Posted on 04/03/2016 2:28:33 PM PDT by drewh
As president, Donald Trump would sell off $16 trillion worth of U.S. government assets in order to fulfill his pledge to eliminate the national debt in eight years, senior adviser with the campaign Barry Bennett said.
"The United States government owns more real estate than anybody else, more land than anybody else, more energy than anybody else," Bennett told Chris Jansing Sunday on MSNBC. "We can get rid of government buildings we're not using, we can extract the energy from government lands, we can do all kinds of things to extract value from the assets that we hold."
In a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post, Trump said he would get rid of the $19 trillion national debt "over a period of eight years." The article noted that most economists would consider Trump's proposal impossible, as it could require slashing the annual federal budget by more than half.
However, when pressed on whether the United States could sell off $16 trillion worth of assets, Bennett responded affirmatively on Sunday.
"Oh, my goodness," he said. "Do you know how much land we have? You know how much oil is off shore? And in government lands? Easily."
The federal government's assets totaled $3.2 trillion as of September 2015, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. However, that does not include include stewardship assets or natural resources.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Linkage of the campaign for privatization when combined with an assault on the environmental movement would be instrumental in reestablishing capitalism in the minds of the masses and the system of progress and improvement advocated by men of reason.
It’s total bull sh*t.
Foreign aid was about $35 Billion in fiscal year 2014. It is a nice chunk, but far from hundreds of billions.
Is foreign aid a one time give away of American treasure? No it's not. Add this up decade after decade.
Except that Trump is very good at real estate which means he actually has the deep background knowledge, connections and skills to bring it to fruition.
*yawn*
Please refer to the following list of epithets to level against fellow Freepers who support Trump:
Trumpee
Trumpys
Trumpholes
Trumpaloompa
Trumpsters
Trumpanzees
Trumpenistas
Trumpers
Trumptards
Trump Cult
Trump Diehards
The Trumpkin Proletariat
Trumpites
Trumpkins
Trumpettes
Trumpists (thanks Rush Limbaugh)
Turmpeteers
Trumpbots
Trumpnutters
Strumpets
Branch Trumpians
Oh, and shove your derogatory comment up your a$$.
okay for all you Trump haters ...you gotta admit... you’re conservative... your love this plan
I agree.
Frankly, I see him as our last chance.
Another thirty years..., too late.
We’ll do that too!!!
“Is foreign aid a one time give away of American treasure? No it’s not. Add this up decade after decade.”
You are correct, it adds up. But it is not the major source of our problems. 9% of foreign aid is military assistance to Israel, and some of that we end up getting back.
I have seen wasteful foreign aid. The government is wasteful. But all government programs have significant waste. It is hard to get rid of it.
Best way is to cut programs altogether.
That's all well and fine, except the it was CONGRESS and people in the affected states that fought Senator Cruz, and every previous try at doing what Trump has just proposed today. Those same adversaries will be there for Trump.
“Hey, Trump. The government doesn’t own anything. We the people do. The guy needs to pick up a constitution.”
Okay..may WE THE PEOPLE sell the crap then?
Geezzz.....stretch much???
I have been saying exactly this for years.
The US government owns nearly 50% of the land west of the Mississippi.
Most of that, except the national parks should be sold and used to pay off the national debt.
I am not a Trump hater, but I am a Cruz supporter - and you are correct - I loved this same plan when Senator Cruz fought for it against both parties in congress three years ago!!!
You are correct - it is conservative, and I am glad Trump is jumping on the bandwagon finally joining with Cruz in this smart endeavor.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/10/3458798/ted-cruz-auction-off-public-lands/
wow I’m really surprised at some of these comments...
conservatives for years have complained about the federal government holding so much land especially in the western states
What did we just have that standoff on the Bundy Ranch or in Oregon about the federal government owning all this land?...( of course this would make sense for the Cruz-Beck team...Beck snaked Bundy bushwhack interview during that standoff in Nevada... good old Beck backed up Harry Reid)
and then Trump says will sell it back to the public and you guys are whining about it??????? Good God!!
No one implied or suggested billions in foreign aid was a, "Major source of our problems". That's not the point. They all add up. This is not complex.
We must go after ALL government waste, fraud and robbery of tax payer dollars.
There were many people in BOTH parties that whined about it three years ago when Cruz proposed exactly this. And Cruz just four weeks ago while campaigning in Oregon said it again, and Trump at THAT time railed against Cruz's idea , and said the Federal government were better stewards of the land and they should be left in federal control.
I am VERY glad to see Donald Trump switching positions and joining in the fray. I hope more people will join in to help Senator Cruz.
Think of all the crappy little trucks you would own I would have those people running like UPS drivers with a rash.
“Hey, Trump. The government doesn’t own anything. We the people do. The guy needs to pick up a constitution.”
AND, “we the people” also borrowed over 20 Trillion (with a T) that we need to repay...
What a concept!
As a triage interviewer at a local food/clothing/etc. bank, a large majority of folks I interview are on food stamps. If you get food stamps, or any other type of taxpayer-supplied handout, you automatically qualify for a nobama phone. 250 minutes a month, and so forth.
Supposed to be limited to one phone per family but this program is enormously abused. Interviewed a single mom last week that had four kids ages 11 and up. She had a phone and so did each of her kids. Like I said abused. We, the taxpayers are paying 100% of the program cost.
Well that interesting so why are all your other Cruz supporter criticizing it?....
maybe cuz they really don’t care about an idea being conservative or good ideas all I care about whose names on it
“Let’s sell all our surplus buildings and land to China.”
I actually think it is a good idea. PRC chinese are going wild on the west coast of canada and usa buying housing and commercial Re.
It reminds me of the Japanese in 1989. They paid huge money for a lot of “trophy” properties, which they sold a fews years later for huge losses.
I would love to rinse and repeat on PRC china.
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