California speaker proposes $3 cigarette tax

San Jose Mercury News ^ | Aug. 06, 2002 | AP

[Schatze]

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson proposed Tuesday to abandon a plan to raise California's car tax and instead increase cigarette taxes to $3 a pack -- the highest in the nation.

"This tax is a voluntary tax. If you don't smoke, you don't pay the tax," said Wesson, D-Culver City.

[Schatze]

Davis' budget also includes a plan to sell bonds to be paid off with future collections from the 1998 settlement with tobacco companies.

As they seem to be doing everything they can to put the tobacco companies out of business, I wonder where they think they're going to get "future collections." Evidently, these people weren't required to take a course in logic when they were in college.

[chance33_98]

Saw a blurb about cigarette sales being down 50% in NY - so much for the money they were going to raise by taxing them.

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[Teacher317]

Hehe, I bet smoking isn't down 50%, though. I'm sure PA, NJ, VT, NH, and CT appreciate the business!

[A. Morgan]

Why stop at three dollars? Why not six, or sixty dollars?

[VRW Conspirator]

Now, Wesson wants to scrap the car tax plan and raise smokers' tax by $2.13 cents above the existing 87 cent-a-pack tax. That translates to a total $3 a pack in cigarette taxes.

Assembly budget chairman John Campbell, R-Irvine, ought to tell them that it will take $4.17 (or more) to balance the budget. But he should vote against it, of course. The objective is to let the nuts and fruits see what flakes they have for representatives...heh-heh

[Argus]

"This tax is a voluntary tax. If you don't smoke, you don't pay the tax," said Wesson, D-Culver City.

Paging any Republican legislator who will use the same logic to put confiscatory taxes on the activities liberals prefer. How about an abortion tax - say $10,000 per abortion? If you don't kill your baby, you don't pay the tax.

[Uncle Hal]

Well at least so far the Republicans are holding tight and the democrats are the ones making the concessions. I hope they keep holding out.

[Springman]

Bump for later.

[Stand Watch Listen]

...cigarette sales being down 50% in NY

Hmmmmm....sales may be down 50%, but smoking may be up due to sales from the internet, neighboring States and especially the (Native-American)Indian tax free(?) stores.

[monkeyshine]

We're screwed.

In other news, the Judge in the settlement talks between California and several power companies has closed the settlement talks and sent the case to the FERC judge for a hearing. California signed long term contracts for energy at rates up to $285 per megawatt hour last year. The rate on the spot market today is $30. As you can see, the state's leaders are total idiots who have no idea what they are doing, how business works, or how things will change or be effected by their actions in the future.

[Dianna]

My mom told me she saw that the other day. Maybe it was Fox's news ticker. Not being widely reported anywhere.

[amused]

Saw a blurb about cigarette sales being down 50% in NY - so much for the money they were going to raise by taxing them.

I believe Mayor Bloomberg stated that he would raise taxes on cigs so high he would be glad not to receive any revenue(ie make them so expensive everyone will quit.)

Of course this ignores evidence and experience provided by the WOD. Reported hijackings and cigarette smuggling operations have taken off as a result of high taxes. Indian reservations are doing quite a brisk business in cig sales here in San Diego.

[The Vast Right Wing]

Yes, the income tax is voluntary too. Don't work, don't pay.

[Warren]

I buy cigs from Indian reservation for $10 a CARTON!

[umgud]

My company operates over 250 trucks and is based in CA with terminals in 7 other locations in the western states. My drivers all hope CA will raise cig taxes. It is common in the trucking industry for drivers buy cigs legally in one state and sell them in others. None of my drivers seem to complain about going to NY anymore.

[NeoCaveman]

Saw a blurb about cigarette sales being down 50% in NY - so much for the money they were going to raise by taxing them.

Well 8 cents times 30 million packs is Less than $1.50 times 15 million packs. It looks income positive to me.

Note I am pro-freedom and anti tobacco-taxes.

[Schatze]

Reported hijackings and cigarette smuggling operations have taken off as a result of high taxes.

The cost to combat these crimes -- along with people purchasing from the Internet and Indian reservations -- will probably more than offset whatever increase the state gets in taxes. These pols need a basic course in economics.

[F.J. Mitchell]

"This tax is a voluntary tax. If you don't smoke you don't pay the tax." Smirks Wesson. Sounds like the CEO of the snake oil division of Wesson. By his reasoning, all taxes are voluntary. If you don't eat you don't pay food tax-if you don't work, you don't pay income tax-If you never accumulate property, you never pay property tax-If we impeach all the politicians and never elect another one, we don't pay any taxes at all.

[Schatze]

If we impeach all the politicians and never elect another one, we don't pay any taxes at all.

I vote for this option.