George H.W. Bush ordered the sale of U.S. infrastructure
assets.
http://www.waterindustry.org/12803.htm
“infrastructure asset” means any asset financed in whole or
in part by the Federal Government and needed for the
functioning of the economy. Examples of such assets include,
but are not limited to: roads, tunnels, bridges, electricity
supply facilities. mass transit, rail transportation,
airports, ports. waterways, water supply facilities,
recycling and wastewater treatment facilities, solid waste
disposal facilities, housing, schools, prisons, and
hospitals.
Sec. 3. Privatization initiative. To the extent permitted by
law, the head of each executive department and agency shall
undertake the following actions: (a) Review those procedures
affecting the management and disposition of federally
financed infrastructure assets owned by State and local
governments and modify those procedures to encourage
appropriate privatization of such assets consistent: with
this order;
(b) Assist State and Local governments in their efforts to
advance the objectives of this order; and
(c) Approve State and local governments’ requests to
Privatize infrastructure assets, consistent with the
criteria in section 4 of this order and, where necessary,
grant exceptions to the disposition requirements of the
“Uniform Administration Requirements for Grants and
Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments”
common rule, or other relevant rules or regulations for
infrastructure assets; provided that the transfer price
shall be distributed, as paid, in the following manner: (i)
State and local governments shall first recoup in full the
unadjusted dollar amount of their portion of total project
costs (including any transaction and fix-up costs they
incur) associated with the infrastructure assets involved;
(ii) if proceeds remain, then the Federal Government shall
recoup in full the amount of Federal grant awards,
associated with the infrastructure assets, less the
applicable share of accumulated depreciation on such asset
(calculating using the Internal Revenue Service accelerated
depreciation schedule far the categories of assets in
question); and (iii) finally, the State and local
governments shall keep any remaining proceeds,