143, -113.665 (mountains)
32.143. -113.662 ----> 32.118, -113.586 (mountains)
32.118, -113.585 ----> 32.112, -113.566 (mountains)
32.112, -113.565 ----> 32.053, -113.381 (mountains)
32.053, -113.379 ----> 32.049, -113.368 (mountains)
32.049, -113.368 ----> 32.039, -113.334 (mountains)
32.038, -113.332 ----> 31.824, -112.633 (mountains)
31.089, -112.586 ----> 31.797, -112.545 (mountains)
31.790, -112.524 const 31.783, -112.502 (mountains)
31.774, -112.473 ----> 31.698, -112.225 (mountains)
31.691, -112.207 ----> 31.594, -111.897 (mountains)
31.585, -111.867 ----> 31.512, -111.636 (mountains)
31.495, -111.584 ----> 31.460, -111.469 (mountains)
31.453, -111.450 ----> 31.450, -111.439 (mountains)
31.440, -111.412 ----> 31.437, -111.401 (mountains)
31.423, -111.358 ----> 31.421, -111.351 (mountains)
31.387, -111.246 ----> 31.385, -111.239 (mountains)
31.332, -111.026 ----> 31.333, -110.775 (mountains)
31.333, -110.705 ----> 31.333, -110.288 (mountains)
31.334, -110.253 ----> 31.332, -109.128 (mountains)
New Mexico:
31.332, -108.962 ----> 31.332, -108.785 (mountains)
31.333, -108.716 ----> 31.334, -108.617 (mountains)
31.333, -108.581 ----> 31.334, -108.581 (mountains)
31.333, -108.578 ----> 31.333, -108.479 (mountains)
31.783, -108.199 ----> 31.783, -108.198 (desert)
31.783, -108.181 ----> 31.783, -108.158 (mountains)
31.783, -108.156 ----> 31.783, -107.963 (mountains)
31.783, -107.923 ----> 31.783, -106.557 (mountains)
Texas:
31.780, -106.526 ----> 31.394, -106.022
border crossing fence only: 29.562, -104.392
border crossing fence only: 29.448, -102.823
border crossing fence only: 29.459, -101.029
29.345, -100.944 -----> 29.331, -100.913
28.722, -100.504 -----> 28.699, -100.506
border crossing fence only: 28.698, -100.506
border crossing fence only: 27.701, - 99.741
border crossing fence only: 27.598, - 99.531
border crossing fence only: 27.500, - 99.507
border crossing fence only: 27.501, - 99.502
border crossing fence only: 26.552, - 99.144
border crossing fence only: 26.404, - 99.016
border crossing fence only: 26.366, - 98.800
border crossing fence only: 26.239, - 98.563
border crossing fence only: 26.137, - 98.334
border crossing fence only: 26.139, - 98.312
26.128, - 98.261 -----> 26.090, - 98.249
border crossing fence only: 26.087, - 98.199
border crossing fence only: 26.068, - 98.072
border crossing fence only: 26.051, - 98.034
border crossing fence only: 26.061, - 97.950
border crossing fence only: 26.036, - 97.737
26.039, - 97.671 -----> 26.007, - 97.625
25.968, - 97.599 -----> 25.961, - 97.577
25.895, - 97.522 -n/c-> 25.913, - 97.373

(why it stopped) - you'll notice none of these are in Texas, because there isn't a natural feature reason there
const is in-construction (in the last imagery anyway)
n/c is not continuous

To get an idea of how big this is already - outside of some geographical features, almost the entire border of California and Arizona are covered. There is poor resolution in the bit of New Mexico that jogs back north, plus a bit to the west there to a mountainous area; I can't tell if that spot is fully fenced. If it is, then it shares the above with the other two states.

Texas is a huge outlier; this is mostly because of the massive natural barrier - the Rio Grande. This prevents vehicles from crossing, save at bridges. There is very little fencing along the Texas border to prevent people from crossing if they swim across the river.

I invite you to go look at the border from Google Earth and get an idea of how insane it would be to build a big wall along it. You might see why the cost estimates are kinda up there. Also, you might see that the government would have to use a fair amount of eminent domain to build such a monstrosity. A lot of the land impacted is pretty rural, but here and there are people with houses right at the edge of the border.

DHS is an anti-American organization, does anyone really believe anything they say?

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I think that 95%of the landowners on the boarder would gladly donate the needed acreage to stop the destructive flow border crossers.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: brutus61

You're disregarding many, many things, like the process that the federal government must, by law, go through to hire labor (and there would be a LOT of expertise needed for such a thing), choose vendors for the materials, etc.

On top of that, prisoners are not indentured servants--they don't have an obligation, nor do I think that we have a right as a nation, to make someone do work against their will for what would absolutely end up being less than minimum wage. Not to mention having to worry about workplace accidents, prisoners being so close to the border that they somehow escape into Mexico, and myriad other issues that would be an absolute negative when considering using prisoners for labor.

