In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a plan for the state to build a wall along its border with Mexico. Trump’s plan to make Mexico pay for his border wall had a very loose relationship with reality from the beginning, and the same can be said about Abbott’s plan.
In making his announcement, Abbott said,
My belief based upon conversations that I’ve already had is that the combination of state land as well as volunteer land will yield hundreds of miles to build a border wall in Texas.
Abbott conveniently evaded the fact that hundreds of land owners along the border have opposed the border wall. He evaded the fact that many have filed lawsuits to fight the government’s attempted seizure of their property through eminent domain. To believe that these property owners will voluntarily cede their land is delusional.
Federal officials have said that it cost $26.5 million per mile for the sections of border wall actually built in Texas. To build 400 miles of wall (which is less than a third of the border with Mexico) would cost more than $10 billion. Abbott has asked the legislature for $250 million as a “down payment” on the wall. In addition to looting taxpayers, Abbott plans to raise the money through crowd funding.
We Build the Wall tried this approach during the Trump regime. They were able to raise $25 million, which wouldn’t even pay for a mile of wall. A similar effort in Arizona in 2011 netted a whopping $270,000, enough to build about 54 feet of wall.
Despite these facts, Abbott clings to the fantasy that Texans will donate hundreds of parcels of land and billions of dollars to his scheme. It ain’t gonna happen.
When Abbott discovers that Texans aren’t eager to part with their land or their money to help build his monument, he will face the choice of abandoning his plan or using eminent domain to seize the land. Since south Texas generally votes for Democrats, the governor won’t be concerned about losing votes from those who have their property seized. However, the border wall plays well with conservatives in other parts of the state, so Abbott can pander to his base.
Given the enormous amount of land and money required, Abbott’s plan is doomed for failure. And the few sections of wall that he manages to build will stand as a sad monument to what is possible when one embraces delusion.