Maryland Governor Taxes Rain

UnderMiSensi
UnderMiSensi Members Posts: 955 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited April 2013 in The Social Lounge
Maryland Democratic Governor Martin O’Malley has instituted a tax on citizens for the amount of rain that falls on their property.

The tax, officially known as a "storm water management fee," will be enforced in nine of the state's counties. The state legislature passed it in 2012 purportedly to "raise revenue to cleanup [sic] the Chesapeake Bay," according to MarylandReporter.com.

Former 2012 GOP U.S. Senate candidate Dan Bongino bashes the tax in a Wednesday afternoon press release. The law "requires individuals, businesses, and even charitable organizations and houses of worship to pay a tax based on the amount of rain that falls on their property and the 'impervious surfaces' on their land," he says.

The tax, mandated by the EPA and enforced locally, will be calculated "through satellite surveillance of your property," the statement claims.

Bongino blasts "out of touch political aristocrats in Maryland will do anything to diminish your economic liberty and starve your wallet while padding theirs."

According to the conservative organization Change Maryland, the rain tax will cost Marylanders about $300 million annually.

Governor O'Malley famously tried increasing taxes to balance the state's budget with little success in 2007. The increase in the top marginal tax rate, known as a "millionaire's tax," cost Maryland $1.7 billion in lost tax revenue, according to Change Maryland. Between 2007 and 2010, the state population suffered a net loss of 31,000 people.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/04/10/Maryland-governor-taxes-rain

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Comments

  • indyman87
    indyman87 Members Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭
    This some BS. Democrats are just as worse as the republicans.
  • jono
    jono Members Posts: 30,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Breitbart?

    C'mon B.
  • twatgetta
    twatgetta Members Posts: 6,705 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • UnderMiSensi
    UnderMiSensi Members Posts: 955 ✭✭✭✭✭
    twatgetta wrote: »
    Democrats

    Democrats and Republicans ain't ? bruh.
  • jono
    jono Members Posts: 30,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    In a move aimed at helping Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, the General Assembly adopted a bill late last night mandating that Maryland's largest localities, including Baltimore city and its suburbs, levy fees on their residents to pay for controlling polluted runoff from streets, parking lots and buildings.

    HB987 cleared the Senate after a protracted debate and repeated efforts by opponents to limit the requirement.  All failed, though senators did exempt state, county and municipal governments and volunteer fire companies from having to pay any fees.





    Sen. E.J. Pipkin, R-Upper Shore, denounced the fee mandate, saying state lawmakers were forcing local governments to pay for pollution reductions ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency under a Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan adopted more than a year ago.

    "We're going to tax rain water," said Pipkin, who noted that the EPA's authority to impose a "pollution diet" for the bay is currently being challenged in federal court.  He warned that cleaning up storm-water pollution, which some have estimated could cost more than $6 billion by 2025, would hurt Maryland's economy, especially if other states in the bay region don't impose similar fees on their residents.

    But Sen.Paul G. Pinsky, D-Prince George's, responded that the bill is needed because local governments have lacked the political will to to raise funds to pay for tree-planting, storm-drain retrofits and other pollution control measures needed to restore the bay.  Storm-water pollution from urban and suburban communities is the source of roughly one-fifth of the nitrogen and phosphorus fouling the bay, he noted.

    House members quickly accepted the Senate version without debate just minutes before the scheduled midnight end of the 90-day session.  Besides the city, the bill would require fees be imposed in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Howard, Prince George's and Montgomery counties.  Montgomery already levies such a fee.


    http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-04-10/features/bal-bmg-assembly-approves-stormwater-pollution-mandate-20120409_1_storm-water-pollution-pollution-diet-levy-fees


    I knew it was more to it than that. The state refuses to take common sense procedures to clean up the Bay and so they went the ridiculous route. The sad part is the ludicrous "rain tax" passed but laws trying to force common sense changes that wouldn't be as dumb stalled.


    Politics is so ? dumb, why didn't the Governor just mandate these localities to take on the responsibility without looking like a damn fool?

