Posted on 06/12/2010 1:33:17 AM PDT by Cindy
NOTE The following text is a quote:
www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-disposing-unneeded-federal-real-estate
Home • Briefing Room • Presidential Actions • Presidential Memoranda
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release June 10, 2010
Presidential Memorandum--Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate – Increasing Sales Proceeds, Cutting Operating Costs, and Improving Energy Efficiency
My Administration is committed to eliminating all forms of Government waste and to leading by example as our Nation transitions to a clean energy economy. For decades, the Federal Government, the largest property owner and energy user in the United States, has managed more real estate than necessary to effectively support its programs and missions. Both taxpayer dollars and energy resources are being wasted to maintain these excess assets. In addition, many of the properties necessary for the Government's work are not operated efficiently, resulting in wasted funds and excessive greenhouse gas pollution. For example, over the past decade, the private sector reduced its data center footprint by capitalizing on innovative technologies to increase efficiencies. However, during that same period, the Federal Government experienced a substantial increase in the number of data centers, leading to increased energy consumption, real property expenditures, and operations and maintenance costs. Past attempts at reducing the Federal Government's civilian real property assets produced small savings and had a minor impact on the condition and performance of mission-critical properties. These efforts were not sufficiently comprehensive in disposing of excess real estate and did not emphasize making more efficient use of existing assets.
To eliminate wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars, save energy and water, and further reduce greenhouse gas pollution, I hereby direct executive departments and agencies (agencies) to accelerate efforts to identify and eliminate excess properties. Agencies shall also take immediate steps to make better use of remaining real property assets as measured by utilization and occupancy rates, annual operating cost, energy efficiency, and sustainability. To the extent permitted by law, agency actions shall include accelerating cycle times for identifying excess assets and disposing of surplus assets; eliminating lease arrangements that are not cost effective; pursuing consolidation opportunities within and across agencies in common asset types (such as data centers, office space, warehouses, and laboratories); increasing occupancy rates in current facilities through innovative approaches to space management and alternative workplace arrangements, such as telework; and identifying offsetting reductions in inventory when new space is acquired. Agency actions taken under this memorandum shall align with and support the actions to measure and reduce resource use and greenhouse gas emissions in Federal facilities pursuant to Executive Order 13514 of October 5, 2009 (Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance), and the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative, which was announced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in February 2010.
In total, agency efforts required by this memorandum should produce no less than $3 billion in cost savings by the end of fiscal year 2012, yielded from increased proceeds from the sale of assets and reduced operating, maintenance, and energy expenses from disposals or other space consolidation efforts, including leases that are ended. This is in addition to the Department of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure efforts that are expected to achieve $9.8 billion in savings from fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2012, of which $5 billion is a direct result of reduced operating and maintenance from disposals or other consolidation efforts. In addition, in order to address the growth of data centers across the Federal Government, agencies shall immediately adopt a policy against expanding data centers beyond current levels, and shall develop plans to consolidate and significantly reduce data centers within 5 years. Agencies shall submit their plans to OMB for review by August 30, 2010.
To achieve these goals, the Director of the OMB shall develop, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services and the Federal Real Property Council established pursuant to Executive Order 13327 of February 4, 2004 (Federal Real Property Asset Management), within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, guidance for actions agencies should take to carry out the requirements of this memorandum. The guidance shall include agency-specific targets to achieve $3 billion in cost savings and shall be developed in consultation with the agencies. The Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the Director of the OMB, shall coordinate agency efforts to satisfy the requirements of this memorandum and shall submit to the President periodic reports on the results achieved.
This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
The Director of the OMB is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
BARACK OBAMA
I think I like this. Why keep land and buildings that are not in use. Sell them and put the proceeds towards the debt.
I agree, on the face of it — it appears to look good.
It will be sold on the cheap to Chicago investors who lost out on the Olympics boondoggle.
This sounds good on the surface but I bet ‘down the road’ we’ll hear cries of “we need funding for new fed buildings because of office overcrowding, blah, blah, blah...”
On the flip side - what a great way to get rid of asbestos and lead riddled properties - and then sic the EPA on the purchasers - win-win/sarc
“leading by example as our Nation transitions to a clean energy economy.”
The horible part!!
I do not like it. The administration is selling federal land in the middle of a major recession - that means prices will be ROCK BOTTOM.