You also must consider the reality that certain unions would sue the government for not giving them a fair chance at winning the bid for the jobs...and trust me, that would definitely happen.

In my opinion, we need to let the dream of a wall go, and instead, we need to beef up different, more technologically advanced security. We need to allow our border patrol to actually do their jobs to the fullest extent that they can. We need to start allowing the local law enforcement of border towns and states to supplement border security if they're willing, or for those same entities to create sub-federal-level border enforcement of their own.

There are a lot of ways that border security can be enhanced, but I think that a massive wall at the cost of billions of dollars may not be the appropriate option, especially considering our perpetual debt and deficit that we face as a nation.

Who said anything about against their will? I included $100.00 per ft for their labor in my calculations.

a reply to: JimNasium

So you're for slave labor?

originally posted by: brutus61
So the fence will have a toilet, shower/tub and sink every foot? Not to mention pluming and heat.

Yes to toilets and plumbing. You have to staff the wall, and it goes far into the desert. So not only are you building the wall, but you're building the infrastructure to support guards along that wall.

originally posted by: Natas0114
We could also add this option:

Take for instance every illegal immigrant that gets caught in court pulling the old "I'm not legal, send me home" get out of jail trick. We do this-

Charge them transportation costs only payable by labor contract, transport them to an assigned work area, where they work for so many hours/days/months.... Under supervision of course. Then let em go home after they've completed their "costs" worth of work. Add on a fee for supervision, food, water, clothes, etc...

That's called indentured servitude, aka slavery. Just charge them $5/day for food, pay them $6 and give them an initial fine to pay off of $3000. That's 10 years of labor to pay off the fine.

a reply to: Bedlam

Pay for itself???

Hell, it could make a PROFIT...if they went about it right!!

a reply to: DAVID64

That would be amazing!
I'm in Thunder Bay Ontario.
We are looking at new styles to design the new bathroom at the house I'm building. And our current house is in need up a remodel.

It will cost that much because someone in management, who is nothing more than a financial drain, will have to be paid big bucks for doing a nothing, pointless job. Add up the cost for materials and labor and the price will be 1/10th that, if not less, guaranteed

originally posted by: Aazadan
a reply to: JimNasium

So you're for slave labor?

I take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for not making it clear in My initial post but this would be on a Voluntary basis..These are incarcerated folks who, if given a choice, can work off their beefs. If they don't want to work and do their full bits, that is fine too.. I bet if You included a stipend of $10.00/hr. AND knocking off their time, it would still be less expensive than the tax-payer paying for their upkeep..

Then to take it a step further--- If there are not enough prisoners who want to clear their slates, then You open it up to Americans currently receiving Welfare/Food Stamps. Again on a voluntary basis.

Not enough folks who want to earn their way---- Then open it up to "Americans In Waiting" or whatever immigrants are called now...


Anything is better than either Herr Drumpf giving the contract to TrumpConstruction™ or some other $$$ grubbing Gov't. Contractor...

If the Gov't. opines it will cost $5k/foot then it'll actually cost $2,500/ft. but whomever has greased enough palms to get the bid will end up charging the taxpayer $10k/ft-$15k/ft. by the time it gets built which will be....

The 3rd of Neveruary

a reply to: JimNasium

Voluntary is better, but what do you do when a prison "voluntarily" contracts out their prisoners to build the wall? They provide the labor, they collect the checks. That's how prison labor gets used now, and it's all technically still voluntary (of course, they'll throw you in solitary for not working). I think the incentive for prisons to do that is too high.

You might get a few if you offer jobs to people on welfare but it's still a pretty big ask. Most welfare in the US isn't given to support adults, it's given to support their children, and children are practically a requirement to qualify. This means you're going to need day care infrastructure in place, and issues with shared custody might prevent a parent from even traveling to the border to work. It's not that easy to just pick up and move.

Also, you have the issue that you get what you pay for. I understand that most construction isn't a highly skilled position, most of the skill is in the management system that tells people where and how to place things, but you're still going to get what you pay for. The going rate for an American construction worker is about $17/hour. You're not going to get skill equal to that of the typical building by offering $10.

Anyways, all that aside what I expect to see are a few visible highly fortified pieces that are good or nothing more than taking pictures and publishing, followed by a whole lot of chain link fence. Also, the cost of the wall isn't really in building it, it's in building all the infrastructure the wall requires. Successful walls have involved short borders where little infrastructure is needed. This is a large border, it has large support costs.

a reply to: Aazadan



Of course that is IF We discount the wall that ALREADY exists between the 2 neighbors...

news.nationalgeographic.com...

I still think cutting a big trench and widening the Rio Grande w/a de-salination plant at the mouth of the Pacific that uses the soon-to-be "fresh, clear water" as a Hydroelectric plant and by the end or into the Gulf of Mexico, produces electricity and the area residents of BOTH the U.S./Mexico share the electricity and water produced...