    Smh

    Also restoration of the Bay seems to be critical to the tri-state area on the coast:

    "Health departments across the watershed continue to caution people to stay out of the Bay after a heavy rain in order to avoid harmful bacteria and pollution (Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia departments of health and environment)"


    "The forests found in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed protect and filter drinking water for 75 percent of the watershed’s residents—that’s nearly 13 million people (Chesapeake Bay Program)"


    "The commercial seafood industry in Maryland and Virginia combined equals $3.39 billion in sales, $890 million in income, and nearly 34,000 jobs to the local economy per year (NOAA)"


    I guess its an argument of complaining about a "rain tax" or literally eating poisoned seafood. The local governments had opportunities to help without this ludicrous law.
  • UnderMiSensi
    UnderMiSensi Members Posts: 955 ✭✭✭✭✭
    jono wrote: »
    In a move aimed at helping Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, the General Assembly adopted a bill late last night mandating that Maryland's largest localities, including Baltimore city and its suburbs, levy fees on their residents to pay for controlling polluted runoff from streets, parking lots and buildings.

    HB987 cleared the Senate after a protracted debate and repeated efforts by opponents to limit the requirement.  All failed, though senators did exempt state, county and municipal governments and volunteer fire companies from having to pay any fees.





    Sen. E.J. Pipkin, R-Upper Shore, denounced the fee mandate, saying state lawmakers were forcing local governments to pay for pollution reductions ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency under a Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan adopted more than a year ago.

    "We're going to tax rain water," said Pipkin, who noted that the EPA's authority to impose a "pollution diet" for the bay is currently being challenged in federal court.  He warned that cleaning up storm-water pollution, which some have estimated could cost more than $6 billion by 2025, would hurt Maryland's economy, especially if other states in the bay region don't impose similar fees on their residents.

    But Sen.Paul G. Pinsky, D-Prince George's, responded that the bill is needed because local governments have lacked the political will to to raise funds to pay for tree-planting, storm-drain retrofits and other pollution control measures needed to restore the bay.  Storm-water pollution from urban and suburban communities is the source of roughly one-fifth of the nitrogen and phosphorus fouling the bay, he noted.

    House members quickly accepted the Senate version without debate just minutes before the scheduled midnight end of the 90-day session.  Besides the city, the bill would require fees be imposed in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Howard, Prince George's and Montgomery counties.  Montgomery already levies such a fee.


    http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-04-10/features/bal-bmg-assembly-approves-stormwater-pollution-mandate-20120409_1_storm-water-pollution-pollution-diet-levy-fees


    I knew it was more to it than that. The state refuses to take common sense procedures to clean up the Bay and so they went the ridiculous route. The sad part is the ludicrous "rain tax" passed but laws trying to force common sense changes that wouldn't be as dumb stalled.


    Politics is so ? dumb, why didn't the Governor just mandate these localities to take on the responsibility without looking like a damn fool?

    Smh

    Also restoration of the Bay seems to be critical to the tri-state area on the coast:

    "Health departments across the watershed continue to caution people to stay out of the Bay after a heavy rain in order to avoid harmful bacteria and pollution (Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia departments of health and environment)"


    "The forests found in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed protect and filter drinking water for 75 percent of the watershed’s residents—that’s nearly 13 million people (Chesapeake Bay Program)"


    "The commercial seafood industry in Maryland and Virginia combined equals $3.39 billion in sales, $890 million in income, and nearly 34,000 jobs to the local economy per year (NOAA)"


    I guess its an argument of complaining about a "rain tax" or literally eating poisoned seafood. The local governments had opportunities to help without this ludicrous law.

    The same government that exempted the natural gas and oil companies now all of a sudden care about the cleanliness of our water if they can impose new taxes? Interesting
  • blakfyahking
    blakfyahking Members Posts: 15,785 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited April 2013
    thank ? ? are finally acknowledging that these Democrats are just as ? up as these Republicans

    neither group has your best interests at heart


    taxing rain? LOL
  • And_So_It_Burns
    And_So_It_Burns Members Posts: 921 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Democrats aren't nearly as out of touch with society as Republicans. They still think its the 1980s socially and the 20s economically.

