Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the country and one of the most important biologically productive bodies of water in the world. Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter said in a statement, “Maryland taxpayers are subsidizing the big chicken companies, while they pollute for free. Perdue alone has received over $4.2 million dollars in grants and payments from the state of Maryland since 2008, including $74,000 to Jim Perdue personally, while the company leaves its waste behind for others to deal with.”
Maryland taxpayers pay $15 million in Baltimore city, $21 million in Montgomery County, $4 million in Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, and Wicomico Counties, and $110 million across the state towards the Bay Restoration Fund. Perdue has annual chicken sales of $4.8 billion and pays nothing into the fund.
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24 comments:
I have always tried to figure out what gives them a private company the right to pollute the water and soil? Just so jim can make a buck? total BS!
Not that Perdue isn't responsible for some pollution, they are not the only company receiving this treatment, and probably don't too much of a footprint in Montgomery County or Baltimore City. I'm guessing this article is in reaction to the try to pass a $0.05 tax per chicken on the chicken companies. I'm not opposed to taxing businesses for reasonable amounts and I am an environmentalist at heart, but we as a country continue to turn on the private sector, which provides the jobs to the masses. I guess we need to rely on the growing marijuana business because we are already taxing and pushing out the farmers, tobacco industry, alcohol industry etc. These are what built America's wealth. No amount of government intervention and taxing can make the wealth of America grow. Government will always be a liability, any savings or profit they claim is simply money they did not spend!
We need to see through the environmental smoke and mirrors. Growing population is what is polluting the Chesapeake Bay, not the chickens or the farmers. Specifically, there is more nitrogen coming off of Ms. Wenonah Hauter's residence than the same size ag field, even after poultry manure has been applied. Unfortunately, Ms. Hauter is paid to see that!
Back in 1999 the Wash Post did an expose on Perdue's violations of the WWTP and were fined. Perdue's offenses were continued with no action by the City. I often wonder if they ever paid up.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/aug99/chicken2.htm
But where does all the millions go?The bay does'nt get any better so someone is keeping the money for themselves.Its like a shake-down in the name of the enviroment.
Gosh, if you commenters are lucky, Purdue will close down and leave.
How will that work out for you?
12:38 you are right on!!! and 12:54 all those on the other side of bridge would be absolutely thrilled, then there would be nothing left to keep them from making the Eastern Shore their private vacation spot...Perdue and every other business will have some issues no doubt, ITS A PART OF BUSINESS!! Let them pull out or shut down and see what mess we have then!
12:54 I don't work for Perdue, and I really don't want to pay a rain tax while they receive subsidies for their pollution efforts. I wonder why the plant was built on the riverfront to begin with
12.53 If you read the WIP documents, it openly states that there was no effort made to be cost effective. As a result, you have the state is imposing regulations that cost $10,000 per pound of Nitrogen, when $9 per pound alternatives exist.
The State as screwed implementation up so much, flushing dog turds down the toilets could save thousands of tax dollars.
let's start taking some pollution samples from the waters around the various wwtps around the state. we might find who the serious polluters are.
To me it sounds good in theory but who in their right mind would ever trust the democrat controlled State of MD to spend the tax where it's intended? History is the best teacher. The MD democrat politicians are common thieves-PERIOD-END OF STORY. They are no better than common street criminals. They rob and raided funds all over the state. They steal from their own children. They are the worst humanity has to offer. If their own children had an ounce of sense they would disown them for creating a huge mess that they will have to deal with.
1:09
You don't have to work for Purdue to realize the benefits that the company brings to the shore.
Eliminate all those jobs and see what happens to what's left of the economy here.
It's a double edged sword with them. While most of the jobs they produce are the lowest of the low paying, some do allow people to make a decent living. The lower wage earners are receiving one or more forms of government assistance.
12:54 I assume by "The Plant" you are referring to the processing plant. Perdue did not build the processing plant. If my memory serves me right, they purchased it from The Swift Company.
1:58, I guess you got a point, I'll shore miss the shorebird stadium, the smell of chickens, and Perdue's commitment to solar panels
There was once a huge fertilizer plant right on the river where the marina/failed condo project are located.
NO ONE has mentioned the REAL culprit; the Conowingo Dam. Everyone on the western shore knows this and so do many on the eastern shore.
STOP all the B.S. about our poultry industry. It's a ruse and a lie; the same as global warming/climate change. Total fabrication to confiscate our hard earned dollars and tax and regulate us to death.
Come on everyone, figure this out. Do your homework. Stop these POLS and Fools NOW. Enough is enough.
Truth, what a concept...
We need the 5 cent tax on each bird to revitalize the bay. These chicken farmers are killing our waters with this manure and using taxpayers monies to help cover it up!
Anonymous said...
We need the 5 cent tax on each bird to revitalize the bay. These chicken farmers are killing our waters with this manure and using taxpayers monies to help cover it up!
February 5, 2014 at 4:47 PM
How do you know this is a fact? Because a Democrat told you?
I bet you voted for Obama didn't you!
C'mon! The only sensible approach is to raise the FART TAX. Farts generate far more air pollutants that other emissions. Besides, your legislators had not though of a fart tax yet.
anonymous 6:21, NOW THAT'S JUST WRONG!
When you get to be my age, that would be discrimination, period!
You'd only be punishing the elderly and quite frankly our spouses would turn us in each and every time.
Besides, I worked way too hard to retire and I'd be BROKE in less than a year!
LMAO
1:09 - Perdue bought the plant from Swift & Co. It was already a chicken plant.
When the bright lights in Annapolis and on the western shore have killed off the state's farms and chased the poultry farms away, Charm City and its like minded idiots can all starve or bankrupt them selves on what little can be imported from other states.
Not a farmer; not linked to poultry except as a consumer.
Stupid, stupid people over there.
4:47 You are so misguided, it's unreal.
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