Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Federal Government - Largest Property Owner in US

Our Founding Fathers could never have imagined that the federal government one day would become the largest property owner in the United States because our Founding Fathers were not communists.   In addition to all the federal buildings and military bases all over the country, the federal government owns 253 million acres of land, which is roughly 1/8 the landmass of the United States, primarily in the 26 mostly western states.   Of course, any property not in the private sector is not assessed property taxes, which denies local and state governments a key source of revenues.  This land is managed by the Federal Bureau of Land Management, staffed by about 10,000 federal bureaucrats, with an annual budget of an astounding $960,000,000.  

But that is not the whole story.   The BLM also manages 700 million acres of subsurface minerals, 205,498  fishable streams, 22 million acres of lakes and reservoirs, 6,600 miles of floatable rivers, 69 National Back Country Byways, 300 watchable wildlife sites and 4,500 miles of National Scenic, or historic and recreational trails.  The good news from in this story is that the BLM does generate about $6.2 billion in annual revenues, mostly from mining and energy royalties.   Of course, that is a fraction of the BLM's budget.   While it makes sense for the federal government to control designated National Parks, Forests and other recreational facilities for WE THE PEOPLE, why on earth isn't most of the other land managed by the BLM private property?   The United States is not a communist country, at least not now, yet the federal government is the largest property owner in the country.   How is this different than the old Soviet Union.

It gets worse.   As a result of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guaranteed mortgages, the federal government currently owns 248,000 foreclosed homes and the number is growing by the day.  This does not include the several hundred thousand foreclosed homes owned by Fannie and Freddie, now controlled by the FED's.  The FHA is so desperate to get rid of these homes that they have solicited ideas to assist them.   As someone in the real estate business, this blogger sent in three suggestions.   1.  Bull doze those home in the inner city that are beyond repair and deed the land to the cities for either neighborhood gardens, green space, or to give the land away free to anyone who will build a new single family home, or multiple units on the property.   2.  Package the better homes in 5 or 10 unit groupings to auction off to investors with favorable government financing.   3.  Worst case and I do mean worst case, lease the homes that don't sell, at market rates to potential buyers, crediting 20% of the rent each year for 5 years, until the tenant can either purchase the property, or move out so the government can then find a buyer for the home.  Most important, the government should not become the permanent owner of all these homes turning these properties into government rentals. 

The real story in all of this is that we have a federal government completely out of control thanks to 100 years of Socialist creep.   Socialist President Obama's misguided Socialist Schemes are just the culmination of this process.   The balloon has burst, which is the reason our economy is such a mess.   We have to get the government out of the property ownership business.   With the exception of certain federal buildings that probably should be owned by the government, particularly in Washington, most government employees could be housed in leased commercial buildings.  Yes, the government would have to pay rent; but then these commercial buildings would be assessed property taxes and the owners would have to pay income taxes on their earnings, both of which would increase revenues to local, state and federal governments.   

There is such a lack of common sense and good business skills in managing our government that it is astounding.   WE THE PEOPLE must take back our country in 2012 and 2014.   We must sweep these Socialists, including President Obama and his pals at all levels of government out of office because they are bankrupting our country.   There is clearly not a new idea among any of them.   Socialist are committed to big government, higher taxes, more regulation and deficit spending as a way of life.   And, since Socialists are owned lock, stock and barrel by public employee and other big unions, which represent just 11% of workers in America, feeding at the trough, Socialists simply cannot represent the interests of the American people.   Obama has made a mess of our economy with all his Socialist Schemes, so he has to go in 2012.   We just can't suffer four more years of this incompetent, inexperienced President. 

We have to take back our country with new, common sense ideas in 2012 and 2014.   That means electing rock solid Conservatives, who get it, not RINO's that vote like Socialists.   Yes, compromise is a dirty word because it has led to the economic mess we face today.   It is time to JUST SAY NO to more Socialist Schemes that are destroying our country.   

We have to take back our country to restore economic growth and jobs.   We can do it.   We must do it to preserve our freedom, our nation and way of life for the sake of our children and grandchildren.  In the process, while millions of acres of government owned land, lakes, rivers etc. should be designated as national parks, we need to sell off federal property that belongs in the private sector to be used for mining, ranching, farming and energy development..   It's about jobs stupid, something Socialists just don't understand.  And, we need to make sure that the federal government does not become the largest landlord in the country because we know that the government will end up being a slumlord.  History is our teacher.  We know the end of this story and it is ugly.  

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