"sideways?"
then you won't mind if I stick this political news here... :P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtMT8IkF7go
Live: Border wall construction group holds press conference on progress
Fox News
Streamed live 62 minutes ago
HAPPENING NOW: 'We Build The Wall Inc.,' a nonprofit that raised over $22.9M to build a barrier along the southern border, hit a snag when the local government issued them a Cease-and-Desist order. The group is pushing back against the ordinance, claiming they have all the necessary paperwork for construction. Founder Brian Kolfage called today's conference to unveil their progress so far, as well as answer for any tensions between his non-profit and the state of New Mexico.
do i mind?..not at THIS point
but i think it needs a thread of it's own..pleaseeeeeeee
it's been all over the news
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/05/29/border-wall-gofundme-finally-broke-ground-then-cease-and-desist-order-arrived/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3b8ae847441b
https://www.thedailybeast.com/brian-kolfage-we-build-the-wall-ordered-to-stop-construction
updates
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/05/29/border-wall-gofundme-campaign-cease-desist/1278995001/
City issues cease and desist to group that created GoFundMe to construct private border wall
Aaron Montes, El Paso Times Published 6:39 p.m. ET May 29, 2019 | Updated 4:18 p.m. ET May 30, 2019
video
Mayor Javier Perea said Tuesday that the property owner did not have the necessary permits to erect the fencing. El Paso Times
Sunland Park, N.M. – Construction of a privately-funded border wall must be halted immediately, according to a cease and desist letter issued by the city of Sunland Park.
Mayor Javier Perea said Tuesday that the property owner did not have the necessary permits to erect the fencing, which was funded by "We Build the Wall, a national group that created a GoFundMe account to pay for border barriers.
Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state known for his hard-line immigration views, said he and the "We Build the Wall," group had received approval from two city of Sunland Park inspectors.
But Perea said regardless if two city employees gave approval for construction, the business is still in violation of city law because they had not submitted proper construction plans to the city.
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Perea said the city attempted to contact American Eagle Brick Co., which owns the property, before construction began. But city inspectors were not first allowed on the property, he added.
The next day, the owner of the property later submitted an application to build a wall in the area but it lacked necessary information, Perea said.
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"The staff has been reviewing those particular documents and have determined (the application) is incomplete and that the construction of the wall, at this point, is in violation of city ordinance," Perea said.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/webuildthewall-inc-group-behind-private-border-wall-investigated/ar-AACeT7n?li=BBnb7Kz
WeBuildTheWall Inc., group behind private border wall, investigated
Rafael Carranza 6/2/2019
The private group led by a University of Arizona graduate that has raised more than $23 million online from individual donors to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border is now under investigation, just as construction a half-mile stretch of wall in private land in New Mexico is slate to resume.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said it opened an investigation into WeBuildTheWall Inc. on May 17 after receiving three consumer complaints from the Office of the Florida Attorney General.
The group, which is registered in Florida as a tax-exempt non-profit organization, was founded by Brian Kolfage, a 37-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran who lived in Tucson for about 10 years and graduated from the University of Arizona.
"As this matter is now an active investigation, the Department cannot comment further. No additional information is available at this time," a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said in a written statement.
But the complaints focus on the group's tax exempt status and plans to raise additional funds for border wall construction.
Kolfage moved to Florida with his family after living in southern Arizona for a decade. In December, he launched a GoFundMe account to raise money online to build a border wall, raising about $20 million.
His initial plan was to transfer the funds to the federal government. But after they told him the money would go into a general fund, he founded WeBuildTheWall, Inc., to transfer the GoFundMe amount and raise additional money.
The group announced over Memorial Day weekend that it had begun construction to fill a half-mile gap with bollard fencing on private land in Sunland Park, N.M, west of El Paso, at a cost of about $6 million.
Construction on the barrier halted on Tuesday after the city said the
group did not have the necessary permits to build it. But on Thursday, Kolfage said that Sunland Park had re-issued the permits and they were able to restart construction.
On Thursday, Kolfage held a press conference, along with former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, to mark the resumption of construction of the half-mile stretch of fencing.
They did not talk about the investigation launched in Florida. But Kolfage said that after construction wrapped up in New Mexico, the group would begin work elsewhere along the border.
However, he said he would not disclose the location of future projects to avoid threats and intimidation toward the group and local landowners.
"We've been networking on the border, going through state to state, property owner to property owner, figuring out who we could have an impact with and who had issues," Kolfage said. "In the current pipeline right now, we have 10 properties where we can use that. Ten that are ready to go."
In February, Kolfage held a town hall in Green Valley, south of Tucson. He was joined by Kobach and former Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon to talk about WeBuidTheWall and their plans to build additional fencing using private funds.
