Eric Gardner's Crime: Selling Illegal Cigarettes Funds Mafias and Even Muslim Terrorists...

Reaganite Republican ^ | 04 December 2014 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

A textbook example of unintended consequences is provided by the heavy cigarette taxes levied in some US states-- each sets its own rate, and they vary wildly:
Missouri's state cigarette tax is 17 cents. It's $4.35 in New York...

Thus, the ATF says the federal gub'ment loses $5 billion in tax revenue every year from the trafficking of illegal cigarettes. Worldwide, it's a $100 billion problem, and it's the No. 1 economic crime in Europe.

Couldn't be any simpler:

cigarettes are purchased by organized crime types in a low-tax state,
who then truck them in for sale back in a high tax state. Most of the delta is pure profit for the smugglers.

A carton of cigarettes in Virginia is $30, but in New York City or other high-tax states, it can be $90 or more. That's just one carton.

One 18-wheeler full can quickly translate into $1 million in cash. And it all couldn't happen without people like Eric Gardner on the retail end.

Rand Paul thinks the high taxes on cigs in NY state can be blamed for the death of Eric Gardner, who was killed by a chokehold while resisting arrest for selling illegal smokes on the street.

Well, Paul's got a point about the effectiveness and fairness of 
(highly regressive) 'sin' taxes, but HEY, I thought libertarians were all-into personal responsibility? 

What about his fault for doing business with the mafia... or worse?

Of course, the crime has long been a revenue source for the Italian/Russian mafias in this country. BUT these days the $ is so big, the perps range from gangs to terrorist groups.
There are cases of illegal cigarette sales with ties to groups like Hezbollah and the Irish Republican Army.

One example would be the Charlotte Hezbollah case, where a
(radical, Islamist) cell out of Lebanon was trafficking cigarettes from
North Carolina (low-tax) to Michigan (high-tax).

They were using the proceeds to buy military armaments in Lebanon.

Did Gardner deserve to die for his illegal sales, like Rand Paul thinks he did? 

Of course not... but that ain't what killed him, resisting arrest is. 

Don't get physical with a cop, and nobody gets hurt (or killed). Capeche?
And perhaps not breaking the law in the first place would be good for one's health, as well.

[MUDDOG]

People talk about 1/4 cent rise in the general sales tax.

This cigarette tax is unbelievable.

[dead]

Your not just missing the point, you're making up the point. There is NO evidence that Garner was buying his cigarettes illegally. He was a nobody on the corner scrambling for a couple bucks.

His cigarettes were illegal ONLY because he was selling them one at a time, and this runs afoul of some stupid tax-everything law in NYC.

Loosies DO NOT fund international terrorism. They likely enabled Garner to make enough to buy a fourty at the end of the day, if it even made him that much.

[Vendome]

LOL

Who doesn’t want a cig when drinking.

I use to, on super cold and wet days walk from bar to bar, as I made my way back to whatever hotel I was staying at.

In between, I’d smoke a cigarette or a nice Ashton cigar.

Love NYC in winter.

Hate it in summer.

[kenmcg]

These so called conservative pundits, Krauthammer, Steve Hayes, Napolitano, etc. all are quick to indict the cop. There is a law pushed by Bloomberg that puts $7+ tax on a pack of butts. Its against the law to sell untaxed butts. Garner had been arrested numerous times for the same offense. He was 6’5 and weighed 300 lbs. He was in poor physical condition, high bp, bad heart, & obese and maybe diabetic. The cops observe him and attempt to arrest him, the initial two officers were not big and looked small compared to Garner. It’s obvious Garner wanted no part of the arrest, by what he said and by waving his arms. The cop puts him in a takedown hold around the neck. This hold is probably used hundreds of times a day in the US for folks resisting arrest with nary a problem. Garner broke the law, which the cops swore to uphold. Its unfortunate that he died but he made his own bed.

[SpeakerToAnimals]

Repeal the taxes and the problem goes away. Prohibition breeds crime.

[Responsibility2nd]

“Of course not... but that ain’t what killed him, resisting arrest is.”

____________________________________

Yeppers. All the brou-ha-ha over illegal cigarettes does NOTHING to explain the death of Eric Garner.

Another way to put it is - he died of suicide by cop.

[ßuddaßudd]

No man should have to die because of a cigarette tax,,,
can they just send him a bill?

[Hotlanta Mike]

11 Facts About the Eric Garner Case the Media Won’t Tell You

http://www.Newsmax.com/Newsfront/eric-garner-chokehold-grand-jury-police/2014/12/04/id/611058/#ixzz3Kx49OXUT

[TexasCajun]

And there you have it.

High Taxes Killed Eric Gardner !!

[ourworldawry]

“Paying taxes supports the shakedown racket known a ‘government’.”

No truer words could be spoken.

[bgill]

hussein’s funding to terrorists is much greater.

[Wolfie]

But America loves the nanny state. Just ask the DEA.

[jkeith3213]

What I posted on another garner thread:

Everyone saying the cop is in right, needs to think of this logically. The cop arrested, and choked this man over an unpaid tax, and his “resistance.”

Would they support the arrest and choking of all the freepers who have said they will not comply with obamacare?

[VerySadAmerican]

Obama and McCain fund terrorists. Should they be killed for it? Don’t answer that!

[Responsibility2nd]

There’s a big difference between the criminal Garners of this world who are to blame for their own demise and the steely-eyed convictions of well-armed FReeper who will not out like a punk.

I see your argument that “they” may come for us over ObamaCare just in the same way they went after Garner over cigarette taxes. But you and I know they will not be successful.

[BubbaBasher]

His real crime and the reason he ended up dead was resisting arrest.

[jkeith3213]

But when we don’t pay our obamacare taxes, we too will be criminals, therefore we must deserve whatever the police do to us right?

I think that they won’t be successful either, but only if large numbers of people are involved, they cannot come after everyone.

But I would bet that some “law and order” types here would think it was our fault for not just “complying,” and “resisting.” Especially if it were just a few that were arrested.

[namvolunteer]

No doubt about it, Earle Stanley Gardner had it coming to him!!!

[Reaganite Republican]

If he’d have never got involved in the cig scam, he’s still be alive today...

[Reaganite Republican]

Agreed 1000% if full