Bridging Border Ditch?

I was interested in reading The Times poll of its readers on the subject of a proposed anti-car ditch along a 4-mile stretch of the border with Mexico. While the various Mexican activist groups oppose this barrier to illegal drug and other smugglers, your poll shows general support for the plan by individuals, including Latinos.

It was also interesting that our officials at hearings on the subject want to postpone action on the ditch for fear of offending the government officials of Mexico. Congressman Jim Bates and the San Diego City Council in particular have asked our government to not construct this barrier right away, but to confer with Mexican officials. We all know that there is wholesale entry of illegals of all countries through the California border with Mexico, as well as wholesale smuggling of drugs and who knows what else. Yet our own officials are reluctant to close this off.

I have thought of a solution. We could build the ditch immediately, which would keep out carloads of drugs that are now entering the U.S. in this area at the rate of 360 per month, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. However, to please Congressman Bates, Councilman Bob Filner, Councilman Ron Roberts and others, we could build footbridges over the ditch. This would not shut off illegal immigration, which appears to the congressman to be undesirable, but would limit drug smugglers to what they could carry on their backs, instead of what they can load into a car or truck.

Further, Congressman Bates could negotiate with Mexico to see how many of these footbridges would be acceptable. Then, finally, the bridges could be named after Mr. Bates and the various San Diego councilmen who now oppose the ditch as being too offensive to Mexico. We have highway bridges named for Mr. Silberman and others, why not the footbridges for illegal aliens for Congressman Bates, and others?

J.P. GARNER

Leucadia