Forbes article on the Rain Tax

Don H · Feb 3, 2014

For your enjoyment
http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbrown/2014/01/03/when-it-rains-it-pours-tax-dollars-in-maryland/

Boom Boom · Feb 3, 2014

Old news but Carroll and Frederick counties told MD to shove it and aren't paying.

Traveler · Feb 3, 2014

Sure, OweMalley may have pushed the tax locally, but this was a FED mandate.

Formally known as HB 987 or the Stormwater Management-Watershed and Restoration Program, the “rain tax” – passed by the state legislature and signed into law on May 2, 2012 – was in response to a 2010 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandate aimed towards reducing the pollution levels in the Chesapeake Bay. While the EPA’s $7.7 billion project called on the seven surrounding states to pass legislation recommendations contained within the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report, Maryland is currently the only state to have actually listened to the federal agency.

highfructosecornsyrup · Feb 3, 2014

havent they done rain tax in other states? maybe not as a state law but in some counties. Oregon maybe, Florida...?

Robert · Feb 3, 2014

highfructosecornsyrup said:
havent they done rain tax in other states? maybe not as a state law but in some counties. Oregon maybe, Florida...?

I don't think so.

Maryland is the only state in the country that taxes the amount of rain that falls. Source

blindnoodle · Feb 3, 2014

Traveler said:
Sure, OweMalley may have pushed the tax locally, but this was a FED mandate.

Feds cannot mandate states to do anything through legislation. Feds CAN condition funds on state action though.

State is free to do what they wish. For example, lower BAC threshold to .08 and receive highway funds or keep BAC threshold at .12 and not receive funds.

So don't blame the feds for this one.

6-Pack · Feb 4, 2014

blindnoodle said:
Feds cannot mandate states to do anything through legislation. Feds CAN condition funds on state action though.

State is free to do what they wish. For example, lower BAC threshold to .08 and receive highway funds or keep BAC threshold at .12 and not receive funds.

So don't blame the feds for this one.

+1

This is just like how the Feds "urged" states to pass gun control laws because the Feds couldn't ram it up our ass without significant pushback (unlike Maryland).

Smitch521 · Feb 4, 2014

While I disagree with the concept of this tax I think it is important that people have an actual understanding of what it is. I've seen a lot of people talking about the "Rain tax" as a tax on rain; this sounds pretty absurd and clearly would be ridiculous. However, the idea behind the tax was to charge businesses that have large impervious surfaces that damage the environment for operating in such a manner.

While I think it has been brought about in a mismanaged way and the implementation is equally poor it is irritating to hear people who still think that there is literally a tax on rain. That is not true and it just adds to misinformation that circulates.

Reloader · Feb 4, 2014

Call it what you want, I got taxed on my house and my driveway...two separate bills!

Robert · Feb 4, 2014

Smitch521 said:
While I disagree with the concept of this tax I think it is important that people have an actual understanding of what it is. I've seen a lot of people talking about the "Rain tax" as a tax on rain; this sounds pretty absurd and clearly would be ridiculous. However, the idea behind the tax was to charge businesses that have large impervious surfaces that damage the environment for operating in such a manner.

While I think it has been brought about in a mismanaged way and the implementation is equally poor it is irritating to hear people who still think that there is literally a tax on rain. That is not true and it just adds to misinformation that circulates.

What?

Its a very descriptive nick name, that IMO describes the tax perfectly. It's not a tax on water used in washing ones car, or cleaning ones side walks and drive ways, etc..., it's specifically deals with rain run off from impervious surfaces such as ones roof.

And this little gem will cost us big, in the tune of ~300 million a year...

6-Pack · Feb 4, 2014

Taxes serve purposes. For instance: tax alcohol to support "treatment" for DUI offenders, tax firearms and ammunition to support wildlife management programs or tax tobacco to offset healthcare costs.