Have any news tips or story ideas about the U.S.-Mexico border? Reach the reporter at rafael.carranza@arizonarepublic.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RafaelCarranza.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-a-private-border-wall-sparked-anger-and-death-threats-in-a-small-new-mexico-town/ar-AACAFq7?li=BBnb7Kz
How a private border wall sparked anger and death threats in a small New Mexico town
Aaron Montes 14 hrs ago
(https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AAC1V9I.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f&x=1262&y=1328)
1/4 SLIDES © Briana Sanchez / El Paso Times
Workers work on a wall being built by Monument One, an official marker at the spot where New Mexico, Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua converge, by Border Highway West, near Executive Center Boulevard Monday, May 27, by "We Build the Wall" organization on land owned by American Eagle Brick Company.
EL PASO, Texas – Javier Perea, mayor of Sunland Park, New Mexico, and his administration, had a relatively peaceful Memorial Day weekend.
When they got back to work, they were flooded with messages and calls from across the United States alleging the city's involvement in cartels and pushing them to approve the construction of a border fence.
A group called We Build the Wall had quickly erected part of a 20-foot tall fence along a mountainside at the edge of the city limits. The fence thrust the quiet southern New Mexico town of 14,407 into the national spotlight when the builders began touting it as the first privately built barrier between the U.S. and Mexico.
After the city halted construction of the fence to evaluate its laws, We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage began tweeting that the city was corrupt and alleging that the project was being stopped, prompting thousands to flood the city's phone lines.
A caller the next day alleged the city was involved in organized crime and threatened to kill Perea and his family, according to Police Chief Javier Guerra. The call came from a line that could not be traced, Guerra said.
Perea had police patrol near his home to ensure his safety, according to Guerra.
The threats and name-calling are "a cheap blow to the city of Sunland Park," Perea said. "But I am not going to stoop to that level. I am not going there."
We Build the Wall, was started by Kolfage, an Air Force veteran, and is being led by a group that includes Kris Kobach, a former Kansas secretary of state, and former White House strategist Steve Bannon.
They argue a wall will help deter migrants from crossing the southwest border.
American Eagle, which owns the property where the fence is located, operates against Mount Cristo Rey, a religious site for Catholic faithful, and sits on a boundary between three states and two countries. Monument One, a federal marker, demonstrates the boundaries near the business' property.
The quick construction of the wall evaded a weekslong process in which plans for fences and walls are vetted by the city's planning commission. Depending on the size of the project, the commission is able to hear opinions can hear comments from the public and developers before they make a recommendation to the City Council to vote on.
Kobach, general counsel for We Build the Wall, claims the nonprofit first arrived in Sunland Park on April 6 and it took 57 days for the project to come into fruition. Contractors constructed the bollard-type fence over the Memorial Day weekend and announced it the day of the holiday.
The project was briefed to President Donald Trump, Kobach claimed.
"He has told me several times, that he 100% endorses what We Build the Wall is doing," Kobach said during a news conference in front of the newly built fence.
Carmen Marquez, who has lived in Sunland Park for decades, said the private border fence casts a bad light on the city. She said she is worried about how her city is being perceived and calls the way We Build the Wall treated Sunland Park "filthy."
"They (We Build the Wall) don't care," she said.
But those who have spoken in favor of the wall feel just the opposite. When construction of the wall resumed, several members of Angel Families spoke at a news conference. Mary Ann Mendoza, an advisory board member of We Build the Wall, spoke about the loss of her son, Brandon Mendoza, who was killed in 2014 by a drunk driver who was in the U.S. illegally.
"My son's life was snuffed out in 2014 by a drunk repeat illegal alien criminal who was allowed to stay in our country," Mendoza said. "We are all in support for legal immigration. Illegal immigration is what we don't accept. It is a criminal act in itself and we need to stop the flow. This (the wall) is a beautiful thing and has affected every Angel Family."
Robert Ardovino, co-owner of Ardovino's Desert Crossing restaurant, said it's frustrating that national politics are playing out in the city.
"Somehow, with a quick influx of money, things can get built and questions can get asked after the fact," he said. "Environmentally, ecologically, it's sad to see another permanent scar placed on Mount Cristo Rey. It's a natural, beautiful mountain and unfortunately what's happening on that side of it is more and more destruction."
A federal fence built during the George W. Bush administration is in his restaurant's backyard. Migrants and border patrol alike find themselves walking near his property – sometimes agents on horseback patrol through his parking lot.
He said the area is a peaceful place. There is no sense of danger and there aren't individuals walking around with guns, he added.
"In the 25 years that I've been here, the only armed people that have been around me are these so-called militia," he said.
Armed members of the United Constitutional Patriots set up a border camp to monitor migrant crossings in April, less than a mile away from Ardovino's. They detained a group of more than 300 migrants who crossed the border through a gap in the fence.
The group later was told to leave its site because they were trespassing on railroad and city property.
Follow Aaron Montes on Twitter: @aaronmontes91
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: How a private border wall sparked anger and death threats in a small New Mexico town
WHY is it okay for every other country to build walls and secure tie borders, but stupid Democrats think it's okay to let hoards of criminals and diseased migrants just swarm in to our home unchecked?
