The Way It Used to Be: La Linda Bridge

[SHANEA]

Incredible pictures of the La Linda Bridge into Mexico, AKA the Hallie Stillwell Memorial Bridge, back before it was closed and barricaded.  These are the only pics that I have ever seen of the bridge back in it's hayday.  Notice how easy it was to cross into Mexico.  Just incredible historical photos.    These appear to have been taken last century in 1992.

SEE:  http://saintyukon.photosite.com/album1/

One has to wonder if our borders are any safer today - to keep out the Talliban, 15 years later, than they were then?   A simple closed gate was all there was.  Ok, so they have blocked the road now, most of the time you can simply walk across.

[homerboy2u]

It is sad, to even see what has been lost.  Eventhough, not much crossed back then, at least it was open to do as you pleased.

 A friend of mine, told me he once crossed at least 3 times, and it took them more to get there , than to cross when they were heading to the Dupont mine. He used to sell them beef and his father used to charter a plane for them.

  Until it all ended, i don´tremember exactly when but now there is a HUGE cinderblock, on the mexican side and all that fencing on the u.s. side.

 Poor Dupont fella, he would be sad , if he saw what has happened to the bridge he built.

[Al]

No doubt closing the bridge has saved our asses.  The Taliban would be all over us otherwise!  

Actually wasn't the bridge closed because DuPont quit using it?

Al

[homerboy2u]

No doubt closing the bridge has saved our asses.  The Taliban would be all over us otherwise!  

Actually wasn't the bridge closed because DuPont quit using it?

Al

 I will tell you exactly why it "closed"...it never did actully, back in 1992 , to be exact, there was a whole lot of bootlegging over there, and not exactly whiskey . There was what we call Fayuca , they were crossing heavy eq. parts , chicken meat, moonshine , lets not avoid it...drugs!! , and some other stuff as well. Too many to detail.

  Well once, these mexican customs agents were at La Linda, they were assigned from Cd. Acuña so they went to the post on a weekly basis, there wasn´t any customs post on the u.s. side so it was as alone as these guys could be.

 All of a sudden some bootleggers approach the sight to " negotiate" , a crossing , don´t ask me the details but things did not go well and there was a shooting. A customs agent ended up dead, and some bootlegers as well. I don´t remember how many of the bad guys died.

 Thing is that Mexico, approached the u.s. asking for support to settle an international crossing point, but too many redtape needed to be pushed, not enough crossings were being done to consider it feaseble, and just plain lack of interest was expressed by the folks up at Washington.

 So, Mexico was left with no other choice but to block it, since there would be a BIG hole in the border , where all this ilegally declared items would cross in to the country , and they decided it would be better to cut it off completely. Then came 9-11 and the U.S. fenced everything up to the neck there, plus i believe there is a border guard, on a permanet basis and such.

 So basically, that is what it happened....still, sad though.

Lets see if Cemex can revamp that area and get the permission from the U.S. and set up , formally, the Mega-Corridor. It could very well be the only chance to resurge that area...go figure.

[Al]

That's not too surprising.  I quess the irony is there is a border guard there in a very similar manner as if it were legal crossing except to make sure there is no crossing.

Al

[homerboy2u]

Yeap !!!

[SHANEA]

No doubt closing the bridge has saved our asses.  The Taliban would be all over us otherwise!  

Actually wasn't the bridge closed because DuPont quit using it?

Al

I feel so much more safer now that the Taliban can't get across at the La Linda bridge and we all know that we've won the war on drugs, so closing the bridge helped to accomplish that.

Yes, DuPont was able to get their fluospar much cheaper from China - cheaper to have it "mined", transported, and shipped to the US than getting it "locally".  I'm really surprised since Chinese wages are on par with the US and the environmental laws in China are at least as good as ours.  Just another example of how well free trade works for the common man.

[Burn Ban]

the environmental laws in China are at least as good as ours.  

if i thought his were remotely true, this article (brought to light by roy) dispelled any of those thoughts.

[Burn Ban]

a story like that of this bridge makes me furious .  inconsequential actions like the "securing" of this crossing are the kind of things our government "heroes" point to as successes and victories; while it is abundantly clear that in the realm of reality, they are FAILING us in almost every way of which i can conceive.  

i can't wait for january of 2009, so we can have a new lot of inept, self-promoting, corrupt, and disengaged imbeciles take the place of the current lot of inept, self-promoting, corrupt, and disengaged imbeciles.  

at least the change of scenery will be a welcome sight.

[Al]

the environmental laws in China are at least as good as ours.  

if i thought his were remotely true, this article (brought to light by roy) dispelled any of those thoughts.

Burn Ban, somehow you messed up that quote. I did not say this.  I would never ever say this and  I know a bit more about environmental regulation than the average person.
Moderator note:  That's ok.  You messed up your quotes as well.  Hopefully I fixed them correctly.

Al

[Burn Ban]

i went back and fixed it as soon as i realized the problem.  obviously, i apologize.

[Al]

No problem, thanks.

Al

[SHANEA]

I hope you know I was being very facicious...  :P  Plus, I'm sure China's OSHA regulations are vastly superior.   :P

[Burn Ban]

I hope you know I was being very facicious...  :P  Plus, I'm sure China's OSHA regulations are vastly superior.   :P

how could anyone in their right mind think differently?

[homerboy2u]

Fellas fellas,please.....to be blunt: The what could have been with La Linda, is 100 % D.E.A.D....dead as we speak of it.

  To bring back this issue so we can really hope, and i mean here to the ones who are real passionate for this area, is to bet in the future. Long term future , if i may add. There is light at the end of the tunnel, we as people have to turn 180º here to see it: The realization of the International Mega-Corridor, that is the future, I have read it. It will come, sooner maybe than later.

 Just keep in mind this Book: The Call of the Mountains. Everything is explained in this book, with detail if i may add.

Regards