Even though Donald Trump’s proposed border wall is geographically ignorant, economically counterproductive, and locally unwelcome, our looming dictator still plans to expand the border wall.
But maybe South Dakota can cash in just a little bit. Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua—GCC— is angling to bid on Trump’s folly:
“We can’t be choosy,” Enrique Escalante, Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) said in an interview. “We’re an important producer in that area and we have to respect our clients on both sides of the border.”
…Based in Chihuahua, a large northern state bordering Texas and New Mexico, GCC is one of the biggest construction materials companies in Mexico. It generates around 70 percent of its sales in the United States, where it also has three plants.
…”For the business we’re in, Trump is a candidate that does favor the industry quite a bit,” Escalante said [Roberto Aguilar and Noe Torres, “Mexican Cement Maker Ready to Help Trump Build Border Wall,” Reuters, 2016.11.23].
GCC bought South Dakota’s state cement plant in Rapid City in 2001. GCC also has plants in Tijeras, New Mexico, and Pueblo, Colorado. Dang—if we had kept that Rapid City plant, we could have cashed in and had extra money to pay for that wall we want to build around the Capitol in Pierre. Then again, maybe we’d have the cash on hand to pay for our Capitol wall if we weren’t giving GCC a $1.6-million tax break for expanding their Rapid City plant.
By the way, in 2012, legal immigrants made up 11.1% of the construction and extraction industry’s workforce; workers here illegally made up another 14.2%. A 2006 report found illegal immigrants made up 21% of cement masons. Naturally, contractors will want to make sure their crews stand on the shady side of the wall while building.
http://blackboxvoting.org/author/bev-harris/
Wonder what % of the total costs is kicked back to crooked dumbass drumpf and squablings?
Someone with a Twitter account needs remind drumpf Syrian refugees are vetted for nearly 2 years while his brats sit in on sensitive meetings with zero security clearance and have yet to be vetted.
25 billion bucks to build it. The way forward for those Carrier jobs is to start mixing Mexican mud to build the thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU8dCYocuyI John Oliver has the numbers
If I wanted to go somewhere and someone put a wall in my way, I’d go around. You know, like in a boat.
If you remember , when Clinton was president there was money put aside just for the purpose of building a wall or fence. The contract for nagociating the right of way is on the table now and they expect to start that process late next year. If everything goes well there will be two South Dakota boys that will have that contract.
There arent many people with the qualifications to do this work so they have a good shot at it.
One of the interesting things about this ROW is that instead of dealing for one rod worth of land, this contract sets a 40 rod ROW.
I dont remember how much money there was in the Clinton bill, and I dont want to do the research, but it might be interesting to know if someone has the time.
The Blindman
What you are saying is true about Clinton and the wall. He also said about protecting and punishing those who are working here legally while punishing those who hire the illegals. That was in 1996, 20 years ago. I would love to see the statistics on those firms fined for the hiring of illegals and while we are at it, why they have avoided it. Let us start right here in South Dakota to demand the companies that are hiring illegals to be brought up on charges that are already on the books. Get after them Marty.
Here is pretty much the while sordid wall building story, Blindman.
Yes it started under Clinton. Yes HRC voted for more walls in 2006.
The wall has pretty much been built already.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/tomdispatch-operation-streamline-immigration-enforcement-donald-trump-wall
Very good mfi, As noted, it is already built. So just another con that will take millions for upkeep that just keeps needing more.
Trump has a reputation building walls when he doesn’t get his way. What a neighbor.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/world/europe/donald-trump-scotland-wall.html
And when anti-immigrant know-nothing populists threaten, one President threatens to unleash 3 million immigrants into a continent.
https://www.ft.com/content/c5197e60-b2fc-11e6-9c37-5787335499a0
Folks, it’s long past the time to take a deep breath and work together.
We need to keep the robots out now, http://fortune.com/2016/05/25/adidas-robot-speedfactories/ Just when we think we have those pesky immigrants under control, we find that we will not have anything to do in our future.
The only wall that needs building is one permanent wall to prevent wingnuts from driving the economy over another fiscal cliff. Obama’s policies made Thelma and Louise turn completely around in mid-disaster and steered a course for calmer waters. Wingnuts have tried, unsuccessfully to pull the drain plug and strand our economy. Now it looks like stoopid voters decided a leaderless America would be a good thing for the wealthiest and the military.
On with the recounts and on with giving the reins of government to a person that actual knows how government runs and not some comic book, apricoy stained, hell beast form another planet.
‘Man, sure hope we never fall prey to some cartoon demagogue who cozies up to Moscow, abhors dissent and brings world to the brink as a goof.” – @ZeddRebel
The fact that there is a vast network of tunnels running under the existing border wall kinda renders this whole idea of a bigger, better wall a moot point, doesn’t it?
I do like the idea of a wall around Pierre though.
So if Trump does not pay a Mexican company, will he have made Mexico pay?
MR TRUMP CLIMB OVER THE WALL AND STAY THERE.
Jerry @ 20:33 we heard all that prophesied in Zager and Evans song 2525 (1969) and song of the year in either 69 or 70.
http://www.metrolyrics.com/in-the-year-2525-lyrics-zager-and-evans.html