Maryland Rain Tax

MSN ^ | April 11, 2013

[NorseWood]

A "storm management fee" will be imposed on Maryland residents by Gov. Martin O'Malley — meaning that Maryland is essentially going to tax the rain that falls on people’s property. The bill apparently stems from an order from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the Chesapeake Bay estuary. The rationale is that since "roofs, driveways and carparks create more potential for drainage problems and water contamination," a fundraising fee will be assessed based on the size of the building and surrounding paved surfaces.

[NorseWood]

Will they refund the taxes in drought years and increase them in years of excessive rain? My dog likes to play in the rain. Will I be taxed for him too since his back is obviously impervious to water and therefore would block the water from reaching the ground. Perhaps I should cut down my trees too.

[BenLurkin]

Government versus the people.

Again.

[cripplecreek]

Not really anything new.

In Jackson Michigan near me the EPA convinced the city to impose taxes on parking lots. The city asked what they were supposed to do with the money and the EPA told them to keep it.

Do it yourself bribery.

[1_Rain_Drop]

Should we pray it never rains in Maryland?

What happens if someone hoses down their driveway, or washes their car or waters their plants or lawn? Does that water get taxed also?

What if it rains in one section of MD and not another, who will keep track of that? How does one prove on tax day it didn’t rain or did?

[FlingWingFlyer]

The Marylanders deserve everything they get for electing this retard. This clown is #1 on my Most Obnoxious Public Servant list.

[Salamander]

A drought would suit me.

We’ve become a friggin’ rain forest out here in The Wastelands.

It starts raining in February and doesn’t let up until June.

I hate rain.

[palmer]

They tax “impervious” surfaces whether it rains one drop or not.

[Jim from C-Town]

This is no BS. The Regional Sewer department in Cleveland dreamed up this abusive tax and base the charge on the nonporous areas of your property concrete drives, roofs, and patios, etc.. They then charge you accordingly in order to pay for the new sewers systems to comply with the Federal EPA regulations that are crippling older infrastructure cities.

They don't like the idea that a couple times a year the storm sewers over burden the system and a small amount of raw sewage gets into the lake. When this happened in the past they posted no swimming signs for the couple days a year when it happened. After all, what do you think the fish do in that water!

[cripplecreek]

I hate rain.

LOL You got a funny name for a rain hater. Gonna find you all dried up like a twig under a rock.

[mason-dixon]

Welcome to the Totalitarian State of Maryland!

Gov. Martin OWE Malley

[Chode]

what's next the AIR they breath???

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman

Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman

If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.

Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman

Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.

[ridesthemiles]

How about one of those fancy Maryland horse farms—high dollar stadium jumping horses or ‘3 day’ eventers?

Will only the roof area be taxed? Those farms can run to 200 acres all over.....

Will they pay more than the owner of a small strip mall???

How about no longer paving parking lots??? Let the rain settle into the gravel/dirt!!!

Bad enough that Oregon fined a guy for putting a holding barrel under his downspout & using the water for his garden!!!!

And we are getting pretty restless out here in fly-over country.

No wonder people are loading up on guns & ammo!!!

They are pushing us to a shooting war!

[digger48]

http://www.perviouspavement.org/

Pourous concrete

[ogen hal]

Further proof that maryland is THE Freak state. Bwahahahahaha.

[Tzimisce]

I was just thinking taxes are too low. :)

[Salamander]

Salamanders are fire elementals.

:)

[greeneyes]

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Maryland taxes you because you have too much runoff going to the storm drains.

Another state taxes you if you collect the rainwater and use it to soak into your garden, hence keeping it out of the storm system.

Soon they will tax the air you breathe - oh wait maybe it’s the air you exhale????? Maybe it’s both. Your betters in government have determined that anything and everything that can be taxed will be taxed and contradictions in policy are to be ignored - just render unto the feds everything-that’s the ticket.

This world has become so bizarre, I don’t even know if I am still on earth.

[trebb]

They need to stop using water-impervious sewers to take overflow away and just let it drain naturally...Next thing you know, the politicians will start taxing the sewers they maintain and then charge it off to the citizens. Never ending supply of new taxes if they start doing business like that.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Well, now, that’ll teach my mother to pave the driveway before she sold me the house!

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[Straight Vermonter]

We pay this tax in my town. You can avoid paying it by capturing all of your rain water runoff. Of course, that generally costs a hell of a lot too.