The ground for the 2024 presidential election campaign is changing. If Donald Trump and J.D. Vance win this November, that will literally become true. Because Trump and Vance want to use federal land to create more housing and wealth for Americans.
Needless to say, green liberals dislike That's the idea.
Most Americans are only vaguely aware that the federal government owns 28 percent of America's land. There was no special reason for this federal land grab. That's exactly what happened in the 19th century, because no one wanted to live in dry or remote areas.
Of course, scenic national parks have great value, but the U.S. president most associated with these parks, Theodore Roosevelt, also believed in land development. TR is station or playback station As a division of the Ministry of the Interior. His guiding idea was to preserve some of the “crown jewels” (the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone) and use most of the remaining land for people as the country expanded.
President Roosevelt in Yosemite, circa 1903. (Photo courtesy of Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)
The agency's stated goal was to do just that: reclaim vacant land for human use, especially housing. As TR said in 1902, “The healthy and steady development of the West depends on building houses there.”
To this end, Uncle Sam built public works throughout most of the 20th century aimed at making the land more livable, such as the dams on the Columbia River. cheap electricity.
But in the late 20th century, green environmental groups took over. They shifted the paradigm from growth to anti-growth and from pro-people to anti-people. Federal authorities are busy under the green sway Dam removal.
1930s 1940s The base of the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River is seen under construction in the 1930s and 40s in Washington State. (H. Armstrong Roberts/Classic Stock/Getty Images)
But now there's a different way of thinking that reminds us of the original TR worldview. And it was on display during the vice presidential debate on October 1st. CBS News” Margaret Brennan “Senator Vance, from your campaign's standpoint, the promise is to occupy federal land.” (Note the loaded words. grab. CBS has to be CBS. )
Mr. Brennan's specific question is, of course, accusation—It was about housing. But Ms. Vance saw it coming, raised her voice and added energy, “As Donald Trump would say, 'Drill, baby, drill.'” These words were popularized by then-Governor of Alaska sarah palin In 2008, he mentioned the overall idea that America's rich natural resources should be used for the benefit of Americans.
Brennan proves himself to be a blue agent and goes after Vance again. grab It's federal land. ”
Vance said, “Well, what Donald Trump is saying is there's a lot of federal land that's not being used for anything. It's not being used for national parks. They're not being used. . And those could be where we build a lot of housing. ”
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) speaks at the vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News on October 1, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The trade-off between federal land rights and housing is particularly acute in the federally owned state of Wyoming. 48% or more of land. If you look at it federal land ownership No-go lands exist throughout the Cowboy State, even in the midst of developed areas. This became a flashpoint in and around the Jackson Hole resort. service workers find themselves Pricing from local market.
In response, Wyoming's two Republican senators, John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, have proposed legislation to help free up underutilized space and secure shelter. Suggested a modification. as Lummis said last year. “The Housing Act makes it possible for some federal lands to be purchased and repurposed for housing development, helping families across the West achieve and keep the American Dream alive.”
The HOUSES Act, which is also supported by other Republicans, is an obvious “supply-side” solution to the shortage. In other words, if there isn't enough supply, more supply will be added.
By contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris' very different proposal would only stimulate demand rather than increase supply. Her plan to give first-time homebuyers $25,000 as a down payment sounds good (especially for those who are getting free money), but it could boost already high demand and send home prices soaring. As a result, the housing problem will become even worse.
But of course, Harris-style Democrats will never increase supply. That's because it would mean going against the wishes of hegemonic liberal elites who believe federal lands should be held in perpetuity. Expand as much as possible.
The vision of the American donor class is, in fact, kind of. green imperialism. The belief that land from Alaska to Florida is best managed from Washington, DC. Of course, you will need the assistance of various blue dot attorneys and trust funders across the United States.
To be sure, federal land is a complex issue with many competing ideas and interests. That is why it is best for decisions to be made close to the people. as stipulated by the constitutionstates should be sovereign whenever possible. Back in 1932, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said: “Laboratory of Democracy”.
State-based experiments have another big advantage. natural resources. President Trump talks about oil said “We have far more liquid gold under our feet than any other nation,” he said at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. We are a country that has the opportunity to build absolute wealth with that energy. ”
Indeed, “lucky” is the right word. According to Energy Research InstituteU.S. oil resources total more than 2 trillion barrels. At the current price of about $75 per barrel, that equates to about $160 trillion. (Of course, if fighting in the Middle East spills into the Persian Gulf, oil prices could rise even higher, further reinforcing the national security imperative to increase domestic production.)
Additionally, America is blessed with just as much natural gas and even more coal. All these carbon fuels could be cleaned up and consumed for jobs and wealth.
But of course, Biden and Harris-type Democrats don't want to do that. the current The government came to power with a dream of net zero, a mythical vision of no carbon emissions and only windmills and solar panels. Needless to say, that proved impossible, so the Biden-Harris faction simply compromised. Oppose carbon energy production at every possible decision point. (Even the Federal Emergency Management Agency committed an act; FEMA has nothing else to do, right?)
President Trump also called for the use of federal lands to support a “new American industrialism.” like him said “We will create special areas of federal land with ultra-low taxes and regulations for American producers,” he said in Savannah on Sept. 24. These, he vowed, would “create a whole industry.”
Needless to say, reindustrialization policies are controversial. but, all is controversial today. That's what you get with red-blue polarization.
However, polarization may prove to be an opportunity, as it encourages states to become not only laboratories of democracy but also laboratories of democracy. prosperity.
If polarization has paralyzed domestic politics, right-thinking nations should seek God-given benefits such as building homes, extracting energy (and other natural resources), and fostering new industries. You should start using it. As President Trump says, “Make America Rich Again.”
Needless to say, not all states want this. Some states will bow down to the green gods, bowing their economies to the altar of environmental austerity. A questionable choice to be sure, but the same constitution that protects a nation's right to grow also protects its right to grow. de-growth. Therefore, if some states choose to become institutes; povertyWell, at least the rest of us can learn from their bad example.
