A border wall solution

How to build the wall and kind of have Mexico pay for it and the people that want the border wall can participate.

During World War II the U.S. struggled to pay its buildup as it related to the war effort. Those who were patriots and supported the effort bought war bonds.

So why not have the government sell “Border Bonds” so those Americans who support the barrier can pay for it via an investment in America, and if the barrier is a success those who purchased bonds will be true patriots and make a little money on their bonds.

Now to pay back the bonds, Mexico can kind of do that… for those Americans who love to visit, live, vacation or whatever in Mexico place a tax or surcharge on every visit to Mexico.

If you travel to Mexico via bus, train or air via the U.S. have a 5 percent tax on the total cost of the ticket, call it a “Border Wall Bond tax.” Maybe even have a 2 percent occupancy tax for any Americans who stay in an American-owned hotel chain.

A couple of things will occur:

1. If 80 percent of Americans truly want the wall they will sell bonds at a furious rate.

2. If that 80 percent is a fake number and Americans do not want a wall then bonds will not sell or their goal will not be meet, even though I am sure they will raise a lot of money even if it’s only 30 percent for some wall construction.

3. The tax on travel will either result in less travel or no change at all – I am thinking there will be no difference at all so those who travel to Mexico will ultimately pay for the wall via their visits and I am pretty sure none of them will even care.

4. If travel to Mexico drops significantly then Mexico will probably be more than happy to participate in some type of pay-back plan.

If the pro-wall people are correct then I am thinking wall funding will be fast and the tax will not even matter and Mr. Trump and all of the pro-wall people will rejoice and history will be made and they can politically thumb their noses at the anti-wall establishments and vice versa. If the wall bonds are a success then I think that is a good indicator there is more to learn about immigration from Mexico.

Just one more thought of negotiation by Mr. Trump: any person who is not a legal resident of the U.S. should be granted citizenship immediately if they were in the armed forces, police officer, fireman, or many other contributors U.S. freedom and safety.

Terry Hentges

Spokane