Gaming the Border: a Report from Cochise County, Arizona

"The video shows that one of the most active smuggling corridors lies just west of the Ladd Ranch, through the Huachuca Mountains. It features excerpts from an interview with an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was part of a group of 11 persons that hiked over the Huachucas in November. After descending into the outskirts of Sierra Vista, the group was met by two vehicles that took them a short distance before dropping them off south of a Border Patrol checkpoint. They then walked around the checkpoint, meeting vehicles farther north that took them to Tucson. The illegal immigrant paid $2,800 to be smuggled from the border to Maryland, where he is now working in two fast food restaurants."

Damn. First thing that went through my mind after reading the above was, hell, I'd take him there for a lot less than that.

Then it struck me.

Ask anyone of retirement age and they'll verify that even if one wants to work at something, ANYTHING - in this economy everyone over the age of 55 is pretty much blackballed from being hired, and for a host of reasons.

But if we could get Americans to retire along the borderlands they'd have an instant income. Undercutting the Mexican's by one helluva fairtheewell. Here's how it'd work: The round trip wouldn't take much more than $300 in gas, and old men in particular still love to drive. A lot. Taking a scenic tour of the great Southwest up on into Maryland, a fella might even go a little further and make a pitstop in Washington where a trip to the Smithsonian would definitely be on the agenda.

Think of all the postcards. Old folks simply LOVE postcards. Well, mail of any sort, really. So say $300 for gas, another $50 for food and $100 for postcards, wear and tear on the car which to be honest doesn't get all that much attention anymore and could use the ride, and a man could do the trip for way less than HALF of what them Mexican smugglers are charging, and keep the DAMN JOBS in America.

Beat 'em at their own game, so to speak. Anyway, click here for the full story and the video, too.

UPDATE

I just went over the math again, and since my Mercury Marquis is getting only 25 miles per gallon on the highway I might need to change the gasoline expenditure to $350 just to be sure. And I didn't add in windshield washer fluid, but old Bestsy doesn't use a drop of oil so that balances everything out. And maybe new maps, too. Lots of new maps. That clearly show where the rest stops are.