Posted on 02/09/2008 3:37:44 PM PST by VU4G10
EDINBURG— The federal government and local officials in one border county announced Friday they had reached a compromise that would eliminate the need for the much-maligned border fencing there.
Private land in Hidalgo County border towns such as Granjeno, where dozens of homes could have been lost behind the fence in a no-man's land between Mexico and the United States, would no longer be threatened by a land grab, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.
But the 22 miles of combined levee and border wall under the compromise would be a small portion of the 370 miles of border barriers that Homeland Security is charged with building by the end of the year.
The city of Eagle Pass, about 200 miles west, has been faced with land-seizure orders for fence that will be built through the city of 26,000. No compromise plan is in the works.
Since the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for border security and natural disasters such as flooding, the Hidalgo County solution to modify levees along the Rio Grande with an 18-foot sheer face on the river side satisfied Chertoff.
"When completed at the end of the year, they will serve both functions," Chertoff said at a border patrol station in Edinburg, the Hidalgo County seat. "It's a great example of where we are able to dovetail what we need with what the community needs."
Gov. Rick Perry, who with local officials has opposed the fence, thanked Chertoff for being receptive to local feedback.
Chertoff noted that a "legislative fix" allowing the local and federal funding contributions to the project would be required for the agreement to move forward.
It was the most conciliatory atmosphere between border communities and Homeland Security since the border fence dispute began more than a year ago, and an about-face from last month, when Chertoff said people worried about the impact of increased security on cross-border travel should "grow up."
Chertoff had also filed more than 50 lawsuits against landowners along the U.S.-Mexico border to get access to their land for surveys, including eight more in Cameron and Starr counties Friday.
One of Friday's lawsuits was against the Texas Southmost College District, which oversees the combined University of Texas at Brownsville campus and Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. The college's president, Juliet Garcia, has been one of the fence's most outspoken critics.
Chertoff said that the compromise could be workable for other communities along the border, but they would have to be able to meet the tight timeline that forces Hidalgo County to have its part of the levee-wall work wrapped up by the end of the year.
Hidalgo County, which sits on the U.S.-Mexico border, had already been working to improve its levees when Congress and President Bush approved the border fence to combat illegal immigration and smuggling. The county will contribute about $45 million from a local bond issue, while the federal government will adds about $66 million.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said he would work to get reimbursement for the county since both border security and the levees are federal responsibilities.
Hidalgo County chief executive J.D. Salinas said the levee improvements would also save property owners who faced millions of dollars in insurance premium increases because of poor flood control in the area.
But most significant is that the border wall-levee system will stay along the river's edge. Earlier plans had the fence winding through towns like Granjeno as far as two miles inland from the Rio Grande, cutting off huge swaths of property into a no-man's land between the fence and the river. The fence also would have cut off water access to farmers and ranchers in the area.
"The people of Granjeno should not be concerned," Salinas said.
"Great, great, great," said Granjeno resident Gloria Garza, whose house backs up to the levee. "Our prayers have been answered."
Residents and elected leaders throughout the Rio Grande Valley had bristled at the idea of a border fence, fearing both the loss of private land and the message it would send to their sister communities in Mexico.
But last fall, Salinas and his Cameron County counterpart, Carlos Cascos, suggested the levee compromise, figuring they could fix two problems at the same time.
"I think that's a big victory for all of us here," Cascos said.
Cascos said Hidalgo reached an agreement first because it had already passed a bond issue with money for levee repairs. He was hopeful that a similar compromise could be struck in Cameron County.
"It's just going to make sense to continue that same project in Cameron," he said.
Some remained skeptical.
An anti-border wall group said Thursday that it was concerned the new compromise idea could be pushed through without thorough study and evaluation.
"We question whether the abrupt change in Homeland Security's plans is the result of a newfound concern for those who live in the wall's path, or is simply a matter of political expediency," a statement from No Border Wall said.
CALM DOWN, mah FRiends...
Actually, this doesn't seem too bad. An 18 foot sheer face is a nice fence. I don't think too many people would bitch if we built an 18 foot high concrete wall. Of course, that assumes the water level in the river doesn't rise, so of course that 18 foot sheer rise would have to be above the HIGH WATER MARK!. In which case, most of the time the rise would be much greater than 18 feet. And...if that was the approach, they should just do this down the entire length of the Rio Grande -- a levee on the American side with a sheer face, 18 feet above the high water mark (flood stage.)
That would make one heck of a fence indeed.
That was the idea moron!
But have no fear, we've had a primary decision, any further effort toward security would be wasted, you (and they) are home free.
If its good enough for Israel it should be good enough for the U.S.
I don’t give a damned whether the Mexicans take offense at the construction of the Fence.If they did their job keeping their people at home we Americans would’nt need to build it.
How surprising
This is nothing more than building a lake for some private land owner. Stealing government money is easy, just watch
Thanks for setting me straight - but it doesn't reverse my disapproval of Chertoff....he has been anything but inspiring or effective as Homeland Security Director.
The present levees are 15 feet high. Chertoff has decided to add 36” to their height in an absolutely ridiculous attempt to pretend that this worthless President and his GOP lackeys in Congress have done something about border security. It’s a sure bet that those extra 3 feet won’t even be noticed by the drug smugglers and coyotes, but it will manage to cost the US taxpayers many millions of dollars.
Is it any wonder that conservatives will stay home from the polls in November, after the many times we have been lied to by this bunch of scam artists?
To hell with those so called sister cities. Are these people loyal Americans or are they bound up in some loyalties to the Mexican people and Mexico? These idiots should kiss the ground every day and thank God they live in America instead of Mexico and cut out their bs games
I didn’t read the article. I don’t want to know. I’ve had a pretty good day, about 2 inches of the foot of snow left melted, and don’t want to ruin it. Doesn’t take a lot to make me happy! lol
Funny that FedGov and the state of Texas have no problem with building a highway to through Texas that will be a hundred plus yards wide, but for some reason, when the people demand a little border control they come up with all kinds of ways to make sure it doesn't happen.
What the hell is the deal with this two-mile inland crap for the fence? The only reason they are doing that is to guarantee opposition and make sure it won't happen.
With guns.
That’s another plan I can get behind. My arsenal hasn’t been fully exercised for several months, but I did restock the ammo, and picked up another 24 30-round mags for the AR. One might be inclined to say...
Lock and Load
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