Rain Tax (Cumberland, North Beach: real estate, 2013, how much)

[mrboltonman]

Here’s What’s Included in Maryland’s Controversial ‘Rain Tax’ (It’s Exactly What It Sounds Like) | TheBlaze.com

This is just unbelievable.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by mrboltonman

Here’s What’s Included...
This is just unbelievable.

I'm sure glad I have permeable driveways

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

I'm curious why the EPA mandated this only for Maryland; the Chesapeake watershed includes many states.

[rudy_d]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

I'm curious why the EPA mandated this only for Maryland; the Chesapeake watershed includes many states.

The EPA didn't mandate this just for MD. It's nationwide. This is just how MD chose to deal with it.

I'm not sure that I disagree. Paved lots aren't good for waterways.

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

How are pa, ny, Wv dealing with it?

[bolillo_loco]

Rather than cracking on other states, finger pointing on how they can get away with it, and the like, why not take a long look at the EPA, and follow their money trail?

The lion’s share of nitrogen and phosphorous comes from, drum roll, agriculture! Don’t misunderstand my words. I am not cracking on the local farmer. He’s most likely working for some large food mogul that tells him exactly what spec to use when he plants and harvests his crop. Moreover, I’m sure that many farmers would willingly implement nutrient management and conservation plans, planting cover crops, fencing animals out of streams, as well as installing grassed and or forested buffer strips along their fields, but they don’t have the capital to do so. If a fraction of the tax money was thrown at these issues, most of the abatement would be taken care of, but why would the EPA, a government agency pursue the most cost effective and least expensive method when they can attack the little disorganized people who will collectively pay the highest dividends and are the least likely to retaliate against the EPA in court?

These powerful companies do whatever they see fit. It wouldn’t shock me one bit if most of Maryland’s EPA budget comes from the very companies that are polluting the most. A lot of small time farms grow, cultivate, use chemicals that only a few vastly powerful companies produce and or buy the farmers crops, livestock, and the like. The small farmers can’t afford to do it, and the huge companies don’t care because they’re exempt. The Agricultural Certainty bill would excuse participating farmers from new state and local environmental regulations for ten years. Those farmers that are taxed and or regulated out of their farms will most certainly be developed by a real estate mogul or bought up by some mega farmer who’s pocketing a lot of kickback money from the government and or corporate America.

Much like the oil industry along the Mississippi River in La., they’re by and far, the single worst polluters of the river, yet nothing’s done to them, but everybody else in La. gets the axe and has to pay ridiculous taxes and comply with insipid regulations. How are the laws passed that do not good? They do it with the typical disinformation scheme under the guise of feel good legislation.

The EPA is a self-empowered agency and act as the judge, jury, and executioner. They get their financing via ridiculous taxes and regulations that do absolutely nothing to address the problem and or from powerful companies that pollute to no end, but aren’t held accountable because nobody wants to bit the hand that feeds them. The more tax money and power the EPA gets, the larger it wants to become. It’s akin to a 2 year old child with God like powers.

I find it ironic that the huge companies that bought the government and pushed us out of our 1900 city life, mass train/trolley travel, locally made everything within walking distance of our homes, and suburbs within walking distance of the city and got us into a vast network of paved roads/interstates, urban sprawl, car culture, throw away society are now taxing us yet again for the very same things they nefariously created. Ever since I was a 10 year old boy in the 70s, I’ve been asking myself, “How much more are we as a society going to put up with?” Even at that young age, it was obvious to me that big business controlled the government, and none of them cared about us.

I truly feel sorry for you lot down in Maryland, and unfortunately for all of us, I’m sure it will come to my state of Pennsylvania, and also hit West “by God” Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, and New York state. It’s a shame it doesn’t run up to Canada because I’d be most curious to see how they handle the U.S. EPA! Unfortunately, we’d probably label them a terrorist faction and invade. It would also give us an excuse to exploit their tar sands…

Cheers and thanks for reading,
bolillo

P/S I'm not sure how accurate this pie chart is, but I found it interesting

http://www.cbf.org/image/area---how-...-March2013.jpg

If that chart's accurate or ballpark, how in the world do they expect to meet their goals? The answer, they don't! They just want your money and to appear as though they have the problem in hand.

[North Beach Person]

Farmers in MD are required to file nutrient reduction plans along with all the other practices you mentioned for cover crops, watercourse fencing, etc.

[bolillo_loco]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Farmers in MD are required to file nutrient reduction plans along with all the other practices you mentioned for cover crops, watercourse fencing, etc.

The cynic in me doesn't believe your words for one minute.