I'll bet wealthy friends and special interests will want at least certain lands, if not all of them.
This is just more wealth-redistribution by this criminal administration to hose America and give away our wealth.
There goes the last remaining piece of green space on Waikiki beach
Want to bet Ft DeRussy is sold to the Chinese
That’s fine. I spend my time on the beach in Waikiki anyway. If I wanted to see green space than I would visit Kansas.
I see all kinds of ACORN-like organizations getting prime locations cheap.
Come on... they will sell and spend and the borrow some more because dims and $$$$ are like a junky and heroin.
LLS
In the past the feds have leased ‘’grazing’’ rights to greenies/enviros/veggies who did not allow any grazing of beef on the land thus crowding out ranchers out west who needed the space but did want to aquire the land.
With the increase in IRS and Healthcare administration what is the liklihood they will need less data center and staff space???
I understand what you are saying and that’s a good point.
OFF THREAD TOPIC:
Speaking of health care...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2308266/posts?page=394#394
To: All
http://www.posey.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HealthCareReformDraftRegulations-June-2010.pdf
###
NOTE The following text is a quote:
http://www.posey.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=190241
Most Americans Will Lose Their Current Health Plans According to Administration’s Regulations
Washington, Jun 11 - According to an official draft of the Administration’s regulations for implementing the new health care reform law, 51% of all Americans will lose their current health care plans over the next three years. Furthermore, 66% of all employees working for small businesses will lose their current health care plans under the regulations to establish how existing plans will meet the new mandates of the health care reform law.
“This is a bait and switch. The President and leaders in Congress made a different set of promises to the American people before their bill was passed, now the details are coming out and they don’t match the promises,” said Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge). “The President promised repeatedly that people who like their current plans can keep them but now the details of their plan actually confirm what many suspected all along, most Americans will lose their current health care plan.”
A copy of the draft regulations can be viewed HERE.
Last month the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a revised cost estimate of the new health care reform law upping the total cost by $115 billion thereby virtually eliminating the earlier estimated cost savings that was touted by the Majority when the bill passed in March. This was due to the fact that in their original cost estimate, CBO excluded many of the add-on discretionary costs.
The CBO said the administrative costs of implementing health care reform combined with various federal grants programs and mandatory Medicaid expansion will now push the overall cost of the legislation to well over $1 trillion. Addressing the bill’s $300 billion shortfall in payments to physicians under Medicare drives the real costs of the bill to nearly $1.5 trillion over the first 10 years; far above the $900 billion cost advertised the day the bill was passed. “This is why transparency in the process is so important. Congress shouldn’t pass thousands of pages of legislation affecting all Americans without allowing folks the proper time to read and analyze the proposals. This bill must be repealed.”
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“Administration: 51% Of Companies’ Health Plans Won’t Pass Muster”
By Sean Higgins and David Hogberg
Fri., June 11, 2010 5:05 PM ET
SNIPPET: “This could pose a serious threat to President Obama’s claim that if you like your coverage, you’d get to keep it.”
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“Keep Your Health Plan Under Overhaul? Probably Not, Gov’t Analysis Concludes”
By DAVID HOGBERG AND SEAN HIGGINS, INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 06/11/2010 07:32 PM ET
SNIPPET: “Internal administration documents reveal that up to 51% of employers may have to relinquish their current health care coverage because of ObamaCare.
Small firms will be even likelier to lose existing plans.
The “midrange estimate is that 66% of small employer plans and 45% of large employer plans will relinquish their grandfathered status by the end of 2013,” according to the document.
In the worst-case scenario, 69% of employers — 80% of smaller firms — would lose that status, exposing them to far more provisions under the new health law.
The 83-page document, a joint project of the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the IRS, examines the effects that ObamaCare’s regulations would have on existing, or “grandfathered,” employer-based health care plans.”
394 posted on June 12, 2010 3:31:09 AM PDT by Cindy
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I'll bet wealthy friends and special interests will want at least certain lands, if not all of them.
BTTT.
than green space is a national treasure that adds to the experince, cools things down and prevents Waikiki from being wall-to-wall concrete and burning sand
the locals may jawbone against the army but they are not going to enjoy another high rise hotel and more t shirt/sushi/shave ice kiosks
I would wager you have never spent a July or August on the sand at Waikiki without a tree
Or to Ted Turner. Who will turn around and donate it to the UN.
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