Flush tax in Maryland

[bruce21040]

Does anyone find it fair that those individuals that use septic for their home are going to be required to pay this flush tax?

And, does anyone think that once those people are taxed, they should be reimbersed for expenses of maintaining those septic fields?

[Bertha Venation]

1. hate to say it but this is the first I've heard of it

Do you have a link?

[bruce21040]

3. This should shed some light on the subject

Try this link



I dont agree with paying this tax.
I am on septic and two years ago I had to spend 10k on a new drain field, 4 years before that I replaced my tank at the cost of 2k.
Thats 12k in 6 years or 2k per year.
The county and or state did not help with that payment.

to top it off, there is a huge fee put on the cleaning and dumping of the septic tank, when one has to do it. about once every 5 years.

So, am I being petty, or should I actually expect some service for this tax?

[sus]

4. no, you aren't being petty

This tax is outrageous and the local press isn't covering it.

and what is going ON with Maryland Democrats?? we need to do some major housecleaning.

[Zuni]

10. They just keep trying to levy new taxes

All they do at the assembly is to try to add new excise taxes to Marylanders. It is BS from top to bottom.

Now we also have Willie Don Schaefer making MD Democrats look even stupider....I wish that old fart would just retire.

[On the Road]

2. I Didn't Know That, but

boy, is there a big change in the water bill lately.

[Mrs. Venation]

5. We're Talking About $30 a Year

to benefit the Chesapeake Bay. That's $2.50 a month. My guess is most of us waste more money than that on a daily basis. IMHO, it's a tax I can support, even though Bertha and I are on a septic system. If we were talking about ten times that amount, I think we'd have a legitimate beef, but c'mon -- $30 a year? It sounds awfully Republican to complain about that.

[Burma Jones]

7. I think it's fairer for sewer users to pony up a little more

and I'm on the sewer system...

[Burma Jones]

6. No Way, No Way, No Way

I now live on Sewer, but from 1996 to 2003, I was on septic. When you're on septic, you are taking on the burden of doing your own waste water disposal. Folks on Septic are taking a burden off those of us on the sewers.

Putting any kind of flush tax on septic users is a real double insult.

Wait, what if the folks with septic tanks agreed to put slot machines on their property?????

[yellowcanine]

8. Septic systems working properly release nitrates into groundwater

It is not just an issue of taking on the burden of your own waste water. On-site septic systems also release nitrate into the groundwater so they are part of the problem. Septic tanks can be fitted with devices that eliminate moste of the nitrates but this is a significant added cost. At least part of the "flush tax" for septic systems is supposed to go into a fund that homeowners can tap to get assistance for retrofitting systems to remove nitrate or to replace failing systems. Only time will tell if it works out that way. Whit the present administration my guess is that any such "user fees" will go to the same place all of these "nontaxes" go - into the general fund to make up for the failure to approve politically unpopular taxes to meet state needs.

[Zuni]

9. This is a bad policy

Maryland is just adding arbitrary taxes and fees everywhere to make up for lost revenue. I have noticed a huge increase in fees for services at the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court (I work in a law office), for the U of MD, and now for pooping.
That is what you get when you have a 500 Billion Dollar Federal Defecit, a poorly managed state budget.

[Lefty Pragmatist]

11. I think we would be better served to take it from the general fund.

The bill taxes septic users and the revenue is used:

+ to upgrade septic systems
+ to clean up the Bay

Both laudable goals, but I fail to see why septic users should bear the burden of either exclusively.

Septic and sewer are a package solution to the Poop Problem -- if you weaken one you weaken the whole system. Therefore, I think it's a broad public responsibility.

The Bay is even less the sole responsiblity of septic users to clean up. Even if they somehow contributed to more pollution into the Bay (and I would think it's actually the opposite), still, poop is poop -- we should all pay a little to clean it up.

By the way, I am on sewer so the tax would be no skin off my hide, but I think I'd be freeloading by having my neighbors pay for things which benefit me.

Solution: no targeted tax -- just take it from the general budget and increase revenue collection / decrease other spending to cover it.