Design the Wall!

[ClydeR]

This is your chance to contribute to one of mankind's greatest architectural achievements.


The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued requests for proposals for prototypes for a wall along the Mexican border, saying ideally it should be 30 feet (9 meters) high and the wall facing the U.S. side should be “aesthetically pleasing in color.”

More... (http://www.rawstory.com/2017/03/us-homeland-security-seeks-proposals-for-imposing-but-aesthetically-pleasing-border-wall-with-mexico/)

Very good. If Mexico wants their side to be pretty, they'll have to pay us extra for that.




According to one document posted online by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Friday night, the wall should be 30 feet high, built using concrete, and “physically imposing.” However, it says designs over 18 feet (5.5 meters) high could be acceptable.

18 feet is too short. The Olympic pole vault record is 20 feet.



“The wall shall prevent/deter for a minimum of 1 hour the creation of a physical breach of the wall (e.g., punching through the wall) larger than 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter or square using sledgehammer, car jack, pickaxe, chisel, battery-operated impact tools, battery-operated cutting tools, oxy/acetylene torch or other similar hand-held tools,” it said.

It also needs to extend below the ground. In Fast & Furious 4, they smuggled drugs in race cars through tunnels below the border.

[Fortybox]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/W9vzIwNfC2U/maxresdefault.jpg

[Back]

The real art will be supplied by crowd sourced graffiti artists.

[Ososis]

The real art will be supplied by crowd sourced graffiti artists.

This whole thing is just a Banksy trap.

[Nathala Crane]

http://www.shrinktank.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Great-Wall-of-Trump.jpg

[time4fun]

http://www.shrinktank.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Great-Wall-of-Trump.jpg

Gotta love Republicans. They held the entire country hostage and got our credit rating downgraded because they didn't want to extend unemployment benefits during the Great Recession.

But $15b wall? No prob.

[Tgo01]

Gotta love Republicans. They held the entire country hostage and got our credit rating downgraded because they didn't want to extend unemployment benefits during the Great Recession.

But $15b wall? No prob.

At the time the unemployment debate was going on the federal government had already pumped about 200 billion dollars into unemployment benefits, extending them would have cost another 50 billion.

But keep on acting like this is in any way comparable to a 15 billion dollar wall, which obviously won't be built in a single year so the cost can be covered over multiple years.

I used to teach logic! AMA!

[Fortybox]

Gotta love Republicans. They held the entire country hostage and got our credit rating downgraded because they didn't want to extend unemployment benefits during the Great Recession.

But $15b wall? No prob.

Shut up.

[Wrathbringer]

Shut up.

Qft

[Androidpk]

At the time the unemployment debate was going on the federal government had already pumped about 200 billion dollars into unemployment benefits, extending them would have cost another 50 billion.

But keep on acting like this is in any way comparable to a 15 billion dollar wall, which obviously won't be built in a single year so the cost can be covered over multiple years.

I used to teach logic! AMA!

There is nothing fiscally conservative about building a $15-25 billion dollar wall. Repubs going full retard on this one.

[Stumplicker]

I heard that government building projects come in exactly as quoted in their initial budgetary allocations. Sometimes they even cost less and that money gets returned to the government so we can build more things!

[time4fun]

At the time the unemployment debate was going on the federal government had already pumped about 200 billion dollars into unemployment benefits, extending them would have cost another 50 billion.

But keep on acting like this is in any way comparable to a 15 billion dollar wall, which obviously won't be built in a single year so the cost can be covered over multiple years.

I used to teach logic! AMA!

You know what's worse for an economy during a recession than government spending to make sure people can still eat and afford their rent?

Not doing that.

Take a macroeconomics class sometime. Go read up on the concept of velocity of money if you want to understand.

[time4fun]

I heard that government building projects come in exactly as quoted in their initial budgetary allocations. Sometimes they even cost less and that money gets returned to the government so we can build more things!

There's nothing wrong with government building projects, in fairness. Roads, schools, Bridges... They employ people and provide public good.

This wall, on the other hand... Yeah.

[Stumplicker]

You know what's worse for an economy during a recession than government spending to make sure people can still eat and afford their rent?

Not doing that.

Take a macroeconomics class sometime.

Er...Not to argue, but even the super lowball estimates of what illegal immigration costs taxpayers every year, the number is at least 20 billion. High estimates put it closer to 100 billion. It's probably somewhere in the middle. If a 15 billion dollar project were to do something that cut into that cost in a not insignificant way, that would in fact be a net gain. I don't necessarily agree that walling off an entire country is the best way to go about solving an immigration issue, but dollar for dollar, if it works...that helps people to eat and afford their rent.

