Here is just another example of how some dimwits come up with ways to pay for government programs. First NYS is going to tax the hell out of cigarettes to pay for the uninsured in the state. AT THE SAME TIME, NYS is placing 'no smoking' bans everywhere!! And NYS has 'help quit smoking' ads on TV daily. So when/if everyone quits smoking and there is no one left to buy cigarettes, how are they going to pay for the uninsured? What are they thinking? Or are they?
RANK, STATE, TAX RATE (¢ per pack) RANK Alabama (1) 42.5 40 Nebraska 64 31 Alaska (3) 180 7 Nevada 80 26 Arizona 200 4 New Hampshire 80 26 Arkansas 59 33 New Jersey 257.5 1 California 87 24 New Mexico 91 23 Colorado 84 25 New York (1) 150 13 Connecticut 151 11 North Carolina 35 44 Delaware 55 36 North Dakota 44 39 Florida 33.9 45 Ohio 125 16 Georgia 37 41 Oklahoma 103 19 Hawaii (3) 160 10 Oregon 118 18 Idaho 57 34 Pennsylvania 135 15 Illinois (1) 98 22 Rhode Island 246 2 Indiana 55.5 35 South Carolina 7 51 Iowa 36 42 South Dakota 53 38 Kansas 79 28 Tennessee (1) (2) 20 48 Kentucky (2) 30 46 Texas 141 14 Louisiana 36 42 Utah 69.5 30 Maine 200 4 Vermont 179 8 Maryland 100 20 Virginia (1) 30 46 Massachusetts 151 11 Washington 202.5 3 Michigan 200 4 West Virginia 55 36 Minnesota (4) 123 17 Wisconsin 77 29 Mississippi 18 49 Wyoming 60 32 Missouri (1) 17 50 Dist. of Columbia 100 20 Montana 170 9 U. S. Median 80.0
Source: Compiled by FTA from various sources (1) Counties and cities may impose an additional tax on a pack of cigarettes in AL, 1¢ to 6¢; IL, 10¢ to 15¢; MO, 4¢ to 7¢; NYC $1.50; TN, 1¢; and VA, 2¢ to 15¢. (2) Dealers pay an additional enforcement and administrative fee of 0.1¢ per pack in KY and 0.05¢ in TN. (3) Tax rate is scheduled to increase to $2.00 per pack on July 1, 2007 in AK and to $2.00 on Sept. 30, 2007 in HI. (4) Plus an additional 25.5 cent sales tax is added to the wholesale price of a tax stamp (total $1.485).
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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BIGK75
September 26, 2007, 9:10pm
Guest User
And don't forget, the Feds are going to raise more taxes on both cigarettes and cigars. If you know anybody who smokes cigars, tell them to buy up...
And don't forget, the Feds are going to raise more taxes on both cigarettes and cigars. If you know anybody who smokes cigars, tell them to buy up...
The tax could be in the area of $8...PER CIGAR.
gotta pay for a war and national health care somehow......do you really think folks are going to quit that fast----look at the freakin' lotto...people who dont have a pot to #$#@ in, buy lotto, scratch offs etc.......and the state runs ad after ad after ad after ad......"support our schools, lets gamble for education"---where is all that $$----SHOW ME THE $$ TRAIL........
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
New York’s indoor smoking ban, implemented four years ago, has accomplished its goal of reducing secondhand smoke in the places that it posed the greatest health risk — indoors, where the noxious emissions could not be sufficiently diluted by fresh air. There’s now a movement afoot to extend the bans to outdoor areas such as public parks, on the theory that it will have similar salutary benefits, at the same time cutting down on litter and discouraging minors from developing the smoking habit. The advocates for such bans — the deputy mayor of Cobleskill is one — may not be completely off base, but it seems like they’re making a rather large leap. The smoke produced by a burning cigarette, cigar or pipe is hazardous for anyone who breathes it, but the less concentrated it is, the less of a threat it constitutes. The difference between the concentration of smoke in even a moderately ventilated room and the great outdoors is substantial, even on the stillest of days. Perhaps someone sitting immediately next to a smoker on a park bench would notice the odor, or get a snoot full of secondhand smoke if the wind were blowing just right. But that person could always get up and move; a park is not like an outdoor arena, where spectators can be packed in row upon row and may not necessarily be able to change their seats to avoid an unpleasant odor. (Smoking bans in such instances are warranted, and in many stadiums around the country were imposed even before indoor smoking bans started to be passed.) As for an adult’s smoking influencing a child who might be playing nearby: Does the “tobacco-free” crowd somehow think it can keep kids from observing what remains a lawful activity in this country? That seems unlikely, especially given how the indoor smoking ban has driven smokers outdoors — at least the ones who haven’t quit. And that was the whole point of the indoor smoking ban: getting smokers to go outdoors, where they wouldn’t bother nonsmokers as much. It’s worked. But as long as smoking remains legal in this country, it seems only fair that smokers be allowed places, in public, to smoke. Parks shouldn’t be off-limits except under extraordinary circumstances.
