Liquidating Unnecessary Federal Government Assets

Currently, the Federal government owns many types of assets that serve little or no purpose for the people of the United States. These assets are effectively sitting idle, not earning any return for the public. The market price of just the most easily identified of these assets is estimated to total at least $1.6 trillion. That's about equal to this year's entire Federal budget deficit.

Given the experience of other cash-strapped countries, legislators should mimic private-sector firms that frequently sell idle assets to avoid taking on more debt. Unfor.....