Posted on 01/07/2019 12:14:34 PM PST by Moseley
To build a wall along the United States’ international border with Mexico, President Donald Trump could order the sale of approximately 500,000 to 5 million acres of federal land. The U.S. Government currently claims ownership of about 640 million acres of land — or about 28% of the total land mass of the nation. This could raise the entire $25 billion needed to finance building the wall (not just the next installment we are currently fighting over).
But one must understand that out of 640 million acres there is a vast diversity of terrain. The task is to select only between around 0.08% to 0.78% of that total land. Most federally-owned land is not suitable. But some land would be appropriate for sale to the State government, the County, or the general public. Some Western public land is nothing but empty grassland, just ordinary grazing land. Some public land is indistinguishable from the type of land currently owned and used by private citizens. In some cases, there seems to be no plausible reason for the federal government to be holding the land at all.
Decisions about which public lands within a state to consider as candidates must be nominated by each State government. It cannot be the President deciding, because left-wing interests groups will demagogue the issue. The State must identify which lands are not environmentally sensitive, culturally historic, important for scenic or recreational purposes, or reasonably claimed by Native Americans. Throwing those decisions to the States allows all the stake-holders to debate the choices, minimizing left-wing hysteria.
(Excerpt) Read more at bigleaguepolitics.com ...
Could close the base.
I trust that you are joking with this economically illiterate suggestion.
“Some public land is indistinguishable from the type of land currently owned and used by private citizens. In some cases, there seems to be no plausible reason for the federal government to be holding the land at all.”
All this land is, is the Western States Dowery to get statehood. When you look at the Eastern States, Federal ownership of land within those states is in the single-digit percentages, while out West, Nevada is more than 85% Fed and California is 45%. There is really no reason for this except as a way for the FG to enforce it’s will on these state’s people. the Bundy conflagration in Bunkerville, NV and the Mellior “Preserve” Crap in Oregon are simply examples of Federal Land terrorism resulting of the murders of innocent citizens.
I’ll take 5000 acres of Grand Teton for 1000 Alex
the fed govt should own no more than 1 or 2 percent of America, not 28% and not the 30 to 70 percent it owns in some states
until we can transfer the national parks to the states where they belong,
the fed holdings should include little more than necessary military bases and interstate highways
it hurts the economy and deprives individual liberty for the govt to own so much of the land, just like in a Communist country
please, PDJT .. sell off some of the excess “federal” land!
The beautiful side of this idea is that the prime broker for selling surplus government properties is Diane Feinstein’s husband Richard Blum. She will jump right on board with this to stuff more cash in her purse.
Heck of a plan. The day after such a tax is passed I can set up a business in Canada or some off-shore Caribbean island that will allow people to wire money there for immediate transfer to Mexico, for a small fee of course. You tax revenue drops to zero and my fortune is made.
...sell federal land to the State or County government at a discount, like $5,000 to $10,000 per acre...
“At last count, there was some $32,000,000,000 available from the confiscated drug monies just sitting somewhere doing nothing.”
EXACTLY
USE IT
“Someone mentioned a 100% tax on all money wires going into Mexico. That would raise the money in a month.”
That is absolutely correct. The Trump campaign put out a memo on that. But Trump seems to have forgotten about it. It should be looked at again
The Federal Gov should not be in charge of owning so much land, If they sold off lands in Hawaii, Alaska and California Trump could raise more than 25 billion easily.
Overall a good idea but the amount of land sold is going to have to be much more than youre guessing. Highly productive farmland goes for maybe half of your low end around here and that's only because the prices have been driven up by warring mega-dairies. The only way youre going to get $10,000 is if its particularly nice residentially appropriate land and its just beyond the edge of town. This is rural but inhabited and useful Eastern land relatively near (40 miles) a town of some significance.
I have no idea what these speculated mostly Western acreages would be worth but I would guess that primarily because they are so far from any development they are going to be essentially worthless unless they have great mineral or lumber value. I doubt that grass, regular rocks, and sand are worth much.
My desire is that Trump can show that there are many differnet ways that Trump can get it done, so the Democrats should just stop fighting it.
Makes sense....and I believe this has been mentioned before....but way back.
“At last count, there was some $32,000,000,000 available from the confiscated drug monies just sitting somewhere doing nothing.”
Want to bet that money went missing during the Obama administration?
Historically, the sale of the public lands to private entities was (in the past) one of the largest sources of revenue for the federal government.
Oh, I know I’m being very simplistic with that solution, but making the Mexicans pay through transactions would be a very effective, efficient way to raise funds.
“I’ll take 5000 acres of Grand Teton for 1000 Alex”
I’m simple. I’ll buy 5 acres at Sandy Hook, Gateway National Park. Put me at the far end of the beach so I don’t impact beach goers.
"See, Trump is just one of those fat cats and they only look out for each other. He sold all of that desert critically necessary to the Yellow bellied suck toad to some other rich guy for only $500 per acre."
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