Rudy ain't the only one cleaning up on 9-11 nat'l "security" - laser visa boondoggle

[UTUSN]

Dedication: To TANCREDO, "TEX" SENSENBRENNER, O'LOOFAH, MALKIN, the Minutemen, et al. (Note: SENSENBRENNER hates being called "TEX". Don't have nuthin' to do with "Texas." He's the heir to KOTEX.)



A stack of U.S. visas, above, is sorted recently at the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, Mexico.
Denis Poroy/The Associated Press

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http://www.themonitor.com/news/border_2405___article.html/cards_biometric.html

Bypassed at Border: Inspectors aren’t using technology, claiming laser visas cause backups at international crossings

By Elliot Spagat
The Associated Press/The Monitor
May 15, 2007 - 11:20PM
SAN DIEGO — The face- and fingerprint-matching technology that has been touted over the past decade as a sophisticated new way to stop terrorists and illegal immigrants from entering the country through Mexico has one major drawback: U.S. border inspectors almost never use it.

In fact, the necessary equipment is not even installed in vehicle lanes along the border. ....

Jeffrey Davidow, U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 1998 to 2001, recalls members of Congress visiting the border to see the machines, which were never used when the lawmakers were gone.

“I’d tell them that it was all show, that it doesn’t work, that the card is not doing what it’s supposed to do,” Davidow said. He said his warnings elicited shrugs.

There were also technological setbacks. Equipment to verify photos and fingerprints often failed to read through sweat, scratches and other wallet “crud,” according to an internal Homeland Security report.

A test at five Texas crossings in the spring of 2004 showed that 731 out of 1,740 cards, or 42 percent, were unreadable, according to the report, which was provided to The Associated Press by someone who insisted on anonymity because the government did not authorize its release. ....


http://www.themonitor.com/news/border_2429___article.html/laser_mcallen.html

Costly visa technologies little used here

Area officials wonder: Is it needed or is it money wasted?
Kyle Arnold and Matt Whittaker
May 16, 2007 - 10:58PM

.... When Congress approved the laser visa system in 1996, proponents touted laser visas, which store so-called biometric information, as the next step in securing American borders from unwanted visitors like potential terrorists, drug smugglers and illegal immigrants. However, an AP article Tuesday said U.S. Customs and Border Protection only checks about 2 percent of all laser visa holders using the digital fingerprint and face matching technology. ....

A $28.6 million contract for laser visa technology was awarded to Virginia-based General Dynamics Corp., which has recently received another contract for $28.5 million, according to the AP article. ....

Inspecting laser visas without looking at the biometric information is no better than “looking at somebody’s driver’s license or library card,” she said. “The country invested a lot of money to bring the system up to date. It’s just amazing that they have gone to this expense … and made border crossers pay a lot of money for ... a card that we don’t even know how to use or don’t use,” she said. ....

In 2001, Mexicans who shopped in McAllen, Brownsville, Laredo and El Paso bought about $3.2 billion worth of goods — roughly 19 percent of all retail sales along the Texas border and 1.9 percent of the state’s retail sales, according to Dallas Fed data. ....

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[UTUSN]

1. Farewell kick n/t

[Gabi Hayes]

2. kick for TEX! hahahahha

kotex! too friggin much