Posted on 08/10/2002 2:29:58 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
..."We know there's been a steep increase," said Kurt Ribisl, the UNC professor who headed the study. Ribisl sees a direct correlation in the jump of online purchasing to the passage of new cigarette taxes.
Ribisl said the study suggests that while online cigarette sales make up somewhere between less than 1 percent and 5 percent of total cigarette sales a year, depending on the state, those numbers are destined to grow...
...Washington may weigh in on the issue in order to enforce interstate sales tax law. Though a moratorium currently exists on new taxes or enforcements on Internet sales, some lawmakers say concern over health risks related to smoking outweigh anti-tax sentiments...
...Other states have bumped their cigarette taxes this year, including: New Jersey (70 cents per pack), Vermont (49 cents) and Illinois (40 cents). A 69-cents-per-pack increase will begin July 15 in Pennsylvania, more than tripling the 31-cent tax.
New Jersey and New York state both levy $1.50 per pack, the highest cigarette tax in the nation. Washington state is third, at $1.425...
...Many smokers said they felt unfairly targeted by lawmakers, who they said can get away with taxing cigarettes because the habit is no longer socially acceptable...
Becky Rabinowitz, 59, rolled her eyes and imitated nonsmokers who wrinkle their noses and wave away the smoke from her Misty Menthol Lights as they walk by her office building.
"Why do the smokers have to be penalized?" asked Rabinowitz, who has smoked for more than 40 years. "There are other taxes they could be raising that they aren't."
2-By emailing everyone I can! By running my Forces Maine Website, and by rolling our own for over a year now. Not paying all those taxes into the state coffers tickles me pink.
3-Might take 10 years. They cant just tax tobacco over the Net without taxing everything being sold EVERYWHERE on the net.
4-I think they are nuts. If they can truly afford it, great! But we found a much better way, and those tax dollars are just as good in OUR pocket as the state coffers!
2-Why will those efforts affect government's position?
3-"...some lawmakers say concern over health risks related to smoking outweigh anti-tax sentiments..."
4-More than 95% of smokers "are nuts". How does that affect you?
OH NO DID YOU MENTION HITLERY?! LOL
$13.50 at WalMart.
make cigs taste like crap ...
It would be VERY interesting to learn how a study could suggest ANY percentage as long as the Indians are close-mouthed--which they are (see above post.)
I suggest that the States are losing far more than 5% of the sales...but can't admit it because the number would grow astronomically as soon as others figure out that the States simply have NO CONTROL and NO LEVERAGE on the transactions.
In addition--I have known people who were buying from the Indians BEFORE THE INTERNET. Are these folks included in the statistical base of the 'study?'
i gotta admire a bootlegger, btw ...
HEY! DON'T SUE ME! I stole it from some OTHER guy on the net! LOL!
Be cool: we're gonna start taxing these buggers, it doesn't matter where they come from. And if these evil first lady photos start popping up for free on Indian reservations, well, we'll just find a way to start taxing those. The american people SHALL NOT HAVE any errant HC pix, as God is my witness. We will find some way to make sure that our local legislatures pretend to make money on the trafficking of scary Hillary Clinton photos, rest assured.
If you do decide to use them, tell them BarnhillLD@aol.com sent you and I'll get a small token discount on my next order.
Enjoy!
So how else to stop the socialists from imposing these taxes? Apparantly it's not getting done in the ballot box. The corporations are the last lines of defense. I want sales revenues too- my portfolio depends on it. But I'd be willing to take a bite for one year if it meant big corporations could step in and roll back this gov't abuse. My point also was- McDonalds (for example) wouldn't have to actually do it- they could merely threaten to do so. This is what the gov't has coming to it- if they pass taxes upon taxes upon taxes, they are stifling the economy ie they are inflicting misery upon people by holding them down and strangling them (by strangling their source of livelihood).
I would dearly love to see Microsoft move out of the USA, for example. The gov't and lefties rail against Microsoft and call Bill Gates evil- well, he should just say "right, well, I will remove my evil company from this country so as not to corrupt you any longer". Pull an Atlas Shrugged if you will.
Are