Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Eugene

(64,201 posts)
Thu Apr 3, 2025, 11:40 AM 22 hrs ago

Hundreds of federal buildings, some of them historic, are on the auction block as part of DOGE's effort to privatize eve

Source: Fortune

Hundreds of federal buildings, some of them historic, are on the auction block as part of DOGE’s effort to privatize everything

Irina Ivanova
Wed, April 2, 2025 at 7:01 AM EDT 5 min read

• The federal government is reportedly moving to sell off hundreds of office buildings it owns and then lease them back. While the deal could provide a short-term infusion of cash, it’s a long-term loser for the taxpayer, experts told Fortune.

The Trump administration is pushing to privatize "anything that can reasonably be privatized," in the words of Tesla CEO and White House official Elon Musk. And part of that privatization now involves a tactic beloved by private equity: Selling federally owned buildings, then renting them back to the government.

The General Services Administration last month posted, then quickly removed, a list of 500 federal buildings which it deemed “non-core assets.” That list included the J. Edgar Hoover building, which houses the FBI; the Veterans Administration building, and buildings in Chicago and Boston that house senators' offices, Wired reported. Currently, the GSA lists two dozen buildings available for sale, with the promise to “post additional assets regularly.” Meanwhile, GSA officials are moving ahead with plans to quietly sell hundreds of public buildings to private companies, the Washington Post reported—and then turn around and pay to rent them.

The move risks putting the government underwater for future generations to grapple with and opens up the possibility of developers getting corrupt deals, experts told Fortune.

-snip-

Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/hundreds-federal-buildings-them-historic-110100707.html

5 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Hundreds of federal buildings, some of them historic, are on the auction block as part of DOGE's effort to privatize eve (Original Post) Eugene 22 hrs ago OP
Where do the sales proceeds go? Irish_Dem 22 hrs ago #1
Elon's pocket NotHardly 22 hrs ago #3
And Jared Kushner. Irish_Dem 22 hrs ago #5
K&R this pisses me off, a lot ms liberty 22 hrs ago #2
Too many US voters are incredibly uninformed and they choose to be that way! Lonestarblue 22 hrs ago #4

Lonestarblue

(12,504 posts)
4. Too many US voters are incredibly uninformed and they choose to be that way!
Thu Apr 3, 2025, 12:01 PM
22 hrs ago

I know people are busy but an election as important as 2024 should have encouraged people to learn what they were voting for. Trump broadcast his tariff plans constantly, and the Project 2025 plans to take over the government for wealthy white people were there for anyone to read. Few bothered to learn anything. They were simply happy to know that Trump hates migrants, minorities, and trans people and that was more important to them than protecting our country and our economy from a deranged madman.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Economy»Hundreds of federal build...