WHAT IS THIS NEW “RAIN TAX?” WHY ARE WE SWIMMING IN SEWAGE?
This has to deal with much more than just the rain. Recently Gov. Murphy has a bill that has been dubbed a “Rain Tax” by Republicans. This bill would allow towns to fine big property owners and businesses for the massive amounts of runoff and pollutants they release every day.
What this comes down to is the impact that the storm runoff brings that rain does not. A majority of the time there is flooding, it comes from runoff if it happens in a small town or city. This leads to parking lots getting flooded, and clearly the roads. That is only part of the issue. When the water runs off into these already heavily polluted areas it gathers all of those pollutants and gets absorbed by the fertilizers and plants. Even salt from the streets, which all impact not only us, but the animals and plants that live in said areas. Many local business that rely on local produce and items might see a decrease if this wasn’t changed.
This bill is called the “Clean Water and Flood Reduction Act,” which allows for towns to fine property owners who excessively pollute. Charging them a fee could potentially raise enough revenue to hire clean up crews to help with the reduction of runoff and pollutants, but will it help overall? I personally do not believe so.
This bill is not a tax, it is up to the towns to decide whether or not they wish to fine these property owners. Also, New Jersey, especially the Jersey Shore, is one of the largest tourist attractions in the United States. Which leads me to believe that they wouldn’t want to charge the property owners that are bringing the towns in so much more revenue. As someone who use to live by the shore and actually work on a beach it is safe to say that they would never want to tax these large businesses. Even though the Department of Public Works does a terrific job at cleaning up, sometimes there’s just too much to clean in the amount of time that they have. I mention the Department of Public Works, because they do handle cleaning a lot of the garbage and other items that come off the runoff. Also with the fees that are in place the state would gather 5% of the proceeds. Mary Linge from the New York Post mentions, “The infrastructure could cost billions, state authorities say. Under the law, the utilities can levy steep fees on properties with large parking lots, long driveways, or big buildings — which create the most runoff.”
In the end we all suffer from this act since we live in this area, or near it. Especially if you enjoy to swim in the ocean or go out boating. The bacterial surplus on the beaches recently has been its highest in years. Swimming in dirty water seems fun, so what’s the worst that could happen?