Burst of giving from tobacco giant Contributions made to GOP, Democratic Senate funds amid talk of cigarette tax hike
By RICK KARLIN, Capitol bureau First published: Friday, January 18, 2008
ALBANY -- Amid talk of a tax hike on cigarettes, big tobacco is once again flexing its financial muscle in the state Legislature, according to the latest filings with the state Board of Elections. Altria Group, which owns Philip Morris, maker of cigarette brands such as Marlboro, Benson & Hedges and Basic, gave more than $100,000 to the Republican and Democratic parties in recent weeks.
Much of the money went to the Republican and Democratic Senate campaign committees' housekeeping, or soft money, accounts, including $35,000 to the GOP, which holds the majority, and $30,000 to the Democrats. The contributions come as the Spitzer administration is considering raising the state's $1.50-per-pack excise tax on cigarettes. Budget experts have noted New Jersey charges $2.57, and groups like the American Cancer Society want a $3 charge. Additionally, several counties, including Albany, Rockland, Tompkins and Onondaga, have over the past few years discussed raising from 18 to 19 the minimum age at which tobacco can be purchased. Suffolk County already has such a law, said American Cancer Society of New York spokeswoman Jennifer Cucurullo. Altria gave $10,000 to the Onondaga County Republicans as lawmakers there are revisiting a so-called Tobacco 19 bill that passed in 2006 but was vetoed by then-County Executive Nicholas Pirro. The company also gave $9,500 to the Erie County Democrats. Lawmakers contend that contributions don't influence their votes. Altria spokeswoman Dawn Schneider said her firm gives money for civic, rather than business purposes. "We have a long-standing commitment and involvement in the political process, in a bipartisan fashion, on behalf of our shareholders," Schneider said. Others disagree. "A state tobacco tax increase is one of our highest priorities, and the tobacco industry obviously smells it coming," said Peter Slocum, vice president for advocacy with the Cancer Society. Kevin O'Flaherty, director of advocacy in the Northeast Region for the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, believes cigarette makers are more worried about a steeper excise tax than a higher purchase age. "With a $4 billion budget deficit and talk about a significant increase in the tobacco tax, that's an amount they can't market their way out of," he said. There are no limits on donations to so-called housekeeping accounts. The money is not supposed to be spent on specific candidates, but critics say the state's laws are so loose the funds can benefit individual politicians. Rick Karlin can be reached at 454-5758 or by e-mail at rkarlin@timesunion.com. Political contributions Here's a look at some of the latest political contributions by Altria, the parent company of cigarette producer Philip Morris, or its affiliates. Friends of Assemblyman Tedisco: $500Conservative Party of NYS: $10,000 Erie County Republican Committee: $10,000 NYS Senate Republican Campaign Committee: $25,000O Onondaga County Republican Committee: $10,000 Monroe County Democratic Committee: $9,500 New York State Republican Committee: $10,000 Democratic Senate Campaign Committee: $30,000 Source: State Board of Elections
Lawmakers contend that contributions don't influence their votes.
