Get Our Land Back

I recently ranted about how it is impossible to actually own property in the USA due to the taxes. In the news this week we learned that BLM thinks that the federal government owns private property along the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. Here we see literally hundreds of thousands of acres of private property which has been taxed again and again (see my rant on this outdated tax approach here), being taken from private owners without any regard for illegal search and seizure.

People's homes are being taken away from them after decades of ownership and taxation with BLM ignoring the landowners fourth amendment rights. There are talks of letting the landowners buy back their land. Really, buy it back? It does not belong to the feds. How can they even think about selling something they don't own?

Here is where this is going for me, is to the ownership of property by the federal government. Where are the national parks located? Denali, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Everglades, Haleakala, etc. They are all located in..... States. Why does this matter? Because the states should have sovereignty. If a state wants to maintain the parks, then the ownership, the revenue and the method for maintaining the park should reside in the power of the states.

I love the parks and I visit often. But the economic impact that they can produce should go to the respective states, not the federal government. When considering natural resources, permits should not be issued or denied by the federal government, but the states. More power should reside in the states and less with the feds. Honestly, there is no need for the federal government to own any property beyond what is necessary for the administrative buildings.

I have no problem with the feds owning the Capitol. I have no problem with the White House or the Pentagon being federal property. We clearly need federal land for military, but beyond the administrative and security needs, there is no reason for the federal government to own property. Dept of the Interior, just as most other agencies, has far overstepped its bounds. It is time to leave property to the people. If any state government wants to maintain parks, they are free to do so. Arizona should be free to benefit from the Grand Canyon. No more feds.

God Bless,

Geoff