Sell all the Federal Land

For too long the education system in the US has taught Marxism. This started in the 1870’s with the progressive movement. This school of thought has permeated the government, and the government controlled the education system. As a result, most of the American population does not recognize it as collectivist and antithetical to Liberty.

The Declaration of Independence - We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Because of slavery Property was replaced with “pursuit of happiness”. This does not change the intent of the passage.

History is filled with failures of collectivism. It has yet to improve the lot of any population. It only serves those who control things from positions of power. From the first attempt in the early colonies at Plymouth to killing fields of the Kymer Rouge and the collapse of the Soviet Union all resulted in failure and death.

The primary reason for the Federal government to manage land in the beginning if the United States was to prevent intrastate conflict. Several times various states nearly went to war with each other over which parcel of land would belong to a given state. There were even some battles fought over areas such as Toledo Ohio.

Congress has the authority to sell the land.

“The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State – US Constitution, Article 4 Section 3, Clause 2 “

This power has been twisted from managing the expansion of the United States into a Marxist style control of land. In the past few decades laws like the Monuments law have been used to stop economic development and seize private property. The Biden admin shut down all oil and gas leases without any warning and did so by fiat in 2021. The Federal Bureau of Land Management proposed a rule last year that would close all 245 million acres of BLM managed land to any commercial use. A stated goal of the Federal government is to own 30% of all land in the US by 2030.

On a personal note, the 2020 Beechy Creek fire, which was allowed to smolder for weeks as small fire, burned to within a mile and half of my home. The federal government did not lift a finger to assist with fighting it. That job was left entirely to local volunteer firefighters, ranchers and farmers protecting their land.  Resulting in 100’s of homes destroyed and 12 lives taken.

The state of Oregon was happy to let it burn as that resulted in more recovery money. Oregon is currently sitting on more than 420 million unspent federal disaster dollars.

The first positive annulment of private property – crude communism – is thus merely a manifestation of the vileness of private property - Karl Marx

Marx believed that private property was the impediment to transforming people into his godless humanist vision. Marx never owned anything himself and was provided for his entire life. He was a parasite, driven by envy.  

This is taught in our schools right now a “good”.  Envy is not good.

Galatians 5 22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Claiming ownership over land you do not own in the name of the “people” is the most unamerican, non-individualistic idea ever put forth. In order for you to own property you must buy it. Yourself. No one else can buy a thing and have you claim ownership. Try that with anything you own. See if the police do not get involved as theft has occurred.

The federal government owns 640 million acres or 28% of the United States. As seen on the map below.  Most of that land in the western states. You don’t own any of it. As we saw during COVID the federal government shut down all federal lands. You don’t own it. The federal bureaucrats own it. Not the American people.

640 million acres of Federal Land

In Oregon 63% of all land is controlled by the Federal, State or local government. The Federal government owns 32.6 million acres in Oregon, 53% of the state’s total 61.6 million acres. Oregon is a patchwork of small privately held parcels.

Taxes.

Nothing remains but the landed interest; and this, in a political view, and particularly in relation to taxes, I take to be perfectly united, from the wealthiest landlord down to the poorest tenant. No tax can be laid on land which will not affect the proprietor of millions of acres as well as the proprietor of a single acre. Every landholder will therefore have a common interest to keep the taxes on land as low as possible; and common interest may always be reckoned upon as the surest bond of sympathy. – Alexander Hamilton Federalist 35. 

More property in the hands of American citizens is direct threat to all levels of government to increase taxes.

Under a ruling from the supreme court states may not tax federally owned land. How much more are Americans taxed because of this ruling?

Pursuant to a parallel clause in Article One, Section Eight, the Supreme Court has held that states may not tax such federal property.

Selling the land to private American interests will increase the tax base and reduce the burden for everyone.

Proverbs 13:22 Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.

Everyone should want to own land. It is the best thing you can pass on to your children.

Oregon example: Timberline Lodge was insolvent and going to permanently close until it was bought by private developers and turning into a thriving business.

Building a real economy: To build anything you need land. No one seems to complain when the government needs land for a road or school but land for homes and businesses. Well, that’s different. That someone being greedy. No that’s you being an envy driven Marxist.

The American Dream: There is one predominant way for a middle class person to acquire wealth. Own land. Land ownership is fundamental to the American dream.

This is very difficult in many states because the federal government controls most of the land by creating an artificial shortage. Look at the western states in the image below. They are the emptiest by far but the land is the most expensive. Nevada is 60k an acre for vacant land and Utah is an insane 196k per acre.

Price per acre of private vacant land

States taxes: All federal land is exempt from state taxation. States also routinely exempt themselves as well. This shifts the tax burden to the remaining landowners. The citizens of the state.

Wildfires: Every year millions of acres of federal lands burn. Approximately 50% of the fires on federal land are human caused. Why? Because the people setting the fires do not care about the land nor do the bureaucrats in Washington. They get paid the same whether the land is burned or not.

Corruption: 16,000 dollars (avg land cost) times 2 million (the proposed amount to be sold) will generate 32 billion in revenue. The amount of land being offered for sale is .003125 percent of total federal land.

The total value of land held by the federal government is approximately 10.2 trillion.

The idea that this amount of land being sold will automatically be corrupt is childish. We have corrupt mismanagement of federal lands right now.

Removing this land from federal control is more likely to lead to better management of the land. The Washington BLM bureaucrats who manage the land do not live on it.  

Recreation: I have lived and traveled in 49 out of 50 states. The opportunity for recreation in every state is enormous. For example, the map below shows the state parks for Texas. I have been to many of these parks. Texas has only one national park (Big Bend) and otherwise is privately held land excepting the state and local land. Total government owned land in Texas is 2.8%

Texas Parks

There are cries for hunting and fishing and “my secret spot” all over the internet this week. Your desire for a secret spot is frankly selfish. Texas is one of the most hunted states in the union, but it has very little federal land. Record bucks are routinely pulled from its hunting grounds. How is this possible? Simple we all called to be stewards of the land. You care about the things you own.

I hope I have addressed the primary arguments. Selling federal land and actually returning to the citizens of this country is probably the most America First thing the current congress and Trump administration can do.