Edit to add - Also I heard Mexico has to pay for the wall anyways, so..profit!!

[time4fun]

Er...Not to argue, but even the super lowball estimates of what illegal immigration costs taxpayers every year, the number is at least 20 billion.High estimates put it closer to 100 billion. It's probably somewhere in the middle. If a 15 billion dollar project were to do something that cut into that cost in a not insignificant way, that would in fact be a net gain. I don't necessarily agree that walling off an entire country is the best way to go about solving an immigration issue, but dollar for dollar, if it works...that helps people to eat and afford their rent.

Yeah that would work conceptually if the wall actually stood a chance of stopping immigration. Despite the Fox news narrative, most illegal immigration is from people who entered with passports.

And the FAIR reports- which is where the crazy 113b number comes from- are heavily criticized on methodology. Realistically the costs are closer to the $20b number, which still doesn't account for what they pay into benefits they can't receive.

[Wrathbringer]

Yeah that would work conceptually if the wall actually stood a chance of stopping immigration. Despite the Fox news narrative, most illegal immigration is from people who entered with passports.

And the FAIR reports- which is where the crazy 113b number comes from- are heavily criticized on methodology. Realistically the costs are closer to the $20b number, which still doesn't account for what they pay into benefits they can't receive.

Shut up.

[time4fun]

Shut up.

Sorry, are my facts getting in the way again?

[Stumplicker]

Yeah that would work conceptually if the wall actually stood a chance of stopping immigration. Despite the Fox news narrative, most illegal immigration is from people who entered with passports.

And the FAIR reports- which is where the crazy 113b number comes from- are heavily criticized on methodology. Realistically the costs are closer to the $20b number, which still doesn't account for what they pay into benefits they can't receive.

To be honest, when both parties are competing heavily over the cost of a hot button issue like this, I'm inclined to believe neither and just make the assumption that the truth lies somewhere in between. That's usually closest to the truth.

But even in the event that the total cost is the lowest estimate 20 billion every year, 15 billion spread over a construction project of three years, if it puts a dent in a 20 billion dollar per year cost, is worthwhile in the long haul. Again, I don't necessarily agree that walling off an entire country is the most efficient or moral way to put a dent in illegal immigration, but a cursory google search shows that the estimate as of 2012 for the percentage of illegal immigrants that come from Mexico is 28% of an estimated 11.4 million total illegal immigrants.

I have friends who immigrated illegally. One of my largest client employs both types. Both illegal Mexican immigrants, and Chinese immigrants who simply overstayed or got their visas in sketchy ways. Hell, one Korean company gave my client a $100,000 infusion of cash for a stake in a failing business and a promise to sponsor the CEO's son's Visa. Nobody at that company has ever seen him. He's just on the payroll, or else I would've listed Korean as one of the immigrant nationalities just there. Personally I would prefer a system in which naturalization became easier than it is now so a lot fewer people gamed or flat out avoided the system.

But what we have right now is a wall project. If that wall project might have a similar effect in comparison to a system of my preference, then it's worth at least considering its effect. Personally, I think it has the potential to have a net positive influence in cutting down on one large source of illegal immigration. Whether or not I'd have voted for it, it's what we have at the moment, and it has potential.

[Lord Orbstar]

I would add motion detecting auto turrets that fired a three round burst of 7.62 at anything larger than a baby tha moves near the Mexican side of the wall to a range of say 50 meters. That's close enough cameras could capture entertaining video. I see game show possibilities. How about that to stop aliens sneaking in !?

[Wrathbringer]

Sorry, are my facts getting in the way again?

Quiet, troll.

[Lord Orbstar]

Who remembers chitty chitty bang bang? The child catcher? Terrifying little man. We need that but focused on dreamers and people who've outstayed their visa. Someone that can smell out illegals and put them in a cage!? How fun would that be and a perfect reality tv series.

[Tgo01]

There is nothing fiscally conservative about building a $15-25 billion dollar wall. Repubs going full retard on this one.

15 billion dollar wall doesn't sound all that expensive for the US. The federal budget is 4 trillion dollars, I think we can swing it.


I heard that government building projects come in exactly as quoted in their initial budgetary allocations. Sometimes they even cost less and that money gets returned to the government so we can build more things!

Exactly. It is win/win.


You know what's worse for an economy during a recession than government spending to make sure people can still eat and afford their rent?

Not doing that.

Where from my post did you get the idea that the government was doing nothing about the unemployment at the time? Did you ignore the part where the government at the time had already spent 200 billion dollar on extended unemployment?


Take a macroeconomics class sometime.

I'm sure you've already taken one class on it which is why you're an expert on it!