Quote from: zorgon on June 10, 2019, 12:12:34 AM
WHY is it okay for every other country to build walls and secure tie borders, but stupid Democrats think it's okay to let hoards of criminals and diseased migrants just swarm in to our home unchecked?
Just curious, how many other countries have walls on their borders?
ahhh Z you must be home ..i hope you are much better able to continue with no or little pain
Quotethink it's okay to let hoards of criminals and diseased migrants just swarm in to our home unchecked?
if that were a true statement and not just hyped fake news then absolutely everyone would agree with you
Quote from: ArMaP on June 10, 2019, 01:28:04 AM
Just curious, how many other countries have walls on their borders?
Dammit, ArMaP, other countries are sending us their garbage and disease, Ebola being the most recent.
I'm tired of being the global tit.
Quote from: Irene on June 11, 2019, 04:03:57 AM
Dammit, ArMaP, other countries are sending us their garbage and disease, Ebola being the most recent.
That doesn't answer my question. :)
Quote from: ArMaP on June 11, 2019, 09:41:07 PM
That doesn't answer my question. :)
What I've said is all you need to know.
Quote from: Irene on June 11, 2019, 09:42:59 PM
What I've said is all you need to know.
No, I want to know how many/which countries built/are building walls on their borders, not the reasons they may present for doing it.
Quote from: ArMaP on June 11, 2019, 10:06:10 PM
No, I want to know how many/which countries built/are building walls on their borders, not the reasons they may present for doing it.
So, look it up. You have the internet.
The US has spent trillions improving and feeding the rest of the GD ungrateful planet. Now we're going to take care of our own.
BUILD. THE. F'ING. WALL.
Quote from: Irene on June 11, 2019, 10:10:07 PM
So, look it up. You have the internet.
I can do it, but I'm lazy and I always prefer that the people that make the statements back them up with facts. :)
just another update
photos at linkQuotehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/government-agency-forces-open-private-border-wall-gate/ar-AACJjcA?li=BBnb7Kz
Government agency forces open private border wall gate
By Catherine E. Shoichet and Nick Valencia, CNN 2 days ago
A federal agency has forced open a gate in the privately funded wall near the US-Mexico border, saying the group that built it didn't follow proper permitting procedures.
The US section of the International Boundary and Water Commission says the gate was blocking a government-owned levee road, and that the group known as We Build the Wall constructed the gate on federal land without authority.
"It's not the border wall that we have a problem with," spokeswoman Lori Kuczmanski said. "The problem is the gate is on federal property. You just can't come in and build a gate on somebody's property without asking -- especially not giving them the keys and walking away from it. It's not right."
Representatives of the commission locked the gate open Monday afternoon, she said.
"After repeated requests to unlock and open the private gate, the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC), accompanied by two uniformed law enforcement officers from the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, removed the private lock, opened the gate, and locked the gate open pending further discussions with We Build the Wall," the commission's US section said in a statement.
We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage slammed the commission in a series of social media posts Tuesday, accusing the federal agency of overreaching its authority and calling for its presidentially appointed commissioner to resign. In a statement to CNN, Kolfage said his group's attorneys are working on the matter -- comparing the situation to a permitting dispute with city officials in Sunland Park, New Mexico that was resolved after city officials issued a "cease and desist" notice temporarily blocking construction.
"Just like we saw with the City of Sunland Park, we will prevail," Kolfage said. "Our lawyers have been working on this for weeks and we will regain control over the gate shortly."
The dispute pits We Build the Wall, an organization that raised more than $20 million for border wall construction in a GoFundMe campaign, against the US section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, a federal agency charged with applying boundary and water treaties between the US and Mexico.
The commission -- which has US and Mexican counterparts -- operates flood control levees, wastewater treatment plants and boundary monuments at numerous locations along the US-Mexico border, including the American Dam located near We Build the Wall's barrier. Its US section is headquartered in El Paso, Texas.
"The USIBWC is concerned about the safety and security of our employees and the infrastructure at the American Dam, which is next to the privately-constructed gate," the commission's US section said in a statement posted on its website. "Despite USIBWC requests to locate the gate further from American Dam, the private gate was constructed in a way that may channel undocumented immigrants into the American Dam area. When the proper documentation is received for the permit, USIBWC will continue to process the permit application."
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico had called for the commission to intervene last week, criticizing the fence for blocking access to Monument One, a historical marker at the US-Mexico border.
Kolfage told CNN a private property owner also owns part of the road leading to the monument and has the right to limit access.
"Access to the monument can ultimately be restricted indefinitely by the private property landowner if he deems it's necessary since he owns the road further up the way," he said.
But Kuczmanski, the commission spokeswoman, said concerns about access to the monument were also being considered as part of the permit application.
Permits can take up to six months to process, she said.
"They're lacking paperwork and information that we need to make a final determination," she said, including a hydrology study and a drainage report.
It's not typical for a project to move forward without a permit, she said.
"Usually everybody is very cooperative and they well in advance tell us their intent, and they give us all their plans, and all their specifications, and all their documents," she said. "And we say 'yea' or 'nay,' and we proceed from there."