Kick us while we are down why don't ya GA!

Your green agenda is making me turn red with anger!

Green is the new RED!

I think that requiring the use of pervious materials on all new upgrades, buildings, and parking spaces would be more sensical than a fee. I also believe that the government has a respon,sbility to educate the public on environmentally useful ways to help with stormwater drainoff such as planting ground cover instead of grass, installing rain barrels, creating cisterns, and showcasing pervious materials.

Do they really think we are that stupid? How do you prevent these "contaminents" from washing off of your property? The contaminents are in the gutters & alley's around the state,not in yards! Make businesses keeps their lots & sidewalks clean. The only contaminents in my yard are bird droppings!!

Dear Marylanders,

Here we go again!! Lawmakers in Annapolis are stiffing us again.

When in doubt TAX IT OUT!!! Whether it's a fee or a tax -the citizens of Maryland are again getting the shaft again and guess who gets the gold mine??

"Lawmakers in Annapolis are eyeing legislation that would require every city, county and town in Maryland to assess a "stormwater remediation fee" on all property owners."

When will the Lawmakers in Annapolis realize that the money that they continue to extort from its citizens is our money?

It sounds good but - we get stiffed.

It was stated: "Halle Vander Gaag of the Jones Falls Watershed Association emailed that she was "pleasantly surprised" by the level of public support seen in recent polling done for environmental groups on the issue." - MEMBERS OF THE LUNATIC FRINGE.

By the way Citizens - Get ready for new tax hikes!!! Can you say - Taxation without representation…

You heard the President the recession is over.

Did you hear that all of you who are unemployed - its over!!

It was stated: "What do you think? Would you be willing to pay roughly $1 a month per person to prevent pollution and contaminants from washing off your lawn, driveway, neighborhood streets and parking lots? Legislative analysts estimate that would raise $74 million a year statewide - not the billions said to be needed, but a start, advocates say."

WHAT DO I THINK - GIVE THEM NOTHING!!!

Where is the Sunpaper when the citizens of Maryland are being continually oppressed by a government that continues to demand more and more of its citizens and gives back less and less??

Hey Anonymous - do you like oysters, crabs, and seafood from the bay? Ever wonder why it's getting more expensive and scarce? Our poor water quality is directly to blame.

This is a step in the right direction - but it should go hand in hand with more education, as comments like Anonymous' show.

Why are houses treated equally? Better site planning, green roofs, and water catchment can have a big effect in the suburbs, too. Homeowners that seek to mitigate their own impact should be acknowledged.

Charge a stormwater run off fee?? What is the Chesapeake Bay Clean Up fee on my water bill used for?

Green editor: That's the "flush tax" for sewer upgrades that Tim mentioned.

So this will be Great, the Government can create another agency of 100 people to manage their storm water clean up. Just raise everyone's property tax by $2.00 dollars and call it a day. We sure do not need more Government that's why you idiots are always broke too much Government!!!!

And Mt. Vernon we already pay to Mid-Town Special Benifits District " a Quasi - Government" to clean the Streets so does that mean we have to pay another tax on top of a tax for the same service? Something sure is wrong with the program here.

I think the problem is that people just shrug their shoulders at stuff they take for granted. Clean water, clean air, quality roads. People who pay $150/mo for cable TV and internet will have a hernia when they have to pay much much less to clean up the Bay. People blow needless amounts on eating out a few days a week, but will wring their hands and claim tyranny when the government asks for additional help to keep an ecosystem for crabs and oysters going. People living in McMansions wring their hands when they have to pay a fee for their septic system polluting the Severn River. Get a grip people.

Fred Scharmen, I will pit my "green" lifestyle with ANYONES! ANYONES! Including yours.
I do it because I want to and it saves me hard earned money.
Education is not the answer. Neither is your elitism.

This is nothing more than a tax on the people. Just like the "transportation trust fund" that is being use for every other program these thieves have in mind. Just like the tobacco settlement went to everything but what it was supposed to
We were told that Social Security was a "trust fund" too. Do you "trust" that the money is still there?
What uses has the Project Open Space been used for that had nothing to do with open space?

You seem to still be under the belief that these crooks mean what they say and say what them mean.
There is no dime they will not take from us under the guise of a feel good program that they then spend as they please.

Wake up Fred. These people are not your freinds and do not have the bay or your best interests in mind.

Are you kidding me????

What happened to all the stimulus money for shovel ready infrastructure projects tax payers have already been and are still being taxed for??? Huh??

