Does the Government need all that it owns? This question is being asked more and more with increasing frequency by the public and members of Congress. To answer this question, one needs to ask what does the Government own? What is it worth? And is it being managed efficiently?

According to “What The Government Owns” a recent General Accounting  Office (GAO) report, revealed that as of September 30, 1979 (the date of the last General Services Administration Inventory (GSA),  the federal government owned 744.1 million acres, or 32.7 percent of all the land in the U.S.  405,147 buildings (2.65 billion square feet of floor space) and $52.3 billion worth of structures and facilities such as power development, flood control, and navigation projects; roads and bridges; reclamation and irrigation projects; airfield pavements; harbor and port facilities; and miscellaneous military facilities, monuments, and memorials.

There are disparities between the states with respect to Federal ownership of public lands. For example, 91.2% of Alaska is federally owned.

To answer the question of what is it worth is more difficult to conclude because establishing value is subject to market fluctuations. Additionally, the extent to which an asset is valued is also contingent on investor perception and location.

It should be noted that while the sale of public land to reduce the Debt is significant, the amount will not be large enough to make a significant impact on the capital markets. Keep in mind that those purchasing the property must raise the billions it would cost from the same national capital markets, so pressure on interest rates would not be reduced dramatically. The sale of public land would however lend credence to the perception of government accountability and to the reduction of waste.

Summation

• · 744.1 million acres or 32.7% of all land in the U.S. is owned by the government.

• · 405,147 buildings containing over 2.65 billion square feet of floor space is owned by the government.

• · $52.3 billion (valued at acquisition costs) of structures, facilities, power plants, roads, bridges, etc. are owned by the government.

• ·Over 50% of Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado are held by the government.

• ·47% of the Western U.S. is publically held land.

Who is Daniel Webster?

A family man and small-business owner, Daniel Webster has dedicated himself to serve the citizens of central Florida with honor and integrity. From his first day in leadership, Webster worked to reform the way the Legislature did business, and his sweeping conservative reforms earned him widespread praise from the people of Florida.

He has worked to improve Floridians’ lives and their opportunity for success by championing policies based on the following five principles: less government, lower taxes, personal responsibility, individual freedom, and empowering family.

Daniel Webster still holds his faith, his family, and his principles as his biggest assets. These are the same values he will rely on to guide him as our U.S. Congressman.

Leadership Record

Daniel Webster’s legislative record is a story of service – putting Florida and its people first.

• As the state House Republican Leader in the 1990s, Webster engineered the successful Republican takeover of 1996, ending 122 years of Democrat control and becoming the first GOP Speaker of the House in over a century.
• As Speaker of the House, Webster required each proposed law to meet specific criteria that would determine its effectiveness in advancing conservative principles.
• Daniel Webster was elected to the Florida Senate in 1998 and served as Majority Leader his final three years.  Being known as a man of his word, Webster continued to gain respect and acclaim on both sides of the aisle for his solid principles and trusted leadership.

Daniel Webster’s record of true conservatism, principled leadership and common sense is exactly what Floridians need in Washington.

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