Folks, I called Senator Andy Harris tonight and offered an idea I came up with today in which he seemed very excited about.
I proposed legislation that offers Farmers discounts on their taxes whereas if they are asked by the Governor to plow roads in their district they would achieve such relief on their taxes.
Lord knows the Farmers could use the break and considering they already have sufficient equipment to do the job, doesn't it make more sense in the financial condition Maryland is in right now to not have to pay out of pocket for work that is clearly too overwhelming for them to do on their own.
Mind you, I am NOT stating they have not done the best they can with what they have. I'm simply stating that I believe it's a win/win for the Farmers and the State.
I have been told that they will be discussing this idea tonight and we may hear something very soon on this idea.
I was thinking about it the other day. IF we had to depend, (in my area, mind you) on Farmers to get out there early enough to actually make a difference in certain communities like Rockawalkin or Spring Hill Roads, (as an example) I firmly believe the conditions would be absolutely normal and NOT like they are today.
We'll see what happens. To the Farmers out there, do you like this idea?
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
20 comments:
Move to Md Joe - you really have a lot of great ideas for our area and would make a hell of a politician.
Not a bad idea. My concern is the liability. I didn't clean out driveways for anyone I didn't know well because of the liability. A $2,000 tax credit isn't worth the lawsuit risk for me. DE has been contracting with farmers to clear roads paying by the hour. I would prefer the DE arrangement over tax credits.
When we had the snow storm in the late 70's they paid by the hour for heavy equipment owners to push snow. It is alot easier to pay by the hour than to pass a bill to give tax relief.
What if the farmer(s) don't make any income the year that they push snow?
Also, it has been over 30 years since the gov't has needed help with snow removal. What if they plow during winters when the state/local really doesn't need the help?
What if the farmers tractor doesnt have the required emrgency lights? Is the state going to provide them or require them?
Is the amont of the tax break going to depend on the size of the blade or tractor? You can't expect a farmer with an 8N Ford to get the same compensation as one with a Steiger.
There is just too many variables to make this work.
anonymous 8:46, what if it rains too much. What if there's an early frost. Farmers are used to such risks. The idea is to help famers in time of a state emergency.
I'm sure there will be plenty of tweaking to this idea but its just an idea.
Please keep the comments and ideas coming in. Constructive critisism is a great thing but most of all wisdom from our famers is the best of all.
I just want to make sure the farmers know how much I appreciate what they did for us during the snow storms. I was shocked to read in The Daily Times that Rick Pollitt commended the roads department and did not even acknowledge how much work the farmers did with their equipment. From a "city slicker" who moved to the country years ago, I thank the farmers from the bottom of my heart. WE would have been out of luck without you all.
What a fantastic idea. Even if the farmer's could take a casualty loss by using their mileage used times a reasonable percentage that would include a bult in factor labor, gas, and wear and tear on their vehicles.
I think you are making things more complicated than they need to be. The state can easily pay by the hour with a rate schedule setup for various sizes of equipment. This way they can direct where we would plow so there isn't overlap with their crews.
One the east side the state roads aren't the problem, county roads are. Given the cluster all of the other state run farm programs this would likely be a bureaucratic mess as well.
I much prefer to plow for free and have the rest of the non-farm public supporting us against further regulation.
Let me say this as well. IF the proposal doesn't suit the farmer, he/she can opt out.
Look, its not as if this happens every year and according to Al Gore it should have never happened.
So when it does, this is a sort of security blamket fo ALL parties volunteering to get on board. No one is shoving it down anyone's throat. It's the beginning of an idea that FOR ONCE eliminates our dependency on local government to do something they're clearly not capable of doing, that's all.
Wicomico County doesn't give a tax credit to the senior citizens, altho many jurisdictions do. I'm for the farmers becoming a contractor and get paid for the work they do.
The state pays by the hour for dump trucks, higher rate is paid if you have your own plow. The state installs the pump and plow bracket and the emergency lights on top of the cab shields. All the dump truck owner has to do is have his truck there with a driver in the seat and provide a certificate of insurance with at least $1 million liability. They also pay a bonus if you arrive within 2 hours of being called in, at least they used to. Smaller dump trucks 6 wheelers were not paid the same as tandems or tri axles, why I don't know they push the same amount of snow as the tandems. Plow blade wasn't much smaller if at all. To top all of that off, the state pays for all meals while pushing snow.
