Thanks for the ping. I was going to post this after the NJ Stripper Rally ended. You beat me to it. :)
If they stopped selling tobacco products, they would have to give up the big Tobacco Settlement they have been getting.
Suburban Chicago mayor proposes ban on tobacco sales
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson has proposed banning all tobacco sales.
The village already has been considering a smoking ban in public places like those already adopted in Chicago and other suburbs.
But at this week's village board meeting, Johnson said Elk Grove Village should consider banning the sale of all forms of tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes and chewing tobacco.
Johnson says overriding health concerns trump sales tax revenue considerations.
The mayor says he thinks the village could withstand a legal challenge if it banned all tobacco sales. But Illinois Attorney General's office spokeswoman Melissa Merz said yesterday she couldn't immediately determine whether or not it would be legal.
Tobacco Taxes
Illinois's excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.980
Illinois's excise tax collection for the
fiscal year ending June 2002: $471,551,000
Sales tax on tobacco products: 6.25%
Local tax on tobacco products: $60,605,152
Federal excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.39
Total federal excise tax collections in fiscal year 2002: $7,512,700,000
Comparing Excise Taxes on Cigarettes, Beer and Wine
Number of six-packs of beer that must be sold in Illinois to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 94.2
Number of bottles of wine that must be sold in Illinois to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 67.8
Illinois Smokers' Contributions to the State Economy - FY2003
In 2003, Illinois smokers comprised only 23.4% of the adult population in the state. Here is what they already pay because they choose to buy a legal product:
Smokers Pay Excise Taxes $ 744,402,000
Smokers Pay Sales Taxes $ 94,252,000
Smokers Pay Local Excise Taxes $ 189,078,000
Smokers Pay Tobacco Settlement Payments $ 288,800,000
$1,316,532,000
Smokers' Economic/Tax Profile 2003
Income
Illinois smokers' median household income $37,156
Illinois nonsmokers' median household income $45,737
Working families pay more
32% of Illinois smokers had household incomes LESS THAN $25,000
17% of Illinois smokers had household incomes EQUAL TO or GREATER THAN $75,000
The impact of smoker payments on the incomes of working families was more than THREE TIMES the impact on higher income smokers. Those who can afford it least pay a disproportionate percentage of their hard-earned income in smoker payments.
Smoker excise tax/sales tax/tobacco settlement payments liability in FY2004
Total average paid per Illinois smoker in excise and sales taxes $479
Cost per Illinois smoker for settlement payments to Illinois $134
Total annual payments to Illinois per smoker $613
Total annual payments to Illinois per nonsmoker $0
Yeah, I wound up being only a bit player in that one because my connection got stomped last night.
Sorry.
Oh well, looks like you'll have to take over again for awhile - I have to get some paying work done.
Thanks for the ping!
"But at this week's village board meeting, Johnson said Elk Grove Village should consider banning the sale of all forms of tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes and chewing tobacco."
Sounds like it's time to move and get outta Dodge to me! I wouldn't want to pay property taxes in a place that denies me the right to anything LEGAL. And least anyone forget, tobacco is a legal substance.
Nana