Posted on 03/31/2024 9:19:03 AM PDT by Twotone
Critics are blasting a "rain tax" Toronto is proposing to charge homeowners, Newsweek reported.
City officials are proposing to hit homeowners with a "stormwater charge" according to how much their properties' water runoff would impact the storm sewer system, the magazine said, adding that it's an attempt to encourage citizens to keep grass and plants on their properties rather than paving outdoor square footage.
Newsweek, citing Toronto city authorities, said the charge would be based on each property's hard surface area, including roofs, driveways, parking lots, and other concrete landscaping.
"Stormwater is rain and melted snow. When not absorbed into the ground, stormwater runs off hard surfaces onto streets, down storm drains, and through a network of pipes that carry it into local waterways," Toronto's city website says, according to Newsweek. "In urbanized areas like Toronto, there are a lot of hard surfaces. [...] Too much stormwater can overwhelm the city's sewer system, which can lead to flooded basements and impacts to surface water quality in Toronto's rivers, streams, and Lake Ontario's waterfront."
The proposal is eliciting annoyed reactions — such as from Donald Trump Jr.: "I'm sure it will end with the Rain Tax. They definitely won't just confiscate whatever they want in the not too distant future!!!"
Newsweek noted that Warren Kinsella, founder of political campaign strategy firm Daisy Consulting Group, penned an op-ed for the Toronto Sun. Kinsella opened his piece with a nine-word assault: "A rain tax. Seriously, they want to tax the rain."
Canadian Parliament member Kevin Vuong echoed Kinsella's words in an equally critical social media post: "Because people in #toronto aren't already struggling enough to make ends meet, the NDP's @Olivia Chow wants to implement: A rain tax. Seriously, they want to tax the rain."
Toronto is consulting the public about the proposed charge until April 30, the magazine said, adding that a report on the outcome of the public consultation is scheduled to be released this summer. If that ain't enough ...
Earlier this month, Toronto police endured serious backlash after telling residents to leave their car keys at the front doors of their homes for thieves to take in order to lessen the risk of residents being physically attacked for car keys in their homes.
“To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at the front door because they are breaking into your home to steal your car; they don’t want anything else," a police official said. "A lot of them that they’re arresting have guns on them, and they are not toy guns. They are real guns. They’re loaded.”
When I lived in Oregon, I was shocked how much water and water infrastructure costs.
Even AZ was cheaper.
Ditto for my parents in an Illinois city.....
If this is a problem, then the city needs to stop issuing new permits.
Another way to take money from property owners.
Much of that water ends up in the Great Lakes and we have had record high lake levels the last few years. As a resident Great Laker where is my cut of what the canucks take in?
Ironic since I remember some other state going after some guy who was collecting all his rain water to use!
Environmental wackos cant make up their minds!
btt
Most revolutions are the result of overbearing government and taxation. It is not if a revolution will occur but more of when.
And they've already got the theme song for it, 'Every Breath You Take."
Taxing God? Unique idea, maybe they could tax churches on the inches of rainfall the storm system must be sized to handle.
They do this in California already, I had to pay a FEE for the amount of concrete for my driveway I poured as well as the roof square footage, when I got my building permit to build my new house. It was a one time fee, but it still has to be paid.
Maryland has a rain tax assessed on the size of the roof of the house - run off into the sewers. In CO, they say the rain belongs to them and you can’t collect it; same goes for Jefferson county, WA.
The hosers stole this thieving scam from the idiots in Maryland.
They did it in Maryland too IIRC
Got one here in Iowa.
I thought they succeeded and added it to the property tax.
I thoughtbit was defeated.
Bears investigating.
Now if a homeowner’s association testifies that a permit for a new shopping center should not be granted, on the theory that concrete/asphalt is less permeable than bare soil, they’ll dismiss the argument.
I don’t know if the developer had to pay based on the amount of asphalt — it’s possible.
Oregon. Yes. A few years ago I read a news article that they were going to outlaw rain barrels, and everything that collected rain, in Oregon.
I believe Marylsnd taxes the rain
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