This state places a lot of requirements on business owners that sell tobacco products, in order to keep tobacco away from minors. I'm sure the costs get passed along to the consumers, as well as the cost of the agencies that regulate this stuff. New York also spends tax dollars on conducting stings at these businesses. I know someone who lost his job due to that. Why is it that, with all this anti-youth smoking crusading going on, the girls at the NE Parent & Child home always have cigarettes? Doesn't that place get money from the state? If we don't really care about the issue, why spend tax money on it? If we didn't waste money on phony programs, maybe we wouldn't have to have el cheapo bridges.
The cigarette tax in NYS is $4.35 per pack. Federal tax is $1.01 per pack, + 8% sales tax (yes there is sales tax on the other taxes).
Include the ~ .70 sales tax, and its more than $6.00 in tax on every pack.
If that's not enough money to fund their useless programs, and unfair stings, then too f*cking bad.
"Unfair stings" you say?
Yes, they take a kid who's a few months shy of his eighteenth birthday who got caught with a joint in his pocket, and offer to make the charge go away if he cooperates.
So this kid, over 6 feet tall with facial hair goes in (usually when the place is busy), and the cashier, wanting to get everyone finished and out the door maybe forgets to ask for his ID.
BINGO. The cashier, making minimum wage or close to it, now has a police record, and not just any record, but one that includes the word "child". There are now an awful lot of jobs, and different types of licenses that they'll never be able to get because of that conviction. Most of the cashiers can barely afford to pay the fine as they are usually students, or people working an extra job to support their family.
The cigarette tax in NYS is $4.35 per pack. Federal tax is $1.01 per pack, + 8% sales tax (yes there is sales tax on the other taxes).
Include the ~ .70 sales tax, and its more than $6.00 in tax on every pack.
If that's not enough money to fund their useless programs, and unfair stings, then too f*cking bad.
"Unfair stings" you say?
Yes, they take a kid who's a few months shy of his eighteenth birthday who got caught with a joint in his pocket, and offer to make the charge go away if he cooperates.
So this kid, over 6 feet tall with facial hair goes in (usually when the place is busy), and the cashier, wanting to get everyone finished and out the door maybe forgets to ask for his ID.
BINGO. The cashier, making minimum wage or close to it, now has a police record, and not just any record, but one that includes the word "child". There are now an awful lot of jobs, and different types of licenses that they'll never be able to get because of that conviction. Most of the cashiers can barely afford to pay the fine as they are usually students, or people working an extra job to support their family.
The state goes after the low hanging fruit. They don't give a sh!t they are going to ruin the life of a minimum wage store clerk. The $60k per year state agent has to justify his/her value. If it means screwing over the working poor, so be it.
The state goes after the low hanging fruit. They don't give a sh!t they are going to ruin the life of a minimum wage store clerk. The $60k per year state agent has to justify his/her value. If it means screwing over the working poor, so be it.
BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
...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
Logged
