# What Are Some Ways The Federal Government Can Raise Money **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638 "2011-01-06T18:57:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/1 "2011-01-06T18:57:13Z")
…besides raising taxes, that is. I know the gov’t raises money through tariffs on imported goods; through the sale of financial instruments (savings bonds and T-Bills), etc. What are some other ways in which the government could raise some money? I’m interested in things that the Constitution specifically says it _can_ do, and things that it may or may not be able to do w/r/t the Constitution. Any ideas, so long as they’re within the realm of possibility and are somewhat serious-ish, are welcome. Some ideas I’ve had: [ul] [li]Patenting of technologies developed in space exploration, military weapons, etc., for use in private industry.[/li][li]Selling federal land.[/li][li]Selling some of the gold currently held in reserve. \*see note[/li][li]Selling artifacts, artwork, etc. that are not on public display in the Smithsonian.[/li][/ul] What else? NOTE: I’m unclear on what effect on the economy, if any, there would be if the US gold reserves, or any portion of them, is put on the public market. Doubtless the price of gold would fall, but beyond that I leave to more learned economists to speculate. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/2 "2011-01-06T19:02:47Z")
National parks could stand to charge larger admission fees. As rare and special as they are, I think it’s appropriate to charge a higher admission fee so that locals don’t treat it like a state park and go there every weekend just for a family BBQ. A family travelling across the country on an RV trip every couple of years (or international visitors) won’t find it a big deal to pay $75 or more for a multi-day pass; neither will locals who visit with that same infrequency. More money is raised for park operations (maybe allowing their chunk of the federal budget to be reduced), and the visitors to the park are drawn more from the entire nation instead of just the people who happen to live within a 100-mile radius of it. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/3 "2011-01-07T23:30:42Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > National parks could stand to charge larger admission fees. As rare and special as they are, I think it’s appropriate to charge a higher admission fee so that locals don’t treat it like a state park and go there every weekend just for a family BBQ. I’m not sure I understand this complaint. I mean, heaven forbid we have Americans using and enjoying national parks? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/4 "2011-01-07T23:55:57Z")
We could have a bake sale. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/5 "2011-01-07T23:57:36Z")
My personal favorite is still legalizing currently illegal drugs and taxing the heck out of them. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/6 "2011-01-08T00:03:27Z")
National Lottery. OK, it’s really a voluntary tax on the whimsical and those really bad at math, but it’s a painless tax. Legalize Marijuana, and tax the ever loving shit out of it. Stoners get to quit being hassled by the man, non-stoners don’t buy weed, and won’t pay the tax. Foreclose on France. They still owe us millions in war debts. We take title to the country, and they have to pay us rent. Claim a one third interest in Iraqi oil production. Hey, we destroyed their country. The least they could do is give us free oil. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/7 "2011-01-08T00:10:26Z")
Sorry to break it to you OP, but a tariff is a tax. And whoever has to pay it to the gov, will turn around and charge it to the buyer. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/8 "2011-01-08T01:17:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > We could have a bake sale. Let’s put on a show! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/9 "2011-01-08T01:21:50Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > National parks could stand to charge larger admission fees. It’s been my understand for years that parks and other government run institutions have already greatly raised their fees in recent years; part of the general policy of shifting the tax burden from the wealthy to the common people. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/10 "2011-01-08T01:28:07Z")
All Federal employees can be whored out after business hours, and kick back a portion of their fees to the pimp – I mean government. ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/11 "2011-01-08T01:42:38Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > All Federal employees can be whored out after business hours, and kick back a portion of their fees to the pimp – I mean government. I once read some dystopian (or utopian) scifi short story, where in the future, to raise funds, the federal government ran a national monopoly on prostitution, with a nationwide network of brothels and prostitutes employed as civil servants. Its eminently reasonable, IMO. We’ve already got socialized medicine, with all its advantages of streamlined administration and access over the chaotic private system, so why not socialized love too? There’s some kind of joke here vis a vis tea party, conservatives and the post office/DMV, but I can’t quite reach it. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/12 "2011-01-08T03:06:29Z")
Agree with legalizing marijuana and taxing it. Start gradually abolishing Indian reservations with a target date of 2020 or something for completion. Amerindians can stand for themselves now. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/13 "2011-01-08T03:09:53Z")
Sell Texas to Mexico. I know they won’t pay much for it, but even at a penny an acre we’ll make something. The derivative cost savings will be enormous. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/14 "2011-01-08T03:22:24Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Sell Texas to Mexico. I know they won’t pay much for it, but even at a penny an acre we’ll make something. The derivative cost savings will be enormous. Which will be massively offset by the loss of revenues from Texas (22 million people and GDP of $ 1.224 Trillion!). ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/15 "2011-01-08T04:39:16Z")
Well, we have by far the world’s largest military…“Hey, Norway. Nice little country you’ve got there–high GDP, all that oil. Be a shame if anything were to _happen_ to it, you know what we mean?” ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/16 "2011-01-08T05:13:23Z")
Doesn’t the federal government charge fees to ranchers who let their cattle graze on federally owned lands, and to corporations for mineral mining? If so, how about adjusting those fees upwards? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/17 "2011-01-08T05:22:16Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Which will be massively offset by the loss of revenues from Texas (22 million people and GDP of $ 1.224 Trillion!). And plenty of taxes to support it all; red states are net tax drains, carried on the back of the blue states. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/18 "2011-01-08T05:29:37Z")
As has been said many times… You don’t need to increase income, you need to decrease the spending ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/19 "2011-01-08T06:05:04Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > As has been said many times… > > You don’t need to increase income, you need to decrease the spending And it’s wrong every time. The hole is huge. We need both. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638/20 "2011-01-08T06:13:00Z")
Why didn’t I think of this before? LET’S TAKE OVER THE WORLD! Not only will we get all the money in the world’s banks, we can cancel all those debts to the former independent countries that we now own. What can possibly go wrong? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-ways-the-federal-government-can-raise-money/566638.md?page=2)