US Scraps Virtual Fence Along Mexican Border 437
Pickens writes "The Arizona Republic reports that the federal government has officially cancelled its multibillion-dollar plan to build a virtual fence along the border with Mexico as Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano disclosed in a congressional briefing that the program known as SBInet was costing too much and achieving too little. 'SBInet cannot meet its original objective of providing a single, integrated border-security technology solution,' says Napolitano. Boeing was hired in 2006 to develop the system under a three-year federal contract with cost projections for full build-out as high as $8 billion but efforts were plagued by delays, glitches, budget increases and congressional criticism. Napolitano has ordered Customs and Border Protection to launch a more modest and geographically tailored effort using SBInet funds and existing technology such as mobile-surveillance systems, unmanned aircraft, thermal-imaging devices and remote-video surveillance with proven elements of SBInet including stationary radar and infrared-sensor towers. SBInet cost nearly $1 billion for development along 53 miles of Arizona border."
Re:The Virtual Fence was always a dumb idea (Score:4, Funny)
You're right. The e-fence was no fence at all.
- What we need is some kind of wall to keep out non-citizens. I think the Chinese invented the idea 2500 years ago, when they wanted to stop immigrants from the north, so let's go negotiate with them to build it for us.
Re:Why, oh why.. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The Virtual Fence was always a dumb idea (Score:5, Funny)
Chinese invented the idea 2500 years ago
And, coincidentally, the patent is due to expire later this year!
Re:The Virtual Fence was always a dumb idea (Score:5, Funny)
I heard they were granted an extension for another 5 years, again.
Re:Like leaving the front door open (Score:4, Funny)
Nah. They were happy to get the blankets we gave them.
That's one government handout you won't hear the right wingers complain about.