Against the wall

How should local governments respond to the border wall? The Trump administration has launched a $600 million bidding process for its promised wall along the Mexican border. Hundreds of companies have submitted design concepts in response.

The wall is disdained by local officials in the Bay Area for good reason.

The wall is insulting to Mexico and to Mexican Americans, who represent a substantial portion of Bay Area residents. Since most immigration experts don’t believe it will be effective at stopping illegal immigration, it’s likely to be a colossal waste of taxpayer money. (No one knows what the final cost will be, but estimates run as high as $22 billion. Trump’s 2018 fiscal year price tag for the wall is $2.6 billion.)

But is it appropriate for local governments to bar contracts with companies seeking to place bids? As a practical matter, these moves are neither going to deter President Trump from pursuing his campaign promise, nor hinder his ability to find contractors eager for the work.

The Berkeley City Council unanimously passed a resolution last week recommending city divestiture from any company involved in the project.

San Francisco Supervisors Hillary Ronen and Aaron Peskin introduced legislation Tuesday that would bar San Francisco from contracting with companies that bid on the project, regardless of whether they win a contract. The Oakland City Council is set to vote on a similar measure.

Many vendors who have expressed interest in bidding are based in California. Several have contracts with San Francisco and Oakland.

There are plenty of precedents for local governments choosing not to do business with certain companies because of a difference in values.

But since the matter is one that’s being directed by our own federal government, local officials need to take a strategic approach rather than a broad one.

For example, local officials could weigh a winning bid on the wall as one factor among many others as part of the normal contracting process. Such a solution would be a balance between honoring our principles and acknowledging the companies’ right to bid on a project directed by our leaders in Washington.