Really? I say, raise the age limit and forget the tax. How 'bout raising the tax on alcohol? Or here's one better....How 'bout cut spending!!!!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
New York should raise cigarette tax to reduce smoking
According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report released Feb. 7, tobacco use killed 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century and could kill 1 billion people in the current century. This is a sobering reminder that the battle against big tobacco continues, and further evidence that more can, and must, be done to stop the deadly effects of tobacco use. Here in New York, smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths. Sadly, New Yorkers are continuing to light up — even worse, our youth are still taking up the deadly habit. This is why the American Lung Association is leading the charge to save lives by making smoking expensive and inconvenient. We do not stand alone. New York State’s 2007 adult tobacco survey indicated that most adults support a cigarette tax increase. In fact, 59 percent of adults support a $1 increase in the cigarette tax. Even more remarkable, an astonishing 77 percent support a tax increase — if the revenue from the tax is used to help smokers quit. Enacting an additional $1.50 in tobacco excise tax will create an economic incentive for smokers to quit their deadly addiction, and at the same time will increase funding for tobacco control programs. Currently, the excise tax on cigarettes in New York is $1.50 — placing 15 states ahead of us. Across the nation, nine states have a tax of $2 per pack or more. New York last raised the excise tax in 2002. Since then, 43 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have increased their cigarette taxes more than 75 times. Our elected state officials must find the resolve to act now to protect public health and increase the excise tax. MICHAEL SEILBACK Albany The writer is senior director of public policy and advocacy for the American Lung Association of New York State.
What is wrong with these people? The state wants to increase the tax to pay for 'whatever'. And yet some want to raise the tax so people will quit and NOT buy cigarettes. So when everyone quits smoking, who or what is going to pay for 'whatever'?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Smokers, others facing brunt of higher budget State leaders consider increasing tax on cigarettes by $1.50 a pack BY MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press
ALBANY — The 2008-09 state budget, we’re told, will contain hard choices. But the choices will be harder for some. The reason for difficult decisions is clear: A national recession that’s all but declared, layoffs and losses on Wall Street that provide 20 percent of state revenues and declining revenue from income, sales and other taxes tied to the economy. Yet the proposed state budget, due Tuesday and being detailed this weekend, calls for about a 4.5 percent increase in spending, perhaps even a bit higher. And one of the biggest pieces — state school aid — will still be a whopper: A record $1.8 billion increase for state school aid already at about $20 billion, which includes among the highest per-pupil funding in the nation. And in Albany, a “cut” almost always refers to a reduction in the planned increased in spending. In this case, many of the cuts are Gov. David Paterson’s revisions to the spending plan presented in February by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned earlier this month when he was named in a prostitution investigation. So, as one reporter asked of budget aides to Gov. David Paterson, “Where’s the pain?” Here it is: Smokers face up to a $1.50 per pack increase in the cigarette tax. The state tax is already $1.50 per pack, and in New York City, because of an additional local tax it’s $4.50 a pack. That’s quite a monkey on the back of a pack of cigarettes, which average $5.82 a pack. It could add up to $200 million to $500 million for the state. And in New York City, there’s talk of adding another 50-cent tax on each pack in coming months. For some of New York’s businesses, the cost of hard times in Albany could be measured in the millions. That’s because “loophole closers” was still an item on the table Saturday. Supporters say it closes corporate loopholes that have allowed big businesses to avoid some taxes. Opponents, including the Republican-led Senate, say it’s a tax, pure and simple. But there’s more pain on track. Riders of New York City’s subways and users of its tunnels and bridges could eventually see a fare increase because of Paterson’s proposed trimming of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s budget. Paterson’s 2 percent cut of many agencies across the board would take $60 million in operating aid away from the MTA. And cities, particularly those already crushed for years under a slumping upstate economy, will see 2 percent cuts in their municipal aid. For a city like Schenectady, the cut means $220,000. Add to that other “revenue raisers” still on the table surrounded by lawmakers desperate for cash: Expanding the hours of the Quick Draw lottery game, sometimes called “video crack”; redefining some malt beverages to light liquor and little cigars into cigarettes to snag higher tax rates; and countless other increases to user fees. “All of this stuff is in the process,” said Jeffrey Gordon, spokesman for Paterson’s budget offi ce. “The Legislature is deliberating and determining the next steps for all of those issues.” Which is included and which isn’t probably won’t be known for sure until at least today, when lawmakers report back to their leaders on spending and revenues for different areas of the budget proposal. “It’s part of an overall decision to introduce a series of fees and service cuts that mostly affect middle-class people,” objected Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a