So if the state paid me $65 per hour and I pushed snow for 30 hours that would bring me $1950 just for that one call out. Suppose we were called out 4 times in a winter and worked the same number of hours that would be $7800 plus all meals. How much of a tax credit would be proposed that would make it comparable to a dump truck? Oh and they pay the dump trucks more on the Western Shore than they do down here. In fact, if I'm not mistaken SHA in Dorchester and Talbot Counties pays more than Wicomico. Figure that one out.
Joe, concerning your response to my respose at 8:46... You are assuming I am not a farmer. Well, I was. And I remember how the snow problem was handled in the late 70's, as well as the last three decades.
Rain? Frost? You are correct that farmers are use to challenges and every changing conditions, but we are discussing the State and not the farmers. It is the state that will be taking on the burden to create and possible pass a bill. In doing so, the state is also assuming some of the liability.
You are implying that my concerns are not realistic, but the few I have listed are just the beginning. Before a bill can be passed, there will be many more questions than the few I have brought forth. Another example is a farmers lack of liability insurance; there are some still around that have never had general liability or any type of equipment insurance. This could also be a major problem for the state, it;s citizens, and the farmer pushing snow.
The state already contracts dump trucks to push snow, so I am sure they have considered alternatives already.
9:17, a farmers tractor, fuel, etc is already being deducted/depreciated as an expense.
anonymous 10:44, all worthy comments, thank you. Again, its a beginning. I'm sure the farmers can get access to additional insurance if necessary and quite frankly it's very inexpensive. Lots to debate but something has to be considered and done. Can Wicomico County afford to have students out of school as long as they have or may continue to have? Again, this is for emergency use only.
anonymous 10:46, with all due respect, give me a break. So is every business in the state. They deserve the exact same breaks as Joe the Plumber does.
10:47, Joe, I totally agree that we have to start somewhere and be prepared for the next emergency. It all has to start somewhere.
Does this snow emergency make you wonder what would happen if there was a severe hurricane in the area? It makes me doubt the current state of readiness for any emergency.
anonymous 11:07, allow me to answer that for you.
One thing I do know for sure, Ocean City and Worcester County are fully porepared for such an emergency.
The farmers can already expense their fuel, repairs, maintenance, etc. They also get tax breaks on their diesel. So they are already getting a tax break for their work.
I am not trying to demean our farmers or discredit their contributions in any way - I am just saying that a farmer gets tax breaks for this kind of thing, while if I own a small ATV or tractor with a plow for my personal landscaping I am not getting any breaks for clearing my road.
Really, I wish that the counties would work with farmers more often to supplement the snow removal process. It's an expensive task and we all know the farmers could use additional income in their slow season. The county never touches my road - it's 1 mile long and my gravel driveway is .25 miles. If it wasn't for my farmer neighbor, one of my two cars would get stuck in a big snow. One of my cars is AWD for this very possibility, but it's much more convenient that I can enjoy both cars year round.
It is my understanding from my farmer neighbor that the county used to pay him to plow our road, but that was dropped a long time ago due to budget issues. Now he does it because he's a great neighbor. He won't take money for the plowing, but everybody on my road hires him for their electrical and hvac work since he is licensed to do that stuff. We also do other little things for him and his family. He really is a big part of our little community and he's a blessing to have living with us. I don't always have the chance to thank him in person, but I always remember to thank him in my prayers.
I do know that in NY some towns subcontract full size dump trucks to plow at the rate of $89 per hour.
They also let the kids go to school when there is a sheet of packed snow on the ground. They do however sand the roads to make them drivable.
Joe did you say this would only be in affect during a state of an emergency?
Rick Pollitt needs to make arrangements with the farming community to contract for "X" amount of dollars per hour the next time we have snow like this. It obvious the roads department was overwhelmed and under staffed with equiptment. Thanks to the many farmers who made the effort to clear the roads.
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