Congressman calls for sale of federal land to fund hurricane relief

Summit Daily News - Frisco, CO ^ | September 21, 2005 | By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

[cf_river_rat]

DENVER - U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo on Wednesday called for the sale of federal land to fund Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

"The federal government may be cash-poor but it is land rich. There is demand for farm and ranch land, and the federal government should have long ago transferred its massive holdings to the private sector, where it can be put to use," the Colorado Republican said in a statement.

He introduced a bill in Congress requiring the Interior Department to sell 15 percent of the federal land it controls, excluding national parks and Indian land. The Agriculture Department also would be required to sell a portion of the land it controls.

"Environmental radicals put up regulatory roadblocks to use of our national land, often miring any sensible land use proposal in endless litigation. My bill would give environmentalists an excellent opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and buy up federal land for conservation," Tancredo said.

A vast majority of federal lands - including more than 75 percent of the national forest acres, more than 90 percent of the national park acres, and more than 99 percent of the Bureau of Land Management acres - are located in the 12 western states including Alaska.

[Clintonfatigued]

this is an idea worth considering.

[decal]

Well, I'd call on the sale of Federal land to give everyone 10 chances at the Powerball lottery, too, but that's just me.

[ladyinred]

I say we send Jimmy and Rosalyn to NO and let them personally rebuild it with their peanut money. Mr. Humanitarian big mouth thinks he is so wonderful, let him prove it.

[MikefromOhio]

we could sell some of the land that has the oil shale on it so that we can be somewhat less dependant on foreign oil....

[crazyhorse691]

The Sagebrush Rebellion is being jumpstarted by Tancredo. I am beginning to like him more and more.

[konaice]

YES YES YES.

In Alaska we have been waiting for the Feds to make good on the StateHood act and turn over Alaskan lands promised to the state when it entered the union.

Baring gettin the land as promised, if the Feds just SOLD it to the highest bidder at least we could get it on the property tax ledger, and Alaskans (or anyone else) could actually buy land here without running afoul of the federal government and carpet bagging tree huggers from California.

Sell it off, I don't care what you do with the proceeds, just free it up.

There is no excuse for the Feds owning ANY land for other than court houses, Prisons , Road, military bases, and national parks, and a few odds and ends. There is certainly no need to tie up 95% of Alaska.

[keithtoo]

Now there's a suggestion I can live with.

[tertiary01]

I got dibs on the Chocolate Mountains!

[B Knotts]

YES!

This is something that needed to be done years ago. It's about time someone in Washington started talking about it.

Also, there could be some homesteading allowed for the people who have been displaced.

[Conservative Firster]

[Doctor Stochastic]

The Feds may have some ocean front property in Oklahoma available by Monday.

[Rebelbase]

This is a racist concept because the poor black people in New Orleans won't be able to buy any land.

[infidel29]

Someone explain to me why the federal government owns land in the first place.

[B Knotts]

"Mmmm...the Land of Chocolate..."

[Jim_Curtis]

we could sell some of the land that has the oil shale on it so that we can be somewhat less dependant on foreign oil....

sell or lottery the oil lands to create many small independent oil producers.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Yea they can sell it now get the cash and then steal it back through eminent domain later.

WHAT A CONCEPT !

[MikefromOhio]

yeah we REALLY need some independent oil producers again.....

makes the market have more liquidity....if I have that term correct....

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

OH WOW!!! A LAND RUN LIKE OKLAHOMA??!!

WHERE'S THE START LINE? WHO'S SHOOTIN THE CANNON?
I GOTTA FIND ME A FAST HORSE!!

WYOMING HERE I COME!!

[KingNo155]

Bump