14,000 Excess US Government Properties – How Did It Get So Bad?

There is a lot of talk of cutting the budget, and the focus is on finding money wherever the government can. With that being said, an across the board budget cut was implemented this year which affected most federal departments (DoD, DoJ, etc.) along with research facilitates such as NASA and the National Science Foundation.

The cuts came with great controversy and media coverage. However, what wasn’t mentioned was all of the simple and less controversial ways the Federal Government could save nearly $200 million per year (or more). That method would be getting rid of the 14,000 excess federal buildings and structures that are not in use by the government.

These vacant properties stretch across the country and are not in use, but are being maintained on the taxpayers’ dime. The Federal government describes these properties in this way:

“These properties range from sheds to underutilized office buildings and empty warehouses.” (1)

However, this quick description does not accurately describe the properties. The government’s description paints a picture of an abandoned, decaying warehouse or a rusted metal building. Though this may be the Read more…