[I'll be marking the completion dates on my calendar.]
That's gonna be a might empty calendar. Please understand, there will be no fence built. None.
It's hard to build a fence, any fence, with no money. The funds needed to build a fence from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico were /NEVER/ even discussed, never mind funded. The fence that was "passed" was 700 miles in length for a border that's 1,950 miles long. The very cheapest estimate to build this 700 mile fence was $8 billion. However, only $1.2 billion was appropriated.
Then, the Congress told the President, "By the way, if you don't want to spend this $1.2B on the fence, you don't have to. The only thing you must do is report to Congress a month /after/ the November 2006 election on the feasability of the fence."
Congress can pass any bill they want. However, if they don't appropriate the funds, then they can't pay for it. So, nothing happens. The bill dies.
When this came up over the weekend I used this analogy: Imagine your 18 year old son comes up to you and says, "I want your permission to buy a Ferrari." You go ahead and give your permission. Does that mean a Ferrari is magically going to appear in your garage any time soon? Of course not. Someone has to pay for that Ferrari. Since you're not gonna pay for it and your son works part time at Blockbuster, he's not gonna pay for it, either.
Passing a bill to build a fence or giving your son permission to buy a Ferrari means nothing if there's no money to pay for it.
Congress scammed us, don't you understand? This was a feel good effort to pacify us FReepers and the vast majority of Americans who want the border locked down.
Ah,you don't speak for me.
I'm not even going to attempt to do the math, but "8 thousand million" might well cover the salaries of a whole long line of armed border guards to cover that 700 miles.
Hell, they might even be squeezed in elbow to elbow.....8 Bil is a whole lotta bucks!
Thank you for taking the time to post that and I'd like to apologize for not having included a < /sarc > tag after my remark. Believe me, I know a con job when I see one.
Now, in the words of way too many politicians in D.C., I leave you with this rallying cry...
"Viva Mexico."