    This bill will be widely unpopular I'm from md. Our gov. Is a 2016 presidential candidate he's been doing a lot of things that will make him look more attractive in 2016 like taking a harsh stance on gun laws. This probably won't last very long though
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    just more ? from this ? ; first the gun stuff, and now this. hey, we can also talk about the pit bull thing.
    This bill will be widely unpopular I'm from md. Our gov. Is a 2016 presidential candidate he's been doing a lot of things that will make him look more attractive in 2016 like taking a harsh stance on gun laws.
    my only consolation on the gun ? --which is pointless, will accomplish nothing but ? with gun owners, etc-- is that it is going to make him lose out for the 2016 nomination.
    I think O 'Malley's just getting his feet wet for now and just testing tha waters. He's probably eyeing sometime between 2024-2032
    you have to remember it's not so much about the DNC saying "O'Malley'd be a good candidate" as him thinking he deserves it.
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    Didnt get that but I think he's full of himself personally.
    does that not agree with me? the man's full of himself and thinks he deserves the nod as the next big thing in the Democrat party. and please, O'Malley not going to legalize weed for recreational use unless the federal government does it first because, if nothing else, you have to look TOUGH ON CRIME to run for office. it helps to remember that he's not actually trying to SOLVE most of the problems he's talking about.
    O'Malley is doing his thing and i aint really mad at him, i think hd gets it.
    he's a ? and i am mad at him. i kind of resent someone actively ? with me simply to put a feather in his cap to run for president. i don't think he "gets" a damn thing.
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    oh no, not the dreaded "wack" label!
    actually youre wrong. O'Malley does get it and yes he's just a Politician. He's just too much of a Square to ever be a Great Politician
    and you're demonstrating he gets it by telling me... what, exactly? that you're mad i bashed O'Malley?
    u dont see dude on TV everyday so calm down with all if that. I've been living in Maryland his entire stint. I know what he goes for and doesnt go for so u can keep all if your Obama & Democrat bashing in another thread. I KNOW wat Im talking about, I've benefitted personally from his actions (just as most Marylanders have). So just fall back n troll somewhere else
    the interesting thing about this is that you've immediately leaped on your high horse to dismiss me because you're living in Maryland. not with an argument, but because you live in Maryland.

    fun fact: i have ALSO been living in Maryland during his entire terms as governor. and his terms as mayor of Baltimore. since, you know, i was born in Maryland and currently live in Maryland. which is probably why i DO see him in the news all the time and, oddly enough, am talking about O'Malley directly ? with me. would i even claim the latter if i didn't live in Maryland? or does that not make sense?

    also... did i mention Obama? or, for that matter, Democrats beyond where O'Malley sees himself in the party? yeah, that's right, i didn't. so PERHAPS your "your Obama & Democrat bashing" noise is just as off-base as your "you don't get O'Malley like i do because I AM FROM MARYLAND."

    ...and it's also weird because you went from complaining about O'Malley to having hurt feelings because i bashed the man emphatically. i don't even know what's going on here anymore.
  • janklow
    janklow Members, Moderators Posts: 8,613 Regulator
    All of this estrogen and u didnt didnt mention how O'Malley has "been ? wit u" or put in ? policies.

    Im callin Trollin on your part
    please. you tried to play the "BUT I'M FROM MARYLAND" card and it blew up in your face. now it's just 100% ? talk instead of, you know, defending what YOU said about his policies. or, hell, just admitting how false the ? you're talking is.

    ...and even more sad, you claim i didn't "mention how O'Malley has "been ? wit u" or put in ? policies" ... and yet, if you look at the first post, i mention his tax increases, his gun control legislation, and his tacit support of the pit bull legislation. sounds a lot like ? policies of his to me. tack on the about-face on gambling and the gerrymandering if you don't think that covers it.

  • BelovedAfeni
    BelovedAfeni Members Posts: 8,647 ✭✭✭✭✭
    they tax rain in Germany too
    The water that falls on your property

    Proud to be an American
    jk