COMMENTARY: Here’s how Mexico pays for the wall
Mr. President, it’s time to stop fooling around. Build the damn wall, already. There is no choice. If you build it, you’ll be re-elected. If you don’t, you won’t. It’s that simple.
According to a new Morning Consult/Politico poll out this week, 76 percent of Republicans back President Donald Trump declaring a national security emergency to build the border wall.
So, Mr. President, just go ahead and take the plunge. Go over Congress’ head and declare a national emergency. It’s your right. Barack Obama used those powers. You can, too. Obama found $1.8 billion to hand Iran as ransom to free U.S. hostages — which is against U.S. policy, by the way. Congress never approved or allocated that money.
Lest we forget, Obama also gave $150 billion to Iranian officials to bribe them into accepting the Iran treaty. That deal was also never approved by Congress. That $150 billion could have paid for the wall six times over.
The point is, the money is there. It’s always there for Democrats to waste. But when a Republican wants money, it’s never there. So, as Nike would say, just do it.
Because I’m the creative guy who came up with this idea to use executive action and declare a national security emergency at the border, I’m going to use my super powers to come up with more creative ideas. You said Mexico would pay for the wall. Let’s make that so.
Tax all remittance dollars leaving the United States. Foreigners here in America (many of them illegal) send money back home to countries all over the world. The No. 1 beneficiary is Mexico. That’s money no longer helping the U.S. economy. We’re “Making Mexico Great Again.” But that money doesn’t create a single job in the United States. Why not tax it. American citizens pay almost a 10 percent sales tax on everything we spend here. Charge a 10 percent remittance tax on every dollar that leaves this country. That will produce enough money for the wall in one or two years. With billions left over every year, forever.
Build tolls on the Mexican border. Back in my old hometown of New York City, it costs anywhere from $9 to $17 per day to cross toll bridges. New Yorkers spend hundreds per month in tolls. So why shouldn’t we charge everyone coming into and out of Mexico $25 each way? That would add up to billions in new revenues annually. Voila, the wall is paid for by Mexico.
Ban all forms of welfare for 10 years for any new arrivals to our country — legal or illegal. I love immigrants. But I love legal immigrants who want to work, not collect welfare. The cost for all forms of welfare to foreigners in this country is hundreds of billions over a decade. Ban welfare to new arrivals. Voila. Wall paid for.
Make Mexico’s drug cartels pay for the wall. Any money we seize should be applied to the wall. We’ve already seized $14.8 billion from one cartel leader alone, El Chapo. There’s the money for more than half of the wall. There’s more where that came from.
Stop sending $300 million per year in military aid to Mexico. Over a decade that saves $3 billion. That’s a nice down payment for the wall.
Build the wall with solar panels on top across the entire southern border. Turn the wall into a revenue producer. Our southern border is bathed in sunshine all year long. How can liberals argue? They love solar power. The wall would save precious resources, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and produce a profit for taxpayers.
My creative proposals mean we get the wall, our children are safe and America’s taxpayers are off the hook.
Contact Wayne Allyn Root at Wayne@ROOTforAmerica.com. Hear or watch the nationally syndicated “WAR Now: The Wayne Allyn Root Show” from 3 to 6 p.m. daily at 790 Talk Now and at 5 p.m. on Newsmax TV.
