Posted on 05/21/2009 12:15:52 PM PDT by GQuagmire
"“Do you really think we want those laws observed?" Said Dr. Ferris. We want them broken. You better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick and you'd better get wise to it. There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now, that's the system Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, Part 2, Chapter 3, Page 404
growing your own is the easy part..the tough part is properly drying it..
I downloaded plans for a cooler-sized curing shed a while ago. When I get a few more projects knocked out, it’ll get built. It’s probably possible to torture me into submission. It’s not possible to tax me into it.
Smoking used to be so glamorous — all the movie stars did it (were paid to do it) on the silver screen. Sigh.
Now only bums and sad addicts are seen smoking.
I have concidered growing tobacco as potted plants.
How long before they crack down on the Indian reservations (who sell duty free tobacco).
As my patriotic duty, I’ll buy black market cigars!!!!
DOWN WITH DA-KING’S TAXES !!!!!!
It’s a consenting adults sort of thing; we’re working on getting them out of sight...
“I’ll give you 6 .45 ACP FMJ for a 20 pack of camel straits.”
When you say .45 ACP FMJ do you mean the whole cartridge or just the bullet? If just the bullet, do you mean new in box, or uh, like recently fired?
Just if one was inclined to buy ciggies on the black market, how would one go about finding a seller??? Just curious of course :-)
“How ABOUT eliminating the Smoke Shops in Indian Territory, Oklahoma where Americans can buy cigarettes tax free on any land that is declared Native American?”
That’s happening all over the country. I buy from a tribe on the west coast and their smoke shop is right downtown and it’s not ‘Indian land’. They tell me they got hit with the last fed tax, not sure how that was accomplished.
If you search on the net, there are Canadian dealers who’ll would be willing to do business.
Yay! A NEW War on Drugs!
We know how well THAT worked out...
/sarc
“How about eliminating the obscene taxation on tobacco products?”
There’s no rhyme or reason to how or what or when the government taxes except when they just feel like it suits their needs.
In the book I sent you there is a story about tobacco and Taxes. I don’t know if you’ve read it yet.
[snip- 1867 Cherokee Nation] The Boudinot Tabacco Factory was located just inside Indian Territory near Siloam Springs, Arkansas and proved popular and lucrative to local businesses. Noticing the success of the enterprise and the temptation of revenue and reprisal, the government acted upon a law they had just imposed for a federal excise tax on tobacco and distilled spirits which did not exempt Indian Territory.
Watie refused to pay what he considered an illegitimate tax against a sovereign state and in violation of the treaty made only a year before which held Cherokee or other tribes were not subject such tax. Boudinot, having been involved in writing the language of the treaty, knew the congress and the government had acted outside the agreement.
Nevertheless, federal officers confiscated and closed the factory, seized the assets to pay the back tax and forced Watie into bankruptcy. Boudinot filed suit against the government, but typically the case was long delayed. This became a landmark decision, setting precedent that a law passed by Congress could supersede provisions of even a recent treaty.
It was said that excellent grades of tobacco had been produced at the Boudinot factory and merchants who had engaged in selling it were disappointed because of the loss of revenue from the product. The white growers in Missouri also took their objections to the government to restrain the Cherokees’ competition. Boudinot lost his case in federal court and filed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Fifteen years later, the United States Court of Claims was ordered to give Boudinot restitution for damages; too late for Watie to regain his loss.
CHAPTER 16 - Beginning Again
The South rebuilds after the Civil War
“Jesus Wept” An American Story
Happy to see these idiots following the same path of failure that was predicted all along.
Sadly, it will be the people, not the politicians who suffer for this.
Really, when the government doesn't seem to obey any laws nor recognize the Constitution, why should anyone else?
Perhaps Mr. Wiener (!) should reflect that if you create a sufficient number of criminals via new and creative laws, sooner or later the majority of the public will be not only cheering for the criminals, but aiding and abetting.
Rightfully so.
Your mistake is thinking that Government see this as a burden. They don’t. It’s an opportunity. Increased funding, asseit seizure, more military toys for law enforcement...They’re no doubt salivating at the opportunity for expansion this represents.
There’s some truth in that, no doubt.
Cigarettes purchased on Indian territory are not subject to taxes at the site of purchase but the only cigarettes you will notice that are substantially lower than others are the ones manufactured by the Indians.
An example being 1 carton of Seneca brand cigs at approx. $18 per carton compared to a carton of Benson & Hedges at approx. $47 per carton. Why? The Senecas are produced by the Indians and the B&H's are produced by Phillip Morris. So the place of purchase has already paid the applicable Federal tax on the Phillip Morris cigs and passed it along to the consumer.
With that being said tho, you, the customer, are legally obligated to report such purchase to your state in order to pay the applicable state sales tax on your tobacco purchase. (that ain't gonna happen tho)
Look, here's the bottom line: A few years ago I used to purchase my tobacco products from an internet distributor called Dirtcheapcigs. Then one day I received a notice from the Michigan State Treasury stating I owed approx. $700 in unpaid state taxes on my tobacco products. I ignored it. Not long afterwards, I received another notice stating I owed another $500+ on additional tobacco purchases from the same company.
I tried to fight it, I denied receipt of many of the alleged tobacco shipments but guess what? They countered that those shipments were made to my employer's address........ How the hell did they know that?
So I continued to fight it, I wrote to the State of Michigan demanding all the info regarding my alleged internet tobacco purchases under the Freedom of Information Act. The only info that was provided was a one page spread sheet containing a list of names, addresses and quantities purchased with my name being on the list as having purchased only a few cartons of cigarettes. Not even close to what they claimed I owed.
So now, the deadline was drawing near. Do I pay what they say I owe, then have an opportunity to cite my case in Lansing before an arbitrator (A rep for the Mich State Treasury of course) or hold out?
The only problem with holding out is that once their deadline for payment has arrived, they automatically double your alleged tax obligation as a penalty.
I had no choice, shortly before the deadline, I sent in my alleged tax obligation payment and sure enough, 3 days later after the deadline date, I received a notice of penalty demanding 2 times the amount they said I owed. I then followed up with a copy of my check showing that I had paid it on a timely basis and they responded in kind.
The bottom line in this whole nightmare is that while you may purchase your tobacco products from "tax free" sites, you are still legally obligated to report them to your state. And once the states get desperate enough for revenues, they are going to continue to go after these Indian reservations and other places in order to obtain their sales records to see who in their respective states have made tobacco purchases. And once armed with this infor, they are going to go after you............
They've already outlawed a few plants occurring in nature. What makes you think they won't outlaw growing your own tobacco?
Government cracking down on illicit activity that generates a lot of money? That’s a sure formula for success!
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