Martin O'Malley

elleng

(135,876 posts) Sat May 30, 2015, 11:30 AM May 2015

for those who hear complaints about a so-called 'rain tax,' facts:

A rain tax, or Stormwater Remediation Fee, was established via House Bill 987 (April 2012) affecting the largest urban jurisdictions in Maryland (nine counties and the City of Baltimore) in order to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act as it concerns the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Tax Foundation states House Bill 987 "was passed in response to a decree by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally known as the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load, which identified mandatory reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment that damage the Chesapeake Bay." This mandate from the EPA was mandated to the states of Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Maryland is the only state that has levied a tax to meet the EPA’s standards.[2] According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the fastest-growing source of bay water pollution from Maryland is currently stormwater runoff.[3][4]
The law specifies that accrued funds must be used for specified stormwater pollution-related purposes.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_tax

9 replies

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for those who hear complaints about a so-called 'rain tax,' facts: (Original Post) elleng May 2015 OP

Hogan the Horrible Rosa Luxemburg May 2015 #1

My mother taught me that if I couldn't say anything good about someone, Koinos May 2015 #4

Taxing Whom? HassleCat May 2015 #2

taxes those of us in elleng May 2015 #3

Money to fix things, including the environment, has to come from somewhere. Koinos May 2015 #5

Yes it does, elleng May 2015 #7

K&R. Thanks for posting. n/t FSogol May 2015 #6

Thank you. I hated how that tax was spun. Raine1967 May 2015 #8

Ditto. They do it so well, elleng May 2015 #9

Rosa Luxemburg

(28,627 posts)

1. Hogan the Horrible

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Sat May 30, 2015, 11:39 AM

May 2015

Koinos

(2,798 posts)

4. My mother taught me that if I couldn't say anything good about someone,

Reply to Rosa Luxemburg (Reply #1)

Sat May 30, 2015, 12:58 PM

May 2015

I shouldn't say anything at all.

So, I am officially and unequivocally saying nothing about Hogan.

HassleCat

(6,409 posts)

2. Taxing Whom?

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Sat May 30, 2015, 11:46 AM

May 2015

I don't know anything about the Maryland "rain tax," but I'm glad one state is trying to comply with the order. The Chesapeake Bay is a mess, and it needs to be cleaned up because so many people rely on it for recreation and commercial fishing. The type of pollution involved here is called "non-point-source" pollution because it does not come from a specific pipe. It comes from streets, lawns, golf courses, farm fields, etc. Because it's impossible to track down a specific polluter and fine him for what he's doing to the bay, some kind of tax has to be levied on the general population. This can be done fairly, by coming up with a formula to tax a golf course more for spraying 50 acres with herbicide than they tax you for spreading Weed N Feed on your front lawn. Of course, industry lobbyists are hard at work, when state legislatures consider such taxes, to make sure you and your front lawn foot a big part of the bill for the golf courses. Anyone know how Maryland's tax is administered?

elleng

(135,876 posts)

3. taxes those of us in

Reply to HassleCat (Reply #2)

Sat May 30, 2015, 11:56 AM

May 2015

the largest urban jurisdictions in Maryland (nine counties and the City of Baltimore).

Mother Jones magazine called him the best candidate on environmental issues.
Article here:
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/martin-omalley-longshot-presidential-candidate-and-real-climate-hawk

Koinos

(2,798 posts)

5. Money to fix things, including the environment, has to come from somewhere.

Reply to elleng (Original post)

Sat May 30, 2015, 01:00 PM

May 2015

elleng

(135,876 posts)

7. Yes it does,

Reply to Koinos (Reply #5)

Sat May 30, 2015, 01:35 PM

May 2015

and this is perfectly reasonable, imposed on those of us closest to the Bay. People WILL always complain, of course, and many will take advantage of the ignorance of others to complain and name names.