Why we need Trump’s border wall now

The benefits this wall can create for both countries

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Written By David Grande

Now that “The Donald” has declared “we will build the wall” and authorized via his signature the start of the ground plan for the wall, it’s a good time to see how this can happen.

It’s estimated the wall, which has to cover 2,000 miles, could cost between $80 billion to $200 billion, depending upon whose estimate you accept. (Trump’s is the lower: NPR reported the higher dollar figure.)

Of course, the president is sure the “wall” will be paid for by Mexico, despite the fact that Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has said “no way.”

So, it will be up to the U.S. taxpayer to foot the bill for this wall. Or, as the president says, “at least for now.”

However, have Trump’s advisors looked at how this wall can benefit the American economy? Or can they not get beyond just immigrants out of the country?

Let me advise you and them how to make this wall happen. First, the wall must look as close as possible to the Great Wall of China.  It needs to be 30-feet wide in order to accommodate vehicles atop the wall.

It’s almost like having an Interstate border highway.Plus, if the wall is wide enough, we can put all types of stores underneath all along the length of the wall, from community to community.

Minnesota may have the Mall of America, but the four Southwest states bordering this structure will have the “Mall of the Wall.”

Think about it.  We can have shops, restaurants and even entertainment venues all along the wall. And these folks will be paying rent, which will help pay for the wall.

Even Ivanka can have a shop, selling her clothing and jewelry line. However, she would have to pay twice the rent of anyone else to offset the apparent conflict of interest in selling goods in the wall her father ordered.

We could have “authentic” Mexican restaurants – not America’s version of Mexican, although Taco Bell is welcome to open numerous chains along the wall.

We would have to have border agents in those Mexican restaurants, however, given that the owners would be Mexican. You can’t have Mexicans crossing the center line in the restaurant to come into America. So a shuttle service would have to be arranged to get the food to the American side.  Those border agents would have to be vigilant to make sure no drugs are smuggled into those Mexican taco shells.

Also, every community would be required to have either a high school, college or little league baseball teams create fields with a part of the wall included in the construction. That way every player – from 6 to 22 – would have the opportunity of playing on Fenway Field West.  Of course, if you hit a ball over the wall – much like the movie “Sandlot” – it’s lost.

We should have Trump Hotels along the wall, too. Well, actually in the wall.  It could be the longest hotel in the world.  And it would provide a place for tourists to stay when visiting the wall.  You see, if it looks like the Great Wall of China, we can bill it as the Great Wall of America and list it among many of our great tourist attractions such as the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls.

We also need to have casinos in the wall.  Just look at the money the Casinos in Pittsburgh give to the city each year – it’s in excess of $10 million.  The wall casinos can be much longer, thus generating even more revenue.  All these border states (California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas) already have legalized gambling. So you don’t even need Trump to sign an executive order.

And much like the Mall of America, the “Wall of America” needs to have its own theme park. Disney, King’s Island, Cedar Point, Sea World can all enter bids, although I personally like King’s Island given our current political climate and as a tip of the cap to the man who built the wall: our first American King – Donald Trump the First.

As you can readily see the “Mall of the Wall” has the potential to be an economic boost to the four states on our border.  You would be able to find insurance agencies, health care facilities, drug stores, shopping centers, boutiques, grocery chains, food chains, auto repair shops and even auto dealers occupying spaces in the wall.

To borrow a phrase from a classic movie: “Build it and they will come.”

David Grande is an assistant professor in the School of Communication where he teaches both print and broadcast writing classes.  He was a working journalist for 35 years, 19 of those with Gannett newspapers where he penned a periodic political satire column.