In the continuing effort to achieve better border security, a technological marvel was recently unveiled along a 28 mile stretch of land near Sasabe, Ariz. The test project, affectionately known as Project 28, was the brainchild of the Boeing Corporation. This "virtual fence" was to serve as a platform for future virtual networks to be deployed across various border sections and to augment the physical fencing also being constructed.
  
Some $15 million of the original $20 million had already been paid to Boeing before it was discovered that there were glitches in the test project. Conditional acceptance was granted to Boeing by Homeland Security and another $64 million was awarded in a separate contract to improve the network in December. The final $5 million was recently paid to complete the initial contract.
  
Five days after satisfying payment of the contract, Homeland Security officials testifying before a House oversight panel of the Homeland Security Committee admitted that plans to expand the virtual fence network to the Yuma and El Paso sectors has been delayed for at least three years due to "technological deficiencies."
 
To quote Representative Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey, "After so many years of promises and tests and millions of dollars spent, we are no closer to a technological solution to securing the border. This is unacceptable."
  
The real rub in this whole virtual fiasco is that border agents were never consulted prior to engineering the system. Common sense would seem to dictate that the "boots on the ground" would logically be integrated into every aspect of the project design. What was I thinking? For a moment I forgot this is a government program.
  
During all of this turmoil, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has been praising the virtual network system. To quote Chertoff, "We will expand the virtual fence. We are not mothballing (the project). It did work. There are some things in it we want to improve, and there are some things that probably it turns out we don't really need. But I envision we will use this design in other parts of the border."

After much careful thought and consideration, I believe I have discovered a workable solution to remedy the virtual fence dilemma. Send Secretary Chertoff to the border with a pair of binoculars, a satellite phone and a can of silly string. He can construct his own "virtual fence" and radio for help when the border is penetrated. It gets him out of the office and we save tens of millions of dollars in the process. Can anyone say "virtual bureaucrat?"


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RUSTY WASHUM
Yuma