If our taxes are not already being spent on critical infrastructure – what are they spending OUR money on – cell phones for welfare recipients???

This seems like a very good use of those monies and would put people back to work - Why is there now a need for a new tax when so called stimulus money is sitting unused – save for the Harry Reid Express???

I say if you need more money for this fringe group's lobbying efforts and you think it is so important - CUT SPENDING somewhere else and live within your means. This is just another vanity tax that we will never stop paying if it passes.

Why are not these concerns and funding built into the overall Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act those legislators and elected like to photo opt when convenient???

Enough already!!!

Maybe big government is sustainable after all. They have become sneaky little buggers eh? While the King Rat is gone, the mice know how to play.
Will Owe Malley sign this bill if legislated?
That, my dear is the answer.

How dare we even try to impose a tax like this in this economy???

The state keeps growing and my wallet keeps shrinking!

I love the pathos ploy with "don't you like oysters?" Yes, I will be able eat oysters and fish when I am homeless and peeing in the storm drain!

Baltimore County recently built a new County building and, when asked whether it would be built "green," the County responded that it didn't have the money. If the County doesn't "have the money" to build County office buildings with green roofs, and pervious sidewalks and parking lots, what makes it think the people caught in the grip of a recession do?

Frankly, I'm tired of one locality paying to fix/build something in another locality!

Why should anyone in Carroll, Frederick, or even Garrett Co. pay for the cleanup in Balto City/County?!? Let Balto City/County pay for their own cleanup. Yep, I pay that "flush tax" and my locality is replacing sewer/water pipes, but we're not getting any of that "flush money."

I don't believe in re-allocating federal funds either; ie MD should NOT pay for AK's "Bridge to Nowhere" nor NV's water projects. If something needs to be built in a state, the local residents should pay for it.

TW: Perhaps my original post wasn't clear. The fees would be raised in each locality to take care of its local runoff problems. There would be no shifting of funds or subsidizing of another community's projects. What each locality charges would be up to what it deems needed to deal with its runoff.

Yet another new tax coming out of Annapolis. Gee there's a shock.
Did Annapolis ever visit a tax that they didn't raise?

Do the math: 5.6 million residents in Maryland and 20 Billion dollars does not equal 1 per person per month. At $1 per person, this would take 297 years to pay for something that would likely need to be funded in less than 20 years in order to provide for capitalization of reserves for replacement and repairs. So, lets make that closer to $15 per person per month. Can't anybody check math anymore?

A KND01- why should I, as a city resident have to pay to clean up after the county (all the counties) people who come to work in the city and for entertainment? It's just like when were were five, if you make the mess, you should have to clean it up.

On that note, I think that there should be breaks for people who don't contribute as much to the problem. I don't have a car and I walk a mile to and from work each day. My house is energy efficient and uses mostly recycled materials. I'm doing my bit. I'd like to see my neighbors step up and do theirs.

Replace them ALL!! Every last one of these legislators. If they vote 'yes' on this bill or any other like it, vote 'no' for them. This is really getting out of hand!

The article mentions the flush tax that has been imposed on us for years now but yet every report I hear is that th ebay is getting worse. We've been paying taxes and fees to save the bay for years and it's not working. I'm beginning to think that this is another governemnt ploy to get more of our money. You know how the politiicnas like to put it; do it for the children, do it for the environment, do it foir the bay. It's all a scam. I don't want to pay any more taxes to save the bay.

Boy, I almost can't believe the names of the liberal Senators who are listed as co-sponsors. Ideologues who believe that your rights are subject to their whims.

This is not about pathos or elitism at all, these are strictly practical issues. The bay, which is a powerful regional economic engine, is dying. The private sector has shown no interest in joining together to clean it up, it needs intervention at a larger scale, that's what government is for.

As a voter and Baltimore city resident, I support that.

Government accountability and efficiency are separate issues that have nothing to do with stewardship. As voters, we should also support increased oversight on all new and existing programs, to make sure they're doing what they say they're doing.

Why does this have to be such an emotional issue? Environmental degradation harms the economy directly, all of these things are interconnected, and they're bigger than recessions or political cycles.

If you want to add a green tax, tax the people who poison everyone by putting toxic chemicals on lawns!! Don't tax people who have rain barrels and try to do a good job.

