Maryland Governor Passes Unconstitutional “Rain Tax” (Congress, legal, Obama)

[All American NYC]

if you thought they ran out of ways to tax us you badly misjudged our lawmakers’ creativity. Get ready for their newest invention, the rain tax. Here’s what’s going on: In 2010 the Obama administration’s Environmental Protection Agency ordered Maryland to reduce stormwater runoff into the Chesapeake Bay so that nitrogen levels fall 22 percent and phosphorus falls 15 percent from current amounts. The price tag: $14.8 billion. And where do we get the $14.8 billion? By taxing so-called “impervious surfaces,” anything that prevents rain water from seeping into the earth (roofs, driveways, patios, sidewalks, etc.) thereby causing stormwater run off. In other words, a rain tax.

They left out the air tax.

[BMORE]

Originally Posted by All American NYC

They left out the air tax.

I saw this on another site I'm on, I thought the people were just playing when they said MD is getting a rain tax. This is absurd, over-taxation, for a state that claims to be pro-poor/welfare state, it sure does tax a lot. If MD wants to keep coming up with more taxes I'd like for us to first lower the corporate tax to attract the companies that can pay people in our state the amount of taxation they desire.

[Bulldawg82]

And not one penny will go anything having to do with the Chesapeake. They just needed a convenient excuse to steal more money from the people.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by BMOREBOY

I saw this on another site I'm on, I thought the people were just playing when they said MD is getting a rain tax. This is absurd, over-taxation, for a state that claims to be pro-poor/welfare state, it sure does tax a lot. If MD wants to keep coming up with more taxes I'd like for us to first lower the corporate tax to attract the companies that can pay people in our state the amount of taxation they desire.

So where do you suggest that MD gets the money to comply with Obama's mandate?

[shiftymh]

"This tax is ridiculous and unfair", said no democrat ever.

[GuyNTexas]

Originally Posted by All American NYC

They left out the air tax.

They already have that covered in the CO2 reduction scheme.

[Ferd]

But but but the EPA are the good guys! they wuv us!

[carterstamp]

Originally Posted by All American NYC

They left out the air tax.

How is it unconstitutional?

[legalsea]

Very interesting. Of course, it is not as 'cut and dry' as some like to pretend.

Proposed National Rulemaking to Strengthen the Stormwater Program | NPDES | US EPA

Stormwater Management

Some intersting articles that I plan to read in depth later on. Apparently, the proposal involves new construction and 're-construction', as a means to combat the runoff flooding, etc.

Not living in the Chesapeake area, I do not know how bad the flooding situation is getting. I do know that here in Fort Worth the city council allowed some ill-advised construction in certain areas that created flooding in areas where it had never before occurred.

Some of the proposals provide that new construction (say, for a car lot) include drainage systems, small areas of exposed ground, etc.

[GuyNTexas]

Originally Posted by Roadking2003

So where do you suggest that MD gets the money to comply with Obama's mandate?

They don't. The legislature simply needs to craft legislation that rejects any form of unfunded mandate coming from the District of Criminals.

The whole EPA regulatory scheme dreamed up by these scum-bags is illegitimate, and a deliberate end run around the legal mechanisms of government. These ill-conceived environmental actions were rejected by congress, so the dictator in chief simply tells EPA to use regulations in place of the laws they can't get passed. But regulations are not laws, and any State can and should reject this idiocy, by legislative action (LAW).