Yeah that would work conceptually if the wall actually stood a chance of stopping immigration. Despite the Fox news narrative, most illegal immigration is from people who entered with passports.

Let's take a look at what your coveted Politifact has to say about this.

http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2015/jul/29/marco-rubio/rubio-says-40-percent-illegal-immigrants-are-overs/


Rubio said "40 percent of people in this country, illegally, are overstaying visas."

This widely cited statistic is an estimate based on research that has roots going back to the 1990s. But because federal agencies haven’t provided new data, there’s little for analysts to use to provide an updated figure. Experts (including the demographer who created the initial estimate) told us that while illegal immigration trends have changed over the years, 40 percent can still be considered an acceptable estimate.

We rate Rubio’s statement Mostly True.

Ouch! That's gotta sting! Being corrected by a man and all. Again.

[Lord Orbstar]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8rdgKCTHmwI There u go

[Lord Orbstar]

Quiet, troll.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8rdgKCTHmwI There u go
Nasty foreign children. Threatening to blow up the castle. Just like muslims. They are very treacherous.

[Methais]

Gotta love Republicans. They held the entire country hostage and got our credit rating downgraded because they didn't want to extend unemployment benefits during the Great Recession.

But $15b wall? No prob.

Just out of curiosity, tell us 3 things you actually blame democrats for.

Policywise that is, not some weak non-answer like, "They didn't do enough to stop Russia from hacking the election."

This should be entertaining.

EDIT: In recent times.

[Stumplicker]

Just out of curiosity, tell us 3 things you actually blame democrats for.

Policywise that is, not some weak non-answer like, "They didn't do enough to stop Russia from hacking the election."

This should be entertaining.

Oh! Oh oh oh! Pick me! Pick me! I can do it! Can I do it?! The New Deal! BOOM. DEMONCRATS, amirite?

An estimated $50 billion in the 1930s, and according to www.in2013dollars.com .....

$50,000,000,000 in 1935 → $880,850,364,963.50 in 2017

880 billions!! That's SO MANY billions!

DemoRATs!!!

Also two others..I dunno. Kennedy didn't duck and Al Gore wore a leather jacket that Queen Latifah gave him to make him look cool to hip 90s kids.

[~Rocktar~]

Sorry, are my facts getting in the way again?

Since when did you quote facts? So far in this thread you have only made assertions and stated opinions.

[Androidpk]

15 billion dollar wall doesn't sound all that expensive for the US. The federal budget is 4 trillion dollars, I think we can swing it.

Quoted at $15 billion means in reality it will be 30 billion +

It's a colossal waste of money.

[drauz]

Show me a 10 ft wall and I'll show you a 12 ft ladder. Its a stupid applause line that shouldn't actually be made.

[Androidpk]

Show me a 10 ft wall and I'll show you a 12 ft ladder. Its a stupid applause line that shouldn't actually be made.

Just ban all ladders, problem solved!

[ClydeR]

The newly installed Secretary of the Interior, who is in charge of The Wall, says that we we're going to build it on Mexico's land on their side of the river. Keep that in mind as you design your proposals.


Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Tuesday said America can't give away the Rio Grande to Mexico in the process of building President Trump's signature border wall, implying the structure could wind up standing partially on Mexican land.

"The border is complicated, as far as building a physical wall," he said during a speech to the Public Land Council in Washington, D.C., according to E&E News.

"The Rio Grande, what side of the river are you going to put the wall? We're not going to put it on our side and cede the river to Mexico. And we're probably not going to put it in the middle of the river."

More... (http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/326292-interior-secretary-on-wall-were-not-going-to-cede-rio-grande-to)

[ClydeR]

You can't procrastinate any longer. Today is the deadline to submit your design and bid for The Wall. Remember that it should be 30 feet high -- or at least 18 feet high if it has other qualities to deter people -- and the side that faces the U.S. must be aesthetically pleasing. It was originally due a week ago, but they extended it for another week.



Tuesday is the deadline enacted by the US Customs and Border Protection Agency.

Some 600 plus companies filed initial paperwork to work on the wall, a hallmark of President Trump's campaign.

More... (http://www.wfaa.com/news/construction-firms-rush-to-beat-bid-deadline-for-border-wall/428355719)

[ClydeR]

ON THURSDAY, PRESIDENT Donald Trump stressed the importance of a particular feature of his proposed border wall: transparency. His reason? Without it, a 60-pound bag of heroin might fly over, and hit an unassuming passerby on the head, striking them dead.

More... (https://www.wired.com/story/trump-bags-of-heroin/)

If you're still drawing up a design to submit for the wall, don't forget to include windows.