Wow! One more reason for the state to reach into my bank account for more of my money. I find it very unlikely that we would be paying just a dollar per person per month. Someone must be dreaming. I pay the "flush" tax, and all my other taxes. In fact I am beginning to wonder where all the money goes, because I still have an astronomical water/sewer rate (Baltimore City), and pay a "flush" tax, and now they want more money. I am tired of having "fees" (let's call it what it is a tax) levied on me all the time and that never seem to go to where they are supposed to go, or are used for another purpose than what it was originally stated for. NO NEW FEES OR TAXES is what I have been telling my delegates and senator.

How is paying $1 a month going to "prevent" runoff? Do you honestly believe we're that stupid?

One question I have to ask: will I be exempt from paying this tax if I install a rain barrel or cistern, with all my runoff going there? Somehow, I doubt that.

This state is trying to find every possible way to royally screw its residents.

I am ALL for supporting environmental causes and would be willing to contribute funds to support clean-up or prevent pollution; however, I agree this 'tax' is just another cover to raise more money that will ultimately not be utilized for what its intention is--much of what Government seems to do with money it already receives.

We do get taxed to death, and I believe most of us dont just complain 'cause money leaves our pockets. I think citizens are just tired of paying something for nothing. Our taxes should already cover these issues (infrastructure) and they dont ever seem to...poor planning and wasted budgets.

It's the mismanagement of gov't that turns so many ppl off to supporting measures, including environmental issues.

I say they fix the budget issues before they would even CONSIDER raising taxes on ANYTHING. If they cant handle the budgets we already provide for them, what makes them certain they'll also take good care of the additional amounts they want?

Maybe the day I walk into a government office and 1 person does a beautiful job of getting something done that should only take that 1 person to do (instead of the usual 8 lazy ppl it takes to do a half-hearted job for that same 1-person job), perhaps I would be convinced Gov't actually understands how to reduce waste instead of constantly supporting it; maybe then I'd fully support contributing my money.

SEE THE BIG PICTURE!

These fees are not about taxing you.

These fees are a way for developers and construction companies to side step doing the right thing. Maryland is trying to adopt new storm regulations which would replace our decades old (maybe half century old!) methods and practices.

The developers and construction companies would rather pay a fee than to implement storm water practices that are current with today's science and understanding. Reject the fees and makes the developers build it correctly. The fees seem more like a bribe than anything else.

Also, Tim Wheeler your post and writing seems better at inflaming our emotions than giving clear, unbiased information.

Anne Arundel County residents, install a freakin' rain barrel. You get a 10% (cost of materials) property tax credit for five years. Use the rain collected to water your lawn, utility savings pay for the barrel. They're going to get us one way or the other, we might as well use their bs against them. http://tiny.cc/R4Waw

It's not that 1$ per month per person is that much to help with the clean up of the run off water, but what makes anyone think that's where the money will really go? The state is just looking for new ways to load it's citizens with more taxes in the name of a good cause. To Annapolis: Live within your current income, we all have to.

http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/fnotes/bil_0002/sb0672.pdf

Although a reliable estimate of the local revenues generated by the bill cannot be provided at this time, the experience of Montgomery County in financing stormwater management activities may be instructive. In 2002, Montgomery County established the Water Quality Protection Charge (WQPC) with a proposed rate of $12.75 per Equivalent
Residential Unit (ERU). The WQPC rate is determined by the costs of structural maintenance for residential and associated nonresidential stormwater facilities divided by
the number of ERUs. In the initial years, the collection of charges generated approximately $4.0 million in revenues for the county. The fee has subsequently been raised to $25.23 per ERU and was scheduled to be increased again in 2008 to $35.50 per
ECU to provide $7.01 million for stormwater facility inspection and maintenance, street-sweeping, facility retrofits, and monitoring.

Montgomery County implements a relatively extensive stormwater management program, and other counties and municipalities may opt to charge $10 or less under the
bill. There were 94 municipalities with 2,500 people or less in Maryland in 2008. For small municipalities such as these, with fewer than 1,000 households the stormwater user
charge may generate revenues of $10,000 or less. The median county population in Maryland is approximately 100,000. Assuming 40,000 for the median county and an average stormwater user charge of $10, revenues increase by $400,000.

A stormwater user charge of $10 per residence represents about 2.4% of average county expenditures for public works, and about 0.3% of average county expenditures overall. A
charge of $35.50 represents about 8.5% of average county expenditures for public works, and about 1.0% of average county expenditures overall.

I recommend starting a non-profit entity for this purpose. Some people would pay a lot more than $1 a month, others would pay as they could afford to do so. Send the information to every citizen in the State via e-mail to save on mailing costs, where possible. Making it mandatory leaves it open to abuse in the future, with fees skyrocketing and the funds being used for everything but what they were originally intended to be used for.

