Posted on 11/25/2013 1:35:37 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Mayor Rahm Emanuel agreed Monday to shave a quarter off his 75-cents-a-pack tax on cigarettes to appease African-American aldermen concerned about the illegal sale of loose cigarettes.
The decision to reduce the tax from 75 cents a pack to 50 cents continues Emanuel’s pattern of tinkering at the margins of his city budgets to appease critics without giving away too much.............
........Last week, the mayor appeared to slam the door on compromise. He called the 75-cents-a-pack increase that would have left Chicago with the nation’s highest combined state and local tax on cigarettes a “health care feat” on par with his prior contributions to children’s health care.
........Even at a 50-cent increase, the combined tax of $7.17 will still be the nation’s highest, 31 cents higher than New York City’s $6.86 a pack.
“I believe, as Dr. Choucair testified, it’s the right thing to do as a public health initiative to protect those from starting smoking. And it’s right to use the resources to protect our kids [by] enrolling them in Medicaid and getting free eye care and eye exams,” the mayor said then.
But even as the mayor spoke, the behind-the-scenes lobbying continued — by convenience store owners, African-American aldermen and by members of the mayor’s own staff.
They argued that Emanuel needed to throw his critics a bone to show that he is flexible and open to dissent.
They argued that the 25-cents-a-pack reduction would cost the city just $3 million but mean a lot to African-American aldermen who represent wards where the street corner sale of loose cigarettes is already worse than it is for illegal drugs. It would also mean a lot to retailers who fear losing more than $5 a customer in ancillary sales tied to cigarette purchases........
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
It’s not a fluke that there are hundreds of gas station/mini mart/fireworks stores on the border.
They’re all on medicaid.
Will have no impact.
So if they are smokers, sign up for Obamacare, and qualify for subsidies......does that mean if their premiums are $10k a year (because of smoking) does the taxxpayers get to pay all that money to the insurance company? So the penalty for smoking is higher premiums but the person signing up doesn’t actually pay the penalty the taxpayers do.
That would make as much sense as anything else they do.
Great point!
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