Vt. farmer draws a line at US bid to bolster border

[The Northerner]

Homeland Security threatens to seize 4.9 acres

FRANKLIN, Vt. — The red brick house sits unassumingly on a sleepy back road where the lush farmlands of northern Vermont roll quietly into Canada. This is the Morses Line border crossing, a point of entry into the United States where more than three cars an hour constitute heavy traffic.

The bucolic setting of silos and sugar maples has become the focus of a bitter dispute that pits one of America’s most revered traditions — the family-owned farm — against the post-9/11 reality of terror attacks on US soil.

The Department of Homeland Security sees Morses Line as a weak link in the nation’s borders, attractive to terrorists trying to smuggle in lethal materials. The government is planning an estimated $8 million renovation here as part of a nationwide effort to secure border crossings.

It intends to acquire 4.9 acres of border land on a dairy farm owned for three generations by the Rainville family. Last month, the Rainvilles learned that if they refuse to sell the land for $39,500, the government intends to seize it by eminent domain.

The Rainvilles call this an unjustified land-grab by federal bullies.

“They are trying to steamroll us,’’ said Brian Rainville, 36, a high school government and civics teacher whose grandfather bought the farm in 1946 and whose parents and two brothers run it now. “We have a buyer holding a gun to our head saying you have to sell or else.’’

The Rainvilles say the land, where they grow a portion of the feed for 150 head of cattle, is worth far more than the offer, and is critical at a time when the low price of milk has dairy farmers struggling to cover the cost of production.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2010/05/17/vt_farmer_draws_a_line_at_us_bid_to_bolster_border/

[liberal N proud]

1. There has to be other alternatives.

It was built in 1934. Its only detention facility is a set of handcuffs attached to a wooden bench. It has no place to inspect vehicles, so customs officers have to do it in the middle of the road. It has a road gate that they have to open and close manually. Its roof leaks.


They could fix the leaking roof.
At 3 cars an hour, I can't imagine there is a huge backup searching vehicles. Put a roof over the crossing.

A power gate can't be that difficult and shouldn't require more space.

Would it be that difficult to transport a detainee if there ever were one to the nearest community jail?

Someone wants some fancy new complex that will cost several million dollars and line the pockets of a contractor.

[FarCenter]

2. "line the pockets of a contractor" -- the usual motive for government activities

A politically connected contractor, no doubt.

[cali]

3. probably not. All three of Vt congress critters support the Rainvilles

[liberal N proud]

6. The article indicates the government has already hired a contractor

But it does not say if it is local.

But chances are they have one contractor that does these projects. What are the chances it was no bid.

[FarCenter]

15. Here is the notice of award to "ReArch Company, LLC", Burlington, VT

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=344848cfa3bb9f16e092bad6347d9845&tab=core&_cview=0

http://www.rearchcompany.com/ beware annoying flash.

"Creating buildings and spaces of distinction and significance"

The owner spent 9 years as the Chairman of the Vermont Community Development Board, and several years as Chariman of the Middlebury Planning Commission.

The owner and president were formerly with the Bread Loaf Corporation.

[liberal N proud]

18. Its always who you know

Federal, state and local.

I find it amazing in our local community, the mayor happens to have owned the land where Wal-Mart was built, the new Police Station, Fire Station, Post Office and a shopping strip.

There are other properties that he is trying to get developed as well that he owns.

Corrupt and in power.

[Statistical]

9. Ding ding ding.

Small low cost common sense solutions aren't flashy.

Won't look as cool at the facility someone in DHS has already envisioned.

I guarantee you somewhere in a DHS building there is a scale model of what the "new" border crossing will look like. A giant shinny complex with large command center, high security gates, guard center, overwatch tower, detention center, etc. All brand new and all very expensive.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Does the Government intend to seize all private property at the Canadian and Mexican borders?

[cali]

5. that would be impossible, but they are fucking things up for people who

live in border towns.

[Obamaknowzz]

20. Do you work for Homeland Security?

[Oregone]

7. So...how many 9/11 hijackers came in from Canada now?

:)

[Tempest]

8. The guy who planned to bomb LAX came in from Canada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Ressam

[Oregone]

10. And the guy who planned to bomb times square?

[Tempest]

11. A crass amateur compared to Ressam

Ressam had the training and the high tech components for his bomb.

[11 Bravo]

12. One of the clumsier attempts to avoid the point that I have witnessed.

[gratuitous]

13. Nice phrasing in the second paragraph

The Rainvilles and their farm are a "tradition," but "terror attacks on US soil" are "reality." Are you with the terrorists or against them? Do you favor "tradition" or "reality"? The story is going to write itself from there.

And why do terrorists have to "smuggle in lethal materials"? There are plenty of lethal materials just laying around this country, thanks in no small part to our national love affair with violence.

[geardaddy]

14. So, folks can't just cross along the 2000 mile unprotected border

west of the Great Lakes?

This is all about lining the pockets of come contractor.

[FarCenter]

16. People have been know to swim the St Clair River at Detroit

[geardaddy]

17. I've been in Canada unknowingly in the BWCA

until one of my friends noticed the border marker in the woods on one island.

It looked kinda like this.

http://thumb11.shutterstock.com.edgesuite.net/display_pic_with_logo/50734/50734,1204506401,1/stock-photo-international-boundary-marker-usa-canada-9974560.jpg

[WolverineDG]

19. and yet there has been relatively little sympathy here

for those along the border in Texas who've been forced to sell their property to the feds to build a wall. I guess if you're the right color, the government shouldn't be able to seize your property, even if you live on the border that the 9/11 terrorists came through.

dg