New Jersey may have more taxes than almost any other state in the United States, but that hasn’t stopped Governor Phil Murphy and other Democratic politicians in the state from looking for new ways to squeeze money out of the people who live there. Their latest great idea is to institute a “Rain Tax” to ostensibly keep the state clean and safe from pollution.
The official name of the offending bill is “The Clean Stormwater and Flood Reduction Act”. Under the bill, each municipality in the state of New Jersey would be tasked with setting up its very own public stormwater utility to catch and treat stormwater runoff. Because building stormwater utilities and treating the water in them for pollutants would cost billions of dollars, those in charge of creating the new utilities can levy steep fees on property owners to cover the costs.
Businesses would be hit particularly hard as large parking lots and big buildings tend to create the most runoff; however, even ordinary homeowners who happen to have long driveways may find themselves with significant tax bills as well. While most of the funds generated from the tax would go to the municipalities in charge of the new utilities, the state would receive 5% of the fees to use as it sees fit.
Those who support the “Rain Tax” are stating that it is needed to keep New Jersey’s coast pollution-free. Democratic State Senate President Richard Codey has said that the law is a small price to pay for the ability to live safely. Other supporters are proclaiming that the tax revenue generated from the new law could be used in the future for projects to help flowing form storms. However, the fact is that many other states in the nation manage to keep their shores pollution-free without levying stiff taxes on their residents.
New Jersey’s Democratic lawmakers are failing to consider the fact that adding additional taxes on top of an already heavy tax burden could very well cause the state’s home and business owners to leave the state altogether, decreasing revenues rather than increasing them. At the same time, large new businesses that may be considering opening branch offices or stores in New Jersey may decide to reconsider their plans upon discovering that they will have to pay extra taxes every single time it rains.
There is also the very real fact that many people, instead of leaving the state, may decide to vote out its current governor. Maryland, which is considered to be a reliably blue state, surprised pundits in 2014 by voting for a Republican gubernatorial candidate who was considered to be so far behind the Democrat gubernatorial candidate that the media didn’t even do exit polling on election day. When it was discovered that Larry Hogan had indeed won the election for governor of Maryland, reporters began looking for reasons why. They then discovered that Maryland residents were furious about the state’s “Rain Tax” and voted for Hogan because he promised to get rid of it.
New Jersey seems to be committed to following Maryland’s example. For the sake of its residents, let’s hope they at least get that last part right.
~ Conservative Zone
What’s next?! Are they going to implement an air tax on the air that’s breathed in on one’s property? Ridiculous and asinine!
Next they will tax us for Farting, Like the little darling Ortiz wants to get rid of cows because of that problem.
I would like to know, Who votes these idiots into office in the first place?
WE HAVE BEEN PAYING RAIN TAX IN PHILADELPHIA FOR YEARS NOW . THEY CALL IT RUN OFF TAX. SO IT HAS BEEN RAINING A LOT IN PHILADELPHIA. MY WATER BILL IS NOW HIGHER THAN MY ELECTRIC BILL. WE DRIVE TO N.J. TO BUY ANY DRINKS WITH SUGAR SUCH AS ORANGE JUICE, APPLE JUICE,AND ANY DRINKS WITH SUGAR. SODA ? WE HAVE A SUGAR TAX THAT THE TAX ON A DRINK IS MORE MONEY THAN THE DRINK S ARE. AND N.J. GAS FOR AUTO IS 30 OR 40 CENTS LESS THAN PHILADELPHIA . DUE TO THE HIGHER TAX HERE. I PAID $1.20 FOR A CARTON OF SMOKES IN VIETNAM 1968. HERE AND NOW $100.00 A CARTON DUE TO TAX. IT IS THE DEMOCRATS ! VOTE THE LEFT OUT.
ILLEGALS AND WINGNUTS THAT THINK IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE. THEY GOT THEIR CHANGE FOR THE WORST. AND NOW THEY WANT TO MAKE MINIMUM WAGE $15.00 A HOUR. FOR FLIPPING BURGERS ? THAT IS ABOUT WHAT I HAVE RECEIVED AS A PENSION FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS .AS A RETIRED FIREFIGHTER WITH 31 1/2 YEARS SERVICE. AND NO S.S.I AND NO COST OF LIVING INCREASE .NO MEDICAL AFTER 5 YEARS OF RETIREMENT. MY MEDICAL CARE IS WITH THE VA. THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE FOR FOR 31 1/2 YEARS AS A FIREFIGHTER AND 1 YEAR IN VIETNAM IN 1968. THIS 71 YEAR OLD WILL SAY IF I AM ABOUT TO DIE .DON,T LET ME PUSH THE WRONG BUTTONS . NEVER A DEMOCRAT FOR ME.
Florida already has a tax on runoff water. It is based on the square footage that any structure or hard surface is on the property whether the water actually exits the property or not. It just takes more money from the property owners, and does nothing.
Thank god I live in an overall red state, but unfortunately in a very blue college town therein. We have a silly stormwater fee (aka, TAX!) that I must pay since my house has a roof and I have a concrete driveway.
