By Nathan Barton
An interesting (if biased) question was asked on a forum recently.
Why do we need Trump to build the wall when a private company already builds one cheaper and faster with crowdfunding while the Democrats and judges can’t do anything to stop the wall?
The question refers to the effort by a crowd-funded group to build a portion of a border wall in the town of Sunland Park, New Mexico, which has been in the news recently.
Here are a few answers.
First off, it is, of course, a matter of sheer cost: I understand that the wall is costing about $8-12MM/half-mile. The crowdfunding has already raised $22MM, but that’s one or two out of two thousand miles. Taxes, of course, are so high, that it is hard for people and business to come up with as much as is needed to be donated. So the government will use stolen (excuse me, tax) money to do it.
Second, not everyone who owns the land right along the border is willing to voluntarily sell (or give) some of their land to build the wall on. So the government will have to use eminent domain to take the land. (It technically isn’t seizing or stealing it, since the government will pay “fair market value.” I say that is garbage “logic.”)
Third, as happened there in Sunland Park (though the City backed off, I understand), local government officials are opposed to the wall and will do everything possible, using As you point out in the question, right now “Democrats and judges can’t do anything to stop the wall.” But that doesn’t mean that they won’t continue to try using zoning and building codes and “police powers,” to keep the wall from being built.
The FedGov is in a “better position” to deal with that opposition. They can ride roughshod over state and local government, so the reasoning goes. (The local governments, of course, don’t always accurately represent the opinions of their constituents, anyway.)
(In a way, it is similar to the situation when the Air Force built all the ICBM (missile) fields back in the 1960s and 1970s. Local ranchers for the most part were willing to sell the land for the missile silos, and at that time local governments were supportive (for good or bad). Today, depending on the political leaning of the local government, they might try to stop the defenses from being built, even with the actual landowner being willing to host the missile in their grazing land.)
Now, today, I don’t think this will happen. There are too many groups, and those in political power in southern New Mexico, New Mexico state, DC, and elsewhere that do not want that wall and are willing to take action to prevent it. Even (or especially) when their actions step on more toes.
Whether or not we agree that a wall on the border is good or not (and I know I don’t see eye to eye with many other lovers of liberty on the subject), we all CAN agree that the tactics being used by most of the proponents AND opponents of the border wall are Just. Plain. Wrong.
Again, think on these things.
Like this:
Like Loading...
About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.
The Price of Liberty 
The price of defense? (More on building a wall)
By Nathan Barton
An interesting (if biased) question was asked on a forum recently.
Why do we need Trump to build the wall when a private company already builds one cheaper and faster with crowdfunding while the Democrats and judges can’t do anything to stop the wall?
The question refers to the effort by a crowd-funded group to build a portion of a border wall in the town of Sunland Park, New Mexico, which has been in the news recently.
Here are a few answers.
First off, it is, of course, a matter of sheer cost: I understand that the wall is costing about $8-12MM/half-mile. The crowdfunding has already raised $22MM, but that’s one or two out of two thousand miles. Taxes, of course, are so high, that it is hard for people and business to come up with as much as is needed to be donated. So the government will use stolen (excuse me, tax) money to do it.
Second, not everyone who owns the land right along the border is willing to voluntarily sell (or give) some of their land to build the wall on. So the government will have to use eminent domain to take the land. (It technically isn’t seizing or stealing it, since the government will pay “fair market value.” I say that is garbage “logic.”)
Third, as happened there in Sunland Park (though the City backed off, I understand), local government officials are opposed to the wall and will do everything possible, using As you point out in the question, right now “Democrats and judges can’t do anything to stop the wall.” But that doesn’t mean that they won’t continue to try using zoning and building codes and “police powers,” to keep the wall from being built.
The FedGov is in a “better position” to deal with that opposition. They can ride roughshod over state and local government, so the reasoning goes. (The local governments, of course, don’t always accurately represent the opinions of their constituents, anyway.)
(In a way, it is similar to the situation when the Air Force built all the ICBM (missile) fields back in the 1960s and 1970s. Local ranchers for the most part were willing to sell the land for the missile silos, and at that time local governments were supportive (for good or bad). Today, depending on the political leaning of the local government, they might try to stop the defenses from being built, even with the actual landowner being willing to host the missile in their grazing land.)
Now, today, I don’t think this will happen. There are too many groups, and those in political power in southern New Mexico, New Mexico state, DC, and elsewhere that do not want that wall and are willing to take action to prevent it. Even (or especially) when their actions step on more toes.
Whether or not we agree that a wall on the border is good or not (and I know I don’t see eye to eye with many other lovers of liberty on the subject), we all CAN agree that the tactics being used by most of the proponents AND opponents of the border wall are Just. Plain. Wrong.
Again, think on these things.
Share this:
Like this:
About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.