Government Tries To Screw Landowners

Landowners along the U.S.-Mexico border are accusing the federal government of ripping them off. The government has seized their land to build a fence. One Texas farmer said federal officials offered him about $1,600 for part of his backyard. Then he learned his neighbor received 40 times that amount for a similar parcel. And another one got $1 million after hiring an attorney to negotiate for him. The disparities raise questions about why the Justice Department treats landowners differently. Federal attorneys told the Associated Press the initial offers are starting points, that let the government start construction. Most of the fence is now done, but the government is still negotiating for surrounding land.