I said he’s a demacrap ? Enough said , WHAT A IDIOT ! ! ! !
A town near us has implemented this tax. When asked how much it would cost homeowners, they said that they didn’t know. Wouldn’t say what the formula was to figure the tax. Wouldn’t say how a home no where near the river could add runoff to the river. Wouldn’t say how the money collected would be used to keep the river cleaner. Just pay them the money and quit wasting their valuable time with silly questions, I guess.
LIVE IN HAMILTON COUNTY TENNESSEE. WE ALREADY HAVE A STORM WATER TAX HERE.
Lehigh County in Pennsylvania has one too. Don’t fell like you are alone in this BS.
Theyv’e been doing it in Hays, KS already for a number of years. “Storm Water Fees”! What a load of sh@t!
Taxing the very air we breathe is & always has been the “Holy Grail” for Democrats. This scheme is merely the next best thing that’ll work “for now”. It’s just a test run to see if they can get enough States to go along with this kind of INSANITY, before they try to pass a tax on air on a National level. I’m tellin’ y’all, $#!T like this HAS TO BE FOUGHT tooth & nail, or they WILL win. Then, we’re ALL screwed… There will literally be NO END to what they’ll do to us next !!!
Time to get the Hell out of these socialist strongholds. Enough people move out and leave, just MAYBE they’ll get the message. Or maybe become a hermit in some cave somewhere? The whole country sounds like a sick joke!!!
It there no end to the stupidity of those who call themselves the elites ? People like this person need to be picked up and a straight jacket put on and immediate transfer to and insane asylum. People wake up! There’s no nation of people who can be controlled unless they allow it.
Already have in this Den of Liberals ” Minnesota”, our 1 acre , no pavement, ditch that only has water ( about 2 days a year ) when the snow melts. $100.00 + a year! gotta love it!!
RACISM!!! Why not tax snow and ice – because they’re solid and not liquid, white and not clear? In my almost 79 years, I have never seen so many Dimm Dumbbells walking around, as well as elected to government.
DEAR MR TRUMP, It’s been long enough since the Corrupt Democrats spit on the grave of Abe Lincoln. They were all racist DixieCrats who murdered our brothers and sisters of color…AND……they still carry their flag of bigotry, hypocracy and racism…..BUT,,,,they did NOTHING to help the helpless citizenry although they beat their breasts like they were the Benefactors to the untrodden masses. They have practiced Demogagary since our nation was founded and SOME STUPID AMERICANS STILL LISTEN TO THEIR LIES.
THESE ARE THE DICTATORS THEY ALWAYS WERE AND WE SUCKED IT ALL UP. Let’s call the Child what it is and take the upper hand.
DECLARE MARTIAN LAW AND RULE BY DICTATORSHIP JUST LIKE THE DEMON-RATS HAVE ALWAYS DONE.
GOD BLESS AMERICA, THE NRA, AK47s, Assault Weapons, License to Carry, The Second Amendment because there is an Army behind you to eliminate these breast beating SCUM once and for all.
The Democrats are all out in left field. God gave us Rain for free not to be taxed. How Ridiculous! The Devil has got the Democrats wrapped around his finger. Wake up Americans or we will turn into a Socialist Nation as Democrats want. Socialism is just a nicer way of saying Communism.
Looks like he’s doing a Schmuck Schumer impersonation. And here I thought all the dimwitted politicians existed out here in Calizuela. In some places it is illegal to capture and store rainwater and subject to a fine if you get caught doing so.
Dumb dimwittocraps will always be what they are, dumb asses of the highest order…
why do people let this happen to themselves? why don’t they get rid of the people that come up with this “stupidity”? they’re crazy if they just pay taxes & keep their mouths shut! Almighty God gave humans a BRAIN to think for ourselves BUT Lord help us JESUS! some of these people are just so gullible they just pay whatever they’re told to pay & don’t stand up for themselves!
Anyone who votes Democrat deserves this crap. Everyone else, I’m sorry you have to deal with it. Democrats’ way of thinking is ‘how much can I get from taxpayers?’ They voted for Democrats because they hate President Trump, even though he’s done NOTHING to harm any American citizens. Now people are getting screwed. I sure wish we could ‘opt out’ if we didn’t vote for them. Our Dems have been looking for ways to raise taxes even before they were in office!
Seriously?
Aren’t we paying enough taxes for things we don’t even need or use?
Stop this or we will be forced to move from this state into a more friendly state. Obviously NJ does not like people.
don’t leave, go for the voter ID,ask the question,are you a citizen? and vote. god bless
we got it here in California as of this year. It was voted in .
Cause I’m the tax man, yeah, I’m the tax man.
John Lennon
We already tax the rain in Bangor, Maine. We have a “stormwater runoff” fee levied on our properties and it is figured on how big our roof is, how much parking area we have, regardless of where the water runs. One of my houses sits BELOW the roadway and all the rainwater flows into a park behind me that does NOT drain into the storm drains. Doesn’t matter though, I still get charged. Most of the storm water flows directly into the Penobscot river which is brackish as it is a tidal river.Go figure. Just another way to collect $$$$ from the peons.