Feds question cost-effectiveness of border virtual fence

[Ed Barrow]

Source: Arizona Daily Star

The federal government’s investigative arm issued yet another scathing report about Department of Homeland Security’s virtual fence program Thursday, questioning the cost-effectiveness of an initiative that has plagued by glitches and delays over the past five years.

The Government Accountability Office’s report said Homeland Security has “yet to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of the proposed SBInet solution, and thus whether the considerable time and money being invested represented a prudent use of limited resources.”

Despite allocations of $1.6 billion, the Boeing Co.-led SBInet program’s promised technology is still not available to the Border Patrol, a May report from the Government Accountability Office found. Two grids along 53 miles of border in Southwestern Arizona are up, but not yet working.

The problems prompted Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to order a reassessment of the program in January and freeze future funds in March beyond work on the two Arizona systems. When she announced the freezing of funds, she also reallocated $50 million from stimulus funds to buy commercially available, stand-alone technology. More than half of that - $31.7 million - is scheduled to buy mobile surveillance systems that Border Patrol agents say are very effective.


Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/border/article_a44700b0-7a3f-11df-ad28-001cc4c03286.html

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

1. Virtual fence is bullshit. A REAL FENCE would cost 1/10th that.

In addition to that fence, top it with razor-wire and put accoustic sensors along it.
Hire about 10,000 officers to patrol the borders who will be allerted by the sensors.

[anigbrowl]

2. let's have machine gun towers too

:sarcasm:

[alstephenson]

3. Don't forget the land mines!

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

6. land mines are indiscrimate weapons... they have noplace on US soil.

[alstephenson]

8. Sorry, I didn't think I needed the "sarcasm" smilie thing...

[boppers]

7. Real fences are easily cut, knocked down, and tunneled under.

You can't fix the border issue with a "fence", of any kind.

[awoke_in_2003]

4. punish the people who hire illegal aliens...

problem solved. The laws are there, enforce them. We always go after the wrong target. Of course, it is easier to pick on the little guy then to go after corporations like Tyson Chicken.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Duh! You're shitting me, right? Not effective???