President Donald Trump has promised to build a wall along the Mexican border and to get Mexico to pay for it.
The two points in that promise go together, sort of like soup and sandwich.
Trump’s recent executive order lays out the foundation for the building of the wall.
What I’m reading now is that House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan will be adding $15 billion to the federal budget to finance it.
I’ve also read that MIT has estimated that our wall will cost up to $40 billion.
Trump apologists are quick to point out that once the wall is in place, the U.S. will find a way to get Mexico to foot the bill.
One of Trump’s latest tweets on recovering the cost of the wall is to impose a 20 percent tariff on all goods coming in from Mexico.
If this happens, we the people — as usual — will end up paying, only in this case twice.
First through taxes, i.e., the Ryan budget, and then as we buy products out of Mexico at higher prices.
And you’d be surprised at how much we depend on Mexican goods in our daily lives.
And remember, with higher prices comes inflation.
I for one don’t want construction on the wall to start until a detailed explanation is put before the public on how it will be paid for.
I have a feeling we’re being snookered on this one.
Paul D. Ericksen,
Port Angeles