Whoops!  There goes the liberal narrative again!  So called "minorities" (and aren't we all some type of minority?) are joining the rush to build Trump's wall.  You know: the one that President Donald J. Trump (R) promised to build to prevent illegal (that word means "against the law") aliens (and no, they are not the sanitized and misnamed "undocumented" or "unauthorized immigrants") from illegally (there's that word again) entering the USA. 

But there is nothing like the free market – otherwise known sneeringly in some circles as capitalism – to bring out the best in people offering to do the work.  So far, 300 companies have expressed an interest in building all or part of The Wall, including those owned by those originally from Spanish-speaking countries and those owned by women.  

Beginning next week, the Department of Homeland Security will begin soliciting bids to design and build wall prototypes, and well over 300 businesses have already expressed interest in taking part.

This "presolicitation" stage is something of a testing of the waters for the government, according to Myra Cisse of the Government Contractors Association, a group that works with businesses seeking government contracts. ...

Businesses wanting a piece of the job include construction and logistics firms, technology companies, plus designers and architects. Several dozen Hispanic-owned businesses are hoping to get some of the work as well.

Angie Goral started Martinez Construction Services with her sister about 10 years ago and said her company has been working with partners to jump on the opportunity.

"We've been talking to them, trying to come up with some ideas of things that would be easy to install [along the border]," she said, "because some of these locations are very hard to get to, hard to get materials to."

Goral believes her small project management firm with its staff of nine people has an advantage in that they already do work with several government agencies, including Customs and Border Protection, and the company has experience working on the border. Nevertheless, she knows the competition will be stiff.

"Realistically, there's going to be some huge companies that go after this," Goral said. "We can't even compete with some of these guys…. But it's worth a try."

That's the spirit!

Even Mexico wants a piece of The Wall.

President Trump's vows to make Mexico pay for a promised border wall – estimated to cost up to US$20 billion – has stirred resentment there, where the country's leader has repeatedly said there will be no such payment.

But the chairman of a Mexico's largest cement company said he would "gladly" consider bidding on the project.

Rogelio Zambrano Lozano, chairman of Mexico-based Cemex, told the newspaper Reforma on Wednesday (Thursday NZ Time) that if asked for a quote, his company would be willing to offer one. So far, no one has asked, a spokesman confirmed.

And again...that's the spirit!