While most of the focus on the Republican-controlled Congress’ new set of rules focused on the gutting of the Office of Congressional Ethics, there was another provision that could lead to the fleecing of taxpayers: A new way to value federal land if its sold off to states or local governments that would hide how the sale increases the deficit.
Basically, to hide the true cost of selling off federal land, the Congressional Budget Office has been instructed to no longer consider the revenues that the federal land brings in via leases, recreational fees
House Republicans are endorsing a procedural change to make it easier for Congress to transfer federal land to state or local government agencies.
The provision in the package of House rules due for a vote Tuesday would prohibit the Congressional Budget Office from taking into account lost federal revenue from energy production, logging, recreation or other uses when it decides whether a piece of legislation is revenue-neutral or would contribute to the federal deficit.
Southern Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ03) blasted the plan in a statement to the press:
“The House Republican plan to give away America’s public lands for free is outrageous and absurd,” Grijalva said. “This proposed rule change would make it easier to implement this plan by allowing the Congress to give away every single piece of property we own, for free, and pretend we have lost nothing of any value. Not only is this fiscally irresponsible, but it is also a flagrant attack on places and resources valued and beloved by the American people.”
Grijalva added that state and local governments often don’t have the financial resources to purchase the land, so vast tracts would likely be snatched up by private developers.
“The proposal is one more example of the Trump Republican’s plans to use federal resources to enrich wealthy developers by making it easier for them to get their hands on invaluable federal lands currently owned by, and open to, all Americans,” Grijalva said.
This article appears in Dec 29, 2016 – Jan 4, 2017.
More federal lands have been closed to more Americans that at any time in history. And for this man to complain about their ability to not show the income from land leases….? Please. All the democrats have done is piss and moan about how miners and cattle ranchers were paying nothing for land that belongs to all of us. And now you want them to have to show an accounting? I don’t ever remember seeing an accounting of income derived from these properties and an accurate accounting of how the money was used for ALL Americans.
The democrats have become the obstructionists they complained so loudly about in the past. Serves them right. Suck it up cupcakes.
Cliven Bundy = the biggest welfare mother of them all.
The Bundys paid leasing rights until 1993 when the EPA tried to put him out of the ranching business in defense of the Desert Tortoise. An odd choice to make. One must believe that no animals should become extinct or evolve, as long as we can stop doing everything we used to do.
He chose to break an old law. But like the Clintons always say “that happened in the past, in his personal life” That’s none of our business…Right Bill?
Kind of hard to buy into Bundy’s “rugged individual” act when he’s got that government teat stuck in his mouth. He’s the worst kind of freeloader, an unappreciative one.
I really have to get a life and get my mind off of the Clintons. They’re long gone and my shtick is beyond ancient. You’d think I’d be happy because Shill Hill lost but the truth is that I’m never happy. That’s why I troll on this site. I enjoy spreading my unhappiness around!
But, please, do keep in mind that Raul is abona-fide jerk.
I agree with the previous post that Grijalva is a bona fide jerk.
Yeah, its a damn good thing we have someone keeping us informed of what these corrupt-fascist corporate, shady scum, are up to. Trying to take the Nations public lands. We went through this a few times in the past. This is exactly, why, Theodore Roosevelt, established the American Public Lands… So, malignant corporate greed, couldn’t steal the citizens treasures. We now, more than ever, need to be vigilant…And valiant against political corruption….Disaster.
Raul the fool. What a buffoon.
What is the difference between buying a politician and buying a national park? You might lose the politician in the next election… but the park is yours to trash forever.
We saw what Gov. Ducey did with Arizona’s “state trust” land. It is a bait an switch for cash. “Trump Republicans” would sell American souls one by one for cash. Maybe that’s how they will try to finance all his schemes without new tax revenue. It is far, FAR worse than “fuzzy math” when Trump stated over and over that he will “build a wall” and “Mexico will pay for it” and then he gets elected and now he has already stated that he plans to ask Congress to provide US taxpayer money for it. That was just plain LYING to the gullible and the foolish. But it worked. It fooled lots of people. It made them feel good for about a month. Mexico will NEVER pay one peso for a stupid wall. Just sell off federal parks to billionaires instead.
Looks like Raul the fool learned a lesson today. Obummer promised to create some sort of monument to protect an area near the Grand Canyon or some such nonsense. Anyway he decided to renege on the whole thing. I’m sure that burned Raul’s ass something fierce. Looks like Republicans ain’t the only ones who speak with forked tongues.
There is a Grand Canyon’s worth of difference between Obama’s little monument and Trump’s huge wall. Like, billions of taxpayers’ dollars. Name calling and creating stupid little names for people aren’t helpful either. Soon, Obama will be way gone and no amount of blaming him will work. Hillary too because she has been retired forever. If you voted for Trump, you will need to defend just Trump.