Here, the state has no interest in improving the Bay. This is supported by the fact that there are no credits available (such as "install a rain barrel and reduce your tax by 25%" or "run your gutter runoff into your garden for a $50 credit"). These credits would actually impact runoff water from getting into the bay even for those of us who are 50 miles away from the Bay (I still find it difficult to believe that my little patch of dirt 50 miles away would be a problem, but I digress).

This tax is nothing but an ass ramming by the great state of Mayland.

Philoctete · Feb 4, 2014

I have no driveway and all runoff from my roof runs into my garden/landscaping.

I'm still getting taxed.

For having rain fall on my property.

BS

Karl · Feb 5, 2014

What are they doing with this taxmoney?
Do they clean the water in the bay or do they spend them wisely as Politicians always do?

kenpo333 · Feb 5, 2014

It's sad when your state is known for being the one state to do something and that one thing is to put the citizens into more suppression.

Glaron · Feb 6, 2014

Karl said:
What are they doing with this taxmoney?
Do they clean the water in the bay or do they spend them wisely as Politicians always do?

They spend it. They are smarter than you. You don't need money you earned, they do.

It is not disposable income used to better you and your families lives. It is regarded as an "un-tapped revenue stream" I swear that's what they call it.

XCheckR · Feb 6, 2014

And now they are working to have a Chicken Tax...

Half-cocked · Feb 6, 2014

Philoctete said:
I have no driveway and all runoff from my roof runs into my garden/landscaping.

I'm still getting taxed.

For having rain fall on my property.

BS

But you don't always know what's best for you, and it's about time you started paying your fair share. Besides, you didn't make that happen - someone else made that happen. Why do you want to hurt the environment? Do it for the children!

Docster · Feb 6, 2014

6-Pack said:
Taxes (ARE SUPPOSED TO)serve purposes. For instance: tax alcohol to support "treatment" for DUI offenders, tax firearms and ammunition to support wildlife management programs or tax tobacco to offset healthcare costs.

Here, the state has no interest in improving the Bay. This is supported by the fact that there are no credits available (such as "install a rain barrel and reduce your tax by 25%" or "run your gutter runoff into your garden for a $50 credit"). These credits would actually impact runoff water from getting into the bay even for those of us who are 50 miles away from the Bay (I still find it difficult to believe that my little patch of dirt 50 miles away would be a problem, but I digress).

This tax is nothing but an ass ramming by the great state of Mayland.

FIFY. Another example is the Transportation Fund-supposed to fund transportation infrastructure but was raided for other purposes so that tolls had to be raised dramatically as well as gas taxes.
Forbes has it right. This is another way for Maryland to tax citizens to cover it's horrible spending ways (and to buy votes). Little if any will end up going to the bay-they'll find other taxes for that(chicken sh*t?)

QuebecoisWolf · Feb 6, 2014

Docster said:
FIFY. Another example is the Transportation Fund-supposed to fund transportation infrastructure but was raided for other purposes so that tolls had to be raised dramatically as well as gas taxes.
Forbes has it right. This is another way for Maryland to tax citizens to cover it's horrible spending ways (and to buy votes). Little if any will end up going to the bay-they'll find other taxes for that(chicken sh*t?)

And that's the biggest objection anyone should have. Supporters of the "Rain Tax" love to point out that the money is going to be used to save the Bay and it even says so in the law. However, anyone who actually has a clue about how Maryland politics work knows that they shift money around with skill that would impress a money launderer. If they can't just raid it like they do with the transportation fund, they'll find other ways. Remember how slots were going mean new schools, new textbooks, and more teachers? Wrong. They defunded schools and used slot revenues to make up the difference.

Mj45 · Feb 6, 2014

In our HOA community, AA county is taxing the HOA's "impervious" property which gets passed to each homeowner via increased HOA fees. This is on top of your own property being taxed as well. The only good news to come out of a meeting with a county official on this matter is that there is an online appeals process, one of the only in the state. Our HOA complained about some of the designated areas in our community and had several of the locations taken off of their list of taxable areas resulting in a $3k savings. They plan on appealing the rest.

Forbes article on the Rain Tax

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