“There’s no wall yet, so no - not yet. “
looks like the rest of your “no wall yet” Freeper buddies have deserted you ... they used to make “no wall” posts on these kinds of threads by the dozens ... i guess you’re the only “no waller” remaining ...
“they used to make “no wall” posts on these kinds of threads by the dozens”
There was a long slow start for the Wall Program - but still very rapid by Government construction norms.
The first week of the Trump Administration, the President issued Executive Order 13767, directing a Comprehensive Plan be developed to build the wall, and achieve full operational control of the Southern Border within 180 days.
The Republican House under Speaker Ryan inserted a wedge into the 10 year baseline budget of $1.4-$1.6 Billion (inflating over time), to set aside the approximately $15 billion then estimated. The thinking was that careful analysis, tradeoffs and prioritization would allow most efficient use of the investment.
Some limited but clearly pressing priorities, like San Diego, were authorized to go forward, before the results of the study were complete. The study dragged out due to the complexity, every Leftist obstacle and lawsuit imaginable, and an increase in total estimated cost (notably for compensating landowners).
It was submitted to Congress in March or 2018, kicked back with a mountain of questions and objections by the CBO and Congressional staffers - but the final report was accepted by Congress in December 2018 nonetheless ($25 billion over 5 years, for 1,100 miles of barrier, thousands more full time positions and several technology programs).
Designs had been rigorously evaluated (like the prototype contest), routes were precisely defined, tradeoffs between technology (”virtual Wall”) and physical barrier were analyzed, segments were prioritized - everything was ready to go.
But by then, the Dems had retaken the House in the Midterms, and refused to fund beyond the wedge in the baseline budget (a slow roll strategy to wait out President Trump’s term).
The President and his Administration were prepared for a double cross from the Democrats - they had prepared for two years. The President declared the emergency within hours of the Democrats final decision to not appropriate the needed amounts - before the bill even made it to his desk for signature.
Because the President had the main funding prepared, the Program was able to enter full scale deployment, without missing a beat.
The reality is that several years are normally required for a large construction effort to be planned and get into the budget. Many cook off for ten to twenty years, before ground is broken - and most of them are far smaller and simpler than the wall.
Once a project is funded, construction money is authorized as five-year money (which can be kept on account for up to five year without expiring, to make progress payments). The money received in 2017 for the wall has been completely expended, construction is complete, and the projects have been finally accepted by the Government. Execution is exceptionally quick.
Everything about this program has been dramatically quicker than Government norms for similar programs, but there are still long lead times that had to be satisfied for legal challenges, Government contracting requirements, and land acquisition; after the planning and budgeting were accomplished.
So that is why there was a frustratingly long delay in getting wall built in earnest.
But the reality has fundamentally changed, as it is all now precisely laid out what must be done, where, and how; and there is a tidal wave of billions of dollars to do it.
We started 2019 with 40 miles done, and building about two miles per month. With just the current funding (if not another dime comes for 2020), we are on track to end 2020 with well over 400 miles, and building a mile per day.
I anticipate that the President will get the default wedge funding of about $1.5 billion in the FY2020 DHS budget to build more wall, and will be resourceful in freeing up a few billion more from other sources. That would put us within striking distance of getting most or all of the required barrier and technology completed, or on contract, during President Trump’s first term (although construction would have to continue at least into 2022).
Just what will be completed at the end of 2020, will be transformative - the traditional main corridors buttoned up with Trump-style super barrier system that includes tall bollards which cannot be rammed through, good patrol road, lights cameras, alarms and sensors; which will bring detection rates near 100%, and allow timely interdiction by design.