"But it turns out Big Ag had nothing to worry about. Maryland’s Democratic governor and rising star Martin O’Malley — someone who has a significant say in any Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan — is on Perdue’s side. And it appears that his relationship far exceeds what’s typical between a governor and a large corporation. Or at least one would hope it does.

The advocacy group Food and Water Watch (FWW) has obtained 70 pages of emails [PDF] between O’Malley and Perdue officials — primarily Perdue general counsel Herb Frerichs, with whom FWW says O’Malley went to law school."

Read the full article here:

Leaked letters suggest Maryland’s governor is henpecked by the chicken industry | Grist

The Agricultural Certainty bill seems to exempt participating farmers, and it's a voluntary program...

None of this sounds like they're addressing one of the largest sources of pollution that they're trying to address.

[North Beach Person]

I've helped enough farmers with their paperwork for nutrient reduction to know what's required.

Using Perdue as an example is disingenuous. The company is a major employer on the Eastern Shore and in reality has a pretty good track record in best practices. Every Governor in recent memory, every single one, has had a good working relationship with Perdue. Who sometimes causes problems are the contracted growers for all the major chicken companies, not just Perdue, some of whom do have some issues.

Ride through Lancaster, York, or Cumberland Counties in PA and take a look at the manure pits. Or try to figure out how the Amish, who use raw manure on their fields exclusively, can predict nutrient loading.

[stevemorse]

Originally Posted by bolillo_loco

Rather than cracking on other states, finger pointing on how they can get away with it, and the like, why not take a long look at the EPA, and follow their money trail?

The lion’s share of nitrogen and phosphorous comes from, drum roll, agriculture! Don’t misunderstand my words. I am not cracking on the local farmer. He’s most likely working for some large food mogul that tells him exactly what spec to use when he plants and harvests his crop. Moreover, I’m sure that many farmers would willingly implement nutrient management and conservation plans, planting cover crops, fencing animals out of streams, as well as installing grassed and or forested buffer strips along their fields, but they don’t have the capital to do so. If a fraction of the tax money was thrown at these issues, most of the abatement would be taken care of, but why would the EPA, a government agency pursue the most cost effective and least expensive method when they can attack the little disorganized people who will collectively pay the highest dividends and are the least likely to retaliate against the EPA in court?

These powerful companies do whatever they see fit. It wouldn’t shock me one bit if most of Maryland’s EPA budget comes from the very companies that are polluting the most. A lot of small time farms grow, cultivate, use chemicals that only a few vastly powerful companies produce and or buy the farmers crops, livestock, and the like. The small farmers can’t afford to do it, and the huge companies don’t care because they’re exempt. The Agricultural Certainty bill would excuse participating farmers from new state and local environmental regulations for ten years. Those farmers that are taxed and or regulated out of their farms will most certainly be developed by a real estate mogul or bought up by some mega farmer who’s pocketing a lot of kickback money from the government and or corporate America.

Much like the oil industry along the Mississippi River in La., they’re by and far, the single worst polluters of the river, yet nothing’s done to them, but everybody else in La. gets the axe and has to pay ridiculous taxes and comply with insipid regulations. How are the laws passed that do not good? They do it with the typical disinformation scheme under the guise of feel good legislation.

The EPA is a self-empowered agency and act as the judge, jury, and executioner. They get their financing via ridiculous taxes and regulations that do absolutely nothing to address the problem and or from powerful companies that pollute to no end, but aren’t held accountable because nobody wants to bit the hand that feeds them. The more tax money and power the EPA gets, the larger it wants to become. It’s akin to a 2 year old child with God like powers.

I find it ironic that the huge companies that bought the government and pushed us out of our 1900 city life, mass train/trolley travel, locally made everything within walking distance of our homes, and suburbs within walking distance of the city and got us into a vast network of paved roads/interstates, urban sprawl, car culture, throw away society are now taxing us yet again for the very same things they nefariously created. Ever since I was a 10 year old boy in the 70s, I’ve been asking myself, “How much more are we as a society going to put up with?” Even at that young age, it was obvious to me that big business controlled the government, and none of them cared about us.

I truly feel sorry for you lot down in Maryland, and unfortunately for all of us, I’m sure it will come to my state of Pennsylvania, and also hit West “by God” Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, and New York state. It’s a shame it doesn’t run up to Canada because I’d be most curious to see how they handle the U.S. EPA! Unfortunately, we’d probably label them a terrorist faction and invade. It would also give us an excuse to exploit their tar sands…

Cheers and thanks for reading,
bolillo

P/S I'm not sure how accurate this pie chart is, but I found it interesting

http://www.cbf.org/image/area---how-...-March2013.jpg

If that chart's accurate or ballpark, how in the world do they expect to meet their goals? The answer, they don't! They just want your money and to appear as though they have the problem in hand.

This is a great answer and post!!!!