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Maryland County To Churches: Preach Environmentalism And Get A Tax Break
Daily Caller ^ | November 19, 2014 | Derek Hunter

Posted on 11/19/2014 11:01:47 AM PST by C19fan

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley made national news last year when he fought to pass and signed a tax bill that levied a tax on Marylanders, businesses and churches for the amount of “impervious surface” they have on their property.

Roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and parking lots qualify for the “rainwater remediation fee” to “protect the Chesapeake Bay.”

Though the O’Malley administration calls it a “fee,” it is commonly called the “rain tax” throughout the state. It is wildly unpopular and the promise to fight to repeal the tax was a large factor in Maryland electing Republican Larry Hogan governor this month.

Now Prince George’s Country is offering a way for churches to avoid paying the tax, which is estimated to be an average of $744 per year for them — preach “green” to their parishioners.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; church; environment; raintax; tax
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I am no Constitutional Scholar unlike our Great Leader but giving a tax break for saying some mandated speech reeks of violating the First Amendment.
1 posted on 11/19/2014 11:01:47 AM PST by C19fan
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To: C19fan

There is a federal offense on the books called “denial of civil rights under color of law.” Sounds applicable to me.


2 posted on 11/19/2014 11:03:27 AM PST by Pecos (That government governs best which governs least.)
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To: C19fan

Maryland is exempt from the Bill of Rights. You didn’t know that?


3 posted on 11/19/2014 11:03:55 AM PST by ChildOfThe60s ((If you can remember the 60s.....you weren't really there)
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To: C19fan

So, Maryland wants to dictate the content of sermons.


4 posted on 11/19/2014 11:05:06 AM PST by circlecity
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To: C19fan

Since environmentalism is nothing more than a political money-making issue, this is a violation of the DNC’s “wall of separation”. Where the heck are the aclu goons?


5 posted on 11/19/2014 11:05:23 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer ('Provisional ballots'. When legal votes just aren't getting the job done. - The DemocRATS.)
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To: C19fan

>> Now Prince George’s Country is offering a way for churches to avoid paying the tax

Here’s another idea for a church to avoid the tax: simply refuse to pay it.


6 posted on 11/19/2014 11:06:41 AM PST by Nervous Tick (There is no "allah" but satan, and mohammed is his demon)
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To: circlecity
So, Maryland wants to dictate the content of sermons.

Houston just tried doing this, too.

-PJ

7 posted on 11/19/2014 11:07:46 AM PST by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: C19fan

A REAL church will not preach Satan’s AGW lies.

If they do, run, run quickly out of that apostate Socialist “church”!


8 posted on 11/19/2014 11:08:34 AM PST by PATRIOT1876
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To: C19fan

You have to fundamentally not understand Christianity to ask a church to preach about something that they may not believe in.

ie: asking them to lie.

We are just beginning to see all that happens when a population abandons religion, en masse.


9 posted on 11/19/2014 11:09:59 AM PST by Noamie
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To: ChildOfThe60s
Maryland is exempt from the Bill of Rights. You didn’t know that?

True. They have no respect for the Second Amendment, for the First's freedom of religion or of speech, or for numerous other God-given rights.

10 posted on 11/19/2014 11:15:47 AM PST by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: C19fan

What happend to the seperation of church and state. Churches are normally exempt from property taxes.


11 posted on 11/19/2014 11:16:02 AM PST by Timocrat (Ingnorantia non excusat)
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To: C19fan

This is villainy to the point of being downright evil, as well as opening the door to other state dictates on churches.

Legally, it is clearly in violation of the separation of church and state to its original meaning.

This goes beyond their state to the point that national denominations should file lawsuit against the state over doing this. It is an unconscionable and unconstitutional act and should not be able to survive even a passing federal review.


12 posted on 11/19/2014 11:19:22 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: circlecity
So, Maryland wants to dictate the content of sermons.

And why not? The Federal government, via the tax code, dictates that pastors can't support Republican candidates (although no one complains when they support Democrats).

13 posted on 11/19/2014 11:19:44 AM PST by MeganC (It took Democrats four hours to deport Elian Gonzalez)
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To: Nervous Tick

Exactly, they’ve no right to tax them in the first place.


14 posted on 11/19/2014 11:22:20 AM PST by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing consequences of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: Pollster1
(Maryland has) no respect for the Second Amendment, for the First's freedom of religion or of speech, or for numerous other God-given rights.

IMHO it is not a coincidence that it's a historically Catholic state and that it's unique view on rights reflects the same kind of predominant thinking of the RCC.

15 posted on 11/19/2014 11:23:29 AM PST by MeganC (It took Democrats four hours to deport Elian Gonzalez)
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To: Timocrat

Yep. Pass arbitrary taxes on the Church and then coerce them to have a certain message to avoid having to pay.

...it is coming.


16 posted on 11/19/2014 11:25:35 AM PST by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing consequences of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: C19fan

What do Rats care about freedom of speech? Ewen the lowest slave is free to agree with his master.


17 posted on 11/19/2014 11:27:11 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants (Good Muslims, like good Nazis or good liberals, are terrible human beings.)
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To: C19fan
Big deal!

For many years, most churches in PG county have used sermons primarily to promote the demoncrat political ideology.

PG churches and schools == Community Organizers (ACORN lives)

18 posted on 11/19/2014 11:36:22 AM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is another agitator for republicanism like Sam Adams when we need him?)
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To: MeganC
IMHO it is not a coincidence that it's a historically Catholic state and that it's unique view on rights reflects the same kind of predominant thinking of the RCC.

LOL! Massachusetts is as bad or worse re rights, and it's historically a Congregational state. Is that a coincidence?

Harvard itself was founded to train young men for the Congregational ministry -- a conservative talk show host once remarked that it seemed like all our problems have their root in Harvard University.

19 posted on 11/19/2014 11:46:42 AM PST by maryz
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To: zot; GreyFriar

Ping.


20 posted on 11/19/2014 11:48:34 AM PST by Interesting Times (WinterSoldier.com. SwiftVets.com. ToSetTheRecordStraight.com.)
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