The last contract that the state of Texas signed for its state-funded version of Trump’s border wall was for a cool $137.3 million.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1450687
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=1450687
So far, Texas has managed to build 1.7 miles of wall on state-owned land.
The term clusterfuck of fools comes to mind, this is all hat and no cattle. It’s a bad production of a fake show all put together to fool stupid people.
54 Likes
And now for something completely different
36 Likes
This is especially intended to fool stupid people who don’t live in Texas, in case Abbott has his eye on either a run for the presidency or a spot in someone’s Cabinet.
All that money, paid for something much of which will never be built (never mind what we might think of the wisdom of this thing). This thing, combined with his mobilizing the Texas National Guard and the second checkpoints at border crossings, should set to howling even the most conservative Texans. Lobbying the Texas caucus in Congress on behalf of working toward less-dysfunctional border and immigration policy would be a whole lot cheaper, less politically embarrassing, and much more profitable in the long run.
28 Likes
This is gratifying to see.
Mexico has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work, thanks in part to the current president’s willingness to refer to certain reporters as his political enemies (sounds familiar, no?) and quiet unwillingness to provide protection for reporters wanting to report on the cartels, who are supposed to be the country’s enemies. And in Brazil, misinformation/disinformation didn’t derail the presidential election there, but it did lead to the ransacking of government buildings in Brasilia. So, seeing some affirmation of their work is a Good Thing.
16 Likes
(Apparently, I have Things to Say this morning!)
I’m recalling that national survey from a couple of years ago that showed that the percentage of people concerned about border security increased the farther away they lived from the border. Abbott’s behavior regarding all this is especially galling because, as the governor of a border state, he should know better than FOX News what things are like along the river.
The border is an important issue, no question. But its complexities can’t be Us-vs-Them’ed away–or walled off. Abbott is more attuned to public opinion from far away than he is to the realities of his own state.
34 Likes
I can have a pretty decent block wall built for $100/foot. Tejanos are paying $15,300/foot. It costs like hell to be stupid.
22 Likes
Indeed, my mom (in Kansas) was freaking over the illegals streaming over the border until she talked to a friend who lived in McAllen who informed her nothing was happening and the hype was all political. A few days later my mom was screaming about the illegals streaming across the border.
sigh
43 Likes
I love watching illegals “streaming across the border”. It increases the chances of my SS remaining solvent.
37 Likes
This whole scheme sounds like one major grift and thank goodness I live in New Mexico.
14 Likes
[T]he state is in the process of persuading landowners to grant easements.
“By all means,” said average Texan, “take my land for free to build a pointless ugly ass wall.”
23 Likes
If the builders are being paid and not building how much of the money is being redirected to Abbott?
21 Likes
I have a brother and sister who were born in Texas when we were a military nomad family. They certainly would never live there and never talk about it. Yes, there are a lot of decent people, but overall, the politics of the State are horrible.
14 Likes
Please continue to eat your own until their is nobody left
Steve Bannon Lights Up Elon Musk: ‘Total and Complete Phony’ (mediaite.com)
Steve Bannon shredded Elon Musk on Friday night, calling the Tesla CEO a “complete phony” who is beholden to the communist regime in China.
Appearing on Tim Pool’s podcast, Bannon was asked about Musk tweeting that he’s “open to the idea” of acquiring Silicon Valley Bank, which went under this week in spectacular fashion. It is the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history.
Bannon threw buckets of cold water on any such acquisition:
He’s owned by the Chinese Communist Party. What are you talking about? Tesla, the only thing of real value is Tesla. He uses it for margin loans. He sells the stock. The Shanghai joint venture is a hundred percent controlled by the CCP. This is why he never goes after the CCP. This is why he always backs off. This is when they had the protest, they had the protest about the lockdowns of Covid. He will not do it.
Elon Musk is a total and complete phony. He is in bed and his business partner–he’s done some good stuff… It’s fine. But, he is owned lock, stock, and barrel by the Chinese Communist Party, and he acts like it.
24 Likes
Do we need to say anymore other than “that’s because it isn’t a bonafide construction project!”
“This bears no resemblance whatsoever to a bonafide construction project,” he said.
15 Likes
I was pulled over by a policeman in Texas
He asked if I had any weapons in the vehicle. I told him I didn’t.
He then took out his gun out of its holster and said “here, you should never travel without a gun in Texas” and took off.
20 Likes
There are realities in Texas?
12 Likes
It’s a lot of money. Hope someone’s following it.
7 Likes
Perhaps Greg Abbott imagines himself to be the reincarnation of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, but now, all he has to work with is Texas.
12 Likes
Qin had an army of stoners.
Dad visited the Terra Cotta warriors and asked the Chinese archeologist about another similar find near there. The archeologist said they would begin excavation “soon”. Dad asked “what do you mean by soon”. To which he replied “100 years or so”. “Long Game” indeed.
23 Likes