Westchester Democrat. “We’re prepared to act responsibly in a difficult time, but a number of us are not satisfied to single out middle-class families.” Spared an unkind cut, at this point, are New York’s richest. The Senate’s Republican majority and the Democratic governor appear to have beaten back a proposal by the Assembly’s Democratic majority to increase the tax temporarily on New Yorkers making over $1 million. But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Manhattan Democrat, and some colleagues hold out for trying again, if not this weekend then later in the year when revenue forecasts are expected to be even bleaker. But the Republican Senate might also balk at the MTA funding cut. “We do not want to do anything that will jeopardize raising any fares for riders of the system,” said Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Thomas Libous, a Broome County Republican. No similar stand is being publicly made against the cigarette tax proposal, being fought behind the scenes by lobbyists for Philip Morris USA. In this, the company faces the Center for a Tobacco Free New York, a coalition of health groups that has spent $200,000 on radio advertisements and print ads to support doubling the $1.50 cigarette tax for a total $3 per-pack tax. “We’re in the mix,” said Russell Sciandra, of the Center for a Tobacco Free New York. Lawmakers are considering compromises of lower tax increases. “The impact is going to be very bad,” said Dan Shanahan, chief fi scal officer of Wilson Farms Inc., with 200 convenience stores in the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse areas. “There will be stores that go out of business,” said the former smoker. He argues that most smokers will still smoke, but they will evade state taxes altogether by turning to Internet purchases and untaxed sales by stores run by Indian tribes. He said cigarette sales dropped 10 percent when the state tax last increased in 2002. “It’s a technical balance of the budget that won’t produce the revenue,” he said. “I think it’s easy to get away with it in Albany and downstate, but we’re taking it on the chin here in central and western New York.”
That’s quite a monkey on the back of a pack of cigarettes,
they fail to name the true monkey on the back on NYS........it keeps trying to jam a square peg into a round hole{our butts},,,,but the politicians, lawmakers, union organizers and rest are sleeping with the monkey.......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
How about a sin tax on the prostitution rings and those who pay.....I guess that would also include the rich, the lawmakers and everyother person who uses these services.......that would be a windfall of profits like the State supported gambling ring called NYS Lotto.......folks we are getting ROYALLY RIPPED OFF.......
like Eeyore would say: "I guess that's just the way it is".......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
CAPITOL State OKs cigarette tax boost Charge of $2.75 per pack will be nation’s highest BY MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press
New York’s government leaders have agreed to boost the state cigarette tax by $1.25 per pack to create the nation’s highest state cigarette tax, officials said Wednesday. New York’s $2.75-per-pack tax would jump ahead of New Jersey for the highest state tax in the nation. New York has been ranked the 16th highest with a tax of $1.50 tax per pack. In New York, the average price of a pack of cigarettes is about $5.82 statewide. New Jersey’s tax is $2.57 a pack, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The lowest state cigarette tax is in tobacco growing states, including South Carolina where the tax is 7 cents per pack. “You can bet we were rooting behind the scenes for the tobacco tax,” said New York Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines, who confirmed the tax will increase by $1.25. The original proposal was for a $1.50 increase. “We think that’s fantastic,” said Peter Slocum, spokesman for the American Cancer Society. “It will still probably prevent more than 200,000 teenagers from starting to smoke,” he said. “That’s a win-win for now and for the future.” State budget office spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said the tax would raise $265 million for New York’s $124 billion proposed budget. Much of the cigarette tax revenue would be used for health programs including those to help smokers quit and keep youths from starting. “This is putting a gun to my head and saying you are taking money from me for my own good,” said Audrey Silk of Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment, based in New York City. “It’s no different than a robber saying that when he’s sticking you up.” She disputes claims that raising the tax will reduce smoking. “Those are based on self reports and in this day and age, you’re demonized as a smoker,” she said. “Taxation shouldn’t be used for social engineering.” The first increase in the cigarette tax since 2002 was considered essential by many in Albany as they tried to craft a 2008-09 budget with an estimated $5 billion deficit and declining revenue growth. During this week’s budget negotiations, the status of the tax had often changed from one closeddoor meeting to another. But Gov. David Paterson administration officials and legislative officials confirmed there is agreement on a $1.25 increase, although it won’t be final in a revenue bill or voted on until later this week. “We’re not confirming any agreements on revenue because there are none,” said John McArdle, spokesman for Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno, who was most opposed to raising the tax. “It’s a great victory for the public and a great victory for the people who overcame a lobbying onslaught by the tobacco industry,” said Russ Sciandra of The Center for a Tobacco Free New York.
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