Alternatively, ask all of the existing non-profit environmental entities to include a box that their subscribers can check off allowing a certain portion of their donations to go to stormwater maintenance. I would join a non-profit entity just for this purpose and allow all of my donation go to stormwater management in the State.

The money would be sent to one State entity that would divide up the proceeds based upon amount of impervious surface in that jurisdiction, ensuring that the cities would get the bulk of the funds.

IT IS JUST ANOTHER SLUSH FUND FOR THE LEGISLOOTERS IN ANNAPOLIS!

THATS ALL IT IS!

I can't believe the people that are saying "sure, I'm willing to pay more to save the bay". How stupid can Baltimoreans be? Another tax, another 100 people to draw salaries from our increased taxes and what do you know? There's not enough money from the tax to save the bay so the 100 people become a perpetual burden and can never be gotten rid of. Please Baltimore, stop being so "Cro-Magnon" in your thinking. We should demand and stop begging that the people who work for us get rid of all the excessive expenses like carpools and free trips to the Middle east. Additionally, we should take a stand and insist that representing us should never be allowed to become a career. That way, those in office will stop fighting us so hard and kissing up to corporate America so hard to keep their position.

Here is what it will cost!
REVENUES INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY
SMALL BUSINESS EFFECT: POTENTIONALY MEANINGFUL!?
What the hell kind of FISCAL note it that? Just what small business need now!

Fiscal Note:

Local Effect: Local revenues increase significantly on an annual basis beginning in
FY 2010 or 2011 depending on when the stormwater user charge is implemented by each
jurisdiction. Local expenditures increase commensurately to fund all local stormwater
management activities, including administrative costs. This bill imposes a mandate on
a unit of local government.
Small Business Effect: Potential meaningful.

#2 reason to vote NO:

"including administrative costs"

#1 reason to vote NO:

The focus is on the WRONG AREA! From the EPA - banning fertilizer would reduce phosporous runoff by 40% and meet the proposed daily loadings in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed while banning new development with modern day SWM would reduce pollutant loadings by 1-1/2%.

TW: Reducing phosphorus runoff is fine, but what about nitorgen and sediment? According to EPA, runoff from urban and suburban lands is the only source of bay pollution that's growing. New development may be adding only 1 1/2 percent of the problem in any given year, but those percents add up. Meanwhile, redeveloping existing communities also has the potential to increase runoff pollution - more people, more pets, more cars etc. That's the focus of a dispute now over new state storm-water control regulations that apply to development.

There is a hearing today in Annapolis. It is on HB151 and it companion SB141. It will TRANSFER over ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS from the Transportation Trust Fund, and all the other "TRUST" funds hiding in the budget to the GENERAL FUND!

Does anyone truly believe that the funds going into this fund will not see the same fate?

Do you really believe the legislooters will spend all this money on the bay?

Just as they are spending ALL the money in the Trasportation Trust Fund are being spent on highways?

Do you think all that HUNDRED MILLION will be paid back to these raided funds WITHOUT MASSIVE TAX INCREASES AGAIN?

This is just another SLUSH fund for these thievs.

TW: Sorry, but these bills don't have anything in common. The storm-water bill would not bring one dime to the state government. It would require local governments to raise funds to fix storm-water problems in their communities - problems that are killing streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. The fee would be set locally, collected locally and spent locally.

TW, and the SECONDARY offense of the seat belt law would never go to a primary offense.

Do you really still believe the lies from these people? STILL? After being lied to about so many other things?

TW: Not sure what you're talking about re seat belts and lying. I've always worn mine, just seemed common-sense safety, so never had a run-in with that law. What seems indisputable is that everyone - you and me included - is contributing to the degradation of our water ways. How we take resonsibility for that is at issue here, not what politicians or bureaucrats are doing with other funds or laws.

I fully support this legislation. It's all about internalizing the externalities. The environmental cost of sprawling developments, massive surface parking lots, and other impervious surfaces impose a cost on the natural environment that nobody is paying for. Proper stormwater management is essential for improving the health of the bay and its tributaries. We need better stormwater facilities and those facilities need to be maintained!

The only thing I might change is that there should be an incentive for residents to reduce their impervious cover in exchange for a lower fee.

I wouldn't really be opposed to a $1 charge, although usually when they do something like that they tend to continually raise that amount over the years, which would probably get lots of people upset.