[Disturbin]

Massachusetts smokers already pay a $1.51 excise tax on a pack of cigarettes. The average price of a pack of cigarettes is $5.41

The politicians in Mass have never met a tax they didn't love.

[mysterio]

Wait until they go after junk food.

[The Pack Knight]

$5.41 average?! That means a pack of Marlboros must be like $7.25 after the tax hike!

And I was glad that I quit smoking just before they got near $4 here in NC.

[Eurale]

Taxachusetts.

[Neoliberalnot]

I would also mention these political rats pretend to hate tobacco when in reality they love to make money off a habit that does tremendous damage to addicted individuals.

[from occupied ga]

The politicians in Mass have never met a tax they didn't love.

It must not just be the politicians, because the massholes keep electing them. They don't just get elected by accident.

People live there because? I just can't think of a good reason.

[Dixie Yooper]

The Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to raise the cigarette tax by $1 a pack and close hundreds of millions of dollars in so-called corporate tax loopholes.

In regards to the corporate tax laws, this can only be good news for the other 49 states. We aren't very happy that Mass. is trying to get their cigarette smokers to leave as well.

[sr4402]

The Massachusetts Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to raise the cigarette tax by $1 a pack and close hundreds of millions of dollars in so-called corporate tax loopholes

And drive shoppers to the nearby states. May the Pols in Massachuesetts get another Massachussets miricle and 50% less revenue.

[vikingd00d]

>>The average price of a pack of cigarettes is $5.41

Soon to be $64 a carton plus sales tax!? Smells like a golden business opportunity for tobacco runners.

[CDHart]

Probably the number of people and businesses leaving Massachusetts will increase.

carolyn

[Moose4]

The Legislature is grappling with ways to close a $1.3 billion gap between projected revenue and the cost to maintain current services.

Doesn't occur to these yahoos that maybe they're spending $1.3 billion too much instead of being short $1.3 billion, does it?

}:-)4

[AppyPappy]

A tax on the poor that liberals support.

[Southerngl]

Ok, here’s a question, and believe me, I am no economist...

but these tobacco companies pay high taxes, right? And a buck a pack will decrease the amount of cigs bought (I’m assuming, it would for me!), therefore decreasing income and profit for the tobacco companies. That would decrease the amount of taxes paid by the corporation, right?

Maybe I’m confused.

[Argus]

Oughta make the cigarette smugglers happy.

[mkmensinger]

I hope they don’t prematurely spend the anticipated revenues, because they’ll never materialize.

[Republicus2001]

why not raise the tax to $10/pack? ItsforthechildrenBushfaultHateAmerica

[calex59]

Ok, soon they will reach the point where so many people quit smoking, or buy their cigs on the black market, that they are no longer reaping the windfall taxes(if they can use it for profits I can use it for taxes)from cigs, they will turn to other things. Get ready America, we are about to become the a communist country with taxes on everything. We need to take back our country. Let’s do it. Let’s stand up and say NO MORE TAXES, on anything. Don’t like smokers, to damn bad, live with it or lose what YOU like to taxes.

[Gabz]

"The Senate's proposal is a reasonable representation of everyone's interests that provides predictability and fairness,"

Wait a minute, I thought they always claim higher cig taxes cuts into smoking rates, thus they can predict how much "revenue" such an increase will generate....

And what exactly is fair about only taxing a certain minority segment of the population for the benefit of all?

Oh, never mind, this is Massachusetts.........

Nanny State Ping

[stubernx98]

See article in WSJ today how in NY that the tax is so high that it now is creating a new criminal enterprise of smuggling. Over 45% or so of cigarettes are smuggled in and a crook can make $1,000,000 on one truck load. Also some of the ill gotten gains are going to fund terrorism groups.

There is nothing dumber than a politician!

[Madame Dufarge]

The Senate defeated a proposal for a 5 percent tax on alcoholic beverages to raise $87 million for drug abuse treatment.

Confirming that there are more drunks than smokers in the Mass legislature.

[Doohickey]

It’s been a long time since the Whiskey Rebellion and Shays’ Rebellion, hasn’t it? We just bend over and take it like good little serfs now.