EAST OF THE LINE: LOCAL ECONOMY GETS SHOT IN THE ARM FROM BORDER OPERATIONS

By Billie Jo Jannen

Victor Leon of Potrero and Rudolfo Reyes of Campo put a raked finish on the drying concrete at the base of the border fence in the far western portion of Campo. They are working on the south side of the fence, which is constructed a short distance north of the border inside the border "buffer zone." Workers on the fence have been harassed by suspected smugglers on the Mexican side and there was at least one incident of rock-throwing toward U.S. workers.

February 16, 2009 (Campo) — Of the 670 miles of infrastructure built along the Southwest border as of January '09, about 10.5 miles of primary fencing was in San Diego County and most of that, about 9.75 miles, was in rural East County. An additional 2.6 miles in Marron Valley, south of Dulzura, is funded and expected to be completed this year.

The fence, itself, stands 18 feet above the ground, according Agent Jerry Conlin of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is sunk into a footing of concrete - six feet deep and two feet wide - and made up of steel tubes filled with concrete, called bollards. The bollards stand upright in steel framework with their feet buried in the concrete.

There's four inches of space between the bollards, so it more resembles a really, really big picket fence than it does a wall. Small animals and water can pass through. Cows and vehicles cannot. It will slow foot traffic and force it into narrower areas where staffing can be concentrated. It's quite a bit stronger than the old landing mat fence, the purpose of which was as much to make a statement as to stop drive-through traffic.

Conlin said no money has been allocated, as of now, for replacement of the remaining landing mat fence.

The project sought to focus on the most obnoxious of the backcountry smuggler's routes: Smith Canyon, Canyon City's Cap Rock area, the south end of Forrest Gate in Campo, both sides of Tecate Port of Entry, and south of Jacumba.

Farther to the west, near San Ysidro, another 1.3 miles (approximately) of primary fencing is planned. Just over three miles of secondary fencing is already underway and also scheduled for completion this year, Conlin added.

An awful lot of us can remember a time when only local smugglers and smuggler's helpers made money from the border. Now, everyone out here is making money from the border -- though much more legally.

The fence project brought us a lot of money because several of the contractors hired local workers (at prevailing wage), and all of the contractors and out-of-area employees bought housing, gas, sundries, restaurant meals, and even building materials, at local businesses.

At left, a concrete driver and Jason Volden of Lakeside (at rear) prepare paperwork for a load of concrete, while Victor Leon of Potrero looks on. In the foreground, are turnbuckles and braces that hold the fence bollards in place while concrete is being pumped into a trench in which the fence is rooted. Much of the concrete used on this project was purchased locally.

Estimates from crew members I know place local hires at 30-plus workers -- hailing from Potrero, Campo, Boulevard, Pine Valley, Jacumba, and even Alpine – for four months. At prevailing wage rates, that works out to about $600,000 going toward local mortgage payments, purchases at local business, savings accounts for local families, and -- well, you get the idea. That probably won't mean much in city dollars, but in small towns, where lifestyles are modest, it's meaningful.

I'm guessing the total benefit at over a million, but it's probably more. That's "economic development" I can get behind. They come, they leave their money, and, unlike mass production housing, they go away without further impact.

I still think they should hire a local crew to paint it in chaparral camouflage. It really isn't all that glamorous as landscape decor goes and we do have our tourist trade to consider.

The fence, however, is really just a bonus. Border Patrol presence has had an even bigger impact. Among the less-noticed benefits is that Border Patrol agents provide backup to local law enforcement and emergency responders, including traffic control in fires and wrecks.

Lyle Green of RMA confers with a concrete truck driver as Bruce Mayfield of Lake Morena, Dwayne Hart of Potrero and Jason Volden of Lakeside direct concrete from the truck into the six foot deep trench in which the fence panels are seated. Luke Linville of Lake Morena, far right, operates a vibrator that settles the concrete in the trench, as Paul Markham of Pine Valley, on the south side, applies a raked finish to the wet concrete.

Everywhere I look, I'm seeing "kids" I knew when they were in grade school sporting the uniform -- and who can now afford to stay in their communities as adults because more jobs are available. Border Patrol agents buy gas, food and sundries all over the map out here and the agency frequently contracts with local people.

That's a lot more money than the hundreds that used to be made by the few who were involved in border smuggling, so I guess we'd better hope they don't cut staffing! In fact, we'd all better raise our voices to the Obama Administration to keep this work underway.

Billie Jo Jannen is a property owner and resident of Campo for 21 years and has written and edited rural news for 22 years. Her children and grandchildren also live in Campo. Reach her via email at jannen@inbox.com.

The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. Readers with a different point of view can post in the comments section or contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.