No Entiendo

So, the much anticipated Immigration Reform Bill died an ignominious death in the Senate this past Thursday. Disappointing, but not surprising, I guess. Too many people had too many fears about what the bill would or wouldn't do. Ultimately, our esteemed Senators decided to do nothing.

I'm a little torn on this one. On the one hand, I generally agree that if you're going to do something, you might as well do it right. On the other, I also think that a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow—if there is such a thing as a 'perfect plan', of which I'm not entirely convinced. Apparently lawmakers think 'no plan' is better than either of these options. And, according to what I've read in the past two days, it now looks like the issue is unlikely even to be seriously discussed until after the 2008 elections.

I guess it wasn't that big a deal after all.

Meanwhile, in the absence of any sort of useful Legislative action on the issue, the government continues to build the fence between the United States and Mexico. Alas, there's a problem:

COLUMBUS, N.M. - The 1.5-mile barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border was designed to keep cars from illegally crossing into the United States. There's just one problem: It was accidentally built on Mexican soil. Now embarrassed border officials say the mistake could cost the federal government more than $3 million to fix.

That's right, the big, metal-pipe fence protrudes anywhere from 1 to 6 feet across the border into Mexico. And the Mexican government understandably wants its land back.

Maybe the Feds should have spent the $3 million on GPS units instead.

So what will probably happen is that the protruding parts of the fence will be extracted and re-sunk, this time on U.S. soil. How long it will take is anyone's guess, but despite the mix-ups, it looks like the wall will go forward. (But not too far forward.)

I know a lot of people don't like the idea of a wall between the U.S. and our neighbors to the south. Personally, I don't really have a problem with it. I think that kind of a wall would be very effective.

In worked in Berlin for all those years.