Posted on 08/17/2009 12:02:24 PM PDT by Ja7430
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-Democrats in control of California's Legislature are pushing to raise the state cigarette tax by $1.50 to help raise revenue amid a historically severe cash crunch.
But critics say the plan to raise the state's tobacco excise tax could collapse if Democrats are unable to muster at least some Republican support since the state constitution requires a two-thirds vote for tax increases.
(Excerpt) Read more at legalnewsline.com ...
Cigs are already more than $5 a pack in TN. Glad I quit 21 years ago.
this really wouldn’t be a real problem in California. how many homosexuals do you know who smoke? They are into Gyms and Fitness Centers in order to be beautiul. Smoking is a non-issue there, IMO
YO, Kaliforniya.. what good is a Tobacco tax increase... IF YOU CAN”T USE THEM ANYWHERE???
Tobacco companies used to be HUGE contributors to Republicans- like 90% vs 10%
If it was the other way around I guarantee we would all be hearing about the healthful benefits of ‘bathing your lungs in cleansing smoke’
The smokers in Californistan should form groups and send someone on a weekly cigrun to another state.
The Messiah said that we need to stop spending money on things that do not make us healthy. If the smokers quit, who will pay for government?
The Democrats sink lower every year. Have pity on the poor smokers. They are trying to quit a nasty habit. Taxing them to oblivion is a very regressive tax.
Are you kidding? Many MANY homosexuals smoke. THat’s the one consolation of all this crap is that it hits their precious homosexuals right in the @ss. Not me though. They pushed it too far, this chicken got tired of being plucked, let the children die, I’m smoke free.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.
Looks like Nevada tobacco sales are going to skyrocket.
NECESSARILY skyrocket.
why pussy around with a buck 50?
Why not just tax cigs a good 10 bucks and be done with it?
Think how much money that could raise 8^) LOL!
Make cigarette taxes go to $90.00 a cigarette. What the hell.
Pikers! Why not put a real dent in the deficit and raise the tax to $100 per pack. /s
sw
$1,000,000,000,000,000.00 A PACK! AND PULL THE PLUG ON GRAMMA!!!!!
California’s government is completely brain-damaged. I was going to take a vacation to San Diego but then I decided, why the Hell should I give my hard-earned dollars to CA businesses who in turn will get it confiscated by the pack of criminals in Sacramento anyway. I’m going to Winnipeg instead.
It’s basically discrimination. Why not raise the taxes on apples and oranges? These fools should know that when people stop smoking, their revenue goes down. Then what will they tax?
At least we know this won’t spur a black market in cigarettes that will increase organized crime and gang activity.
Oh wait, nevermind.
....there’s gonna be a threshold on the price of a pack where people will grow their own plants and roll their own....it’s already going on in N.C. where I live.
Oh the irony. If they hadn’t outlawed smoking in all public places, think of the extra tax revenue from all those extra cigarettes being smoked in bars, etc.
Quit this march ... best move I ever made :)
“California’s government is completely brain-damaged.”
Well, I would add to that that they are just dumber than dog sh*t. They are rapidly sinking but won’t stop drilling holes in the bottom of their dinghy.
Unbelievable.
Anyone know the existing per pack tax?
Wow! Another tax on smokes! How original and creative. I wonder what these new taxes will be squandered on? On relief for overburdened taxpayers? No way. For new pie-in-the-sky social welfare schemes which will provide civil service jobs for our useless cousins and inlaws? Yes way.
Hey, I got a novel idea. Why dont they stop spending so much money? Then they wouldnt need to raise more.
They are using the smokers’ need for a nicotine fix to satisfy their own need for a revenue fix. Truly addicted.
....there’s gonna be a threshold on the price of a pack where people will grow their own plants and roll their own....
And bootleg them to places where the taxes are highest. Smuggling cigarettes will likely be our next big growth industry.
And Driving Businesses out of the California (it will go to Nevada). Way to go Liberals/Progressives. Soon you will DRIVE THE EVIL RICH out of California altogether. DOH!
I quit smoking 3 years ago. I got fed up with cigs controlling me. Addiction is a bit*h. But not being able to smoke anywhere and being treated like a disease really helped me quit. There is no way that i could afford to smoke now. So being a disease payed off i guess ?
Good time for the tobacco cos. to locate offshore, somewhere like Haiti, and refuse to ship their product to Kali, NY, Fla, etc. and require both the state and Fed/Guv to request them
to resume shipment. (Be a boon for Haiti also.)
Mexifornians are as bankrupt as they want to be..
Didn’t the Obma admin put the FDA in charge of tobacco? So, is it now classed as a food?
If it is a food can the government subsidize tobacco for poor folks? Will there be food stamps for tobacco?
Won’t you feel good knowing your taxes are going to pay for some po’ folk’s smokes!
Smokers should just grow their own tobacco. I don’t think there is a law against it.
Curing tobacco is not a particularly simple process for an amateur.
At the rate tobacco is taxed already it should be more lucrative for black marketeers now than pot or coke. They should call this the Support Organized Crime Bill. Whether you get your cigs from a dealer or pay the taxes at a store the profits will go to racketeers.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/state-13776-year-california.html
Flashback to last week (above): CA hires 3600 in past year
Didn’t Calif. just raise cigarette taxes this year??
Enough of this garbage! Get the organized criminal Mexicans out of here and save BILLIONS!
85,000 Acre California Fire caused by Mexican Drug Cartels - confirmed!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2317334/posts
Next year the Mexicans can grow tobacco on those 85,000 acres and sell it tax free.
Uuuuuunnnnnnnnggggggghhhhhhh
THere is still a seam between the price of rolled up ones and loose tobacco that an entrepreneur could exploit. It would be illegal, and I would not advise it. But it could be done. As for me, when they raised the tax on loose tobacco, I threw out my machine and knuckled under. One can only bear the pressure of the entire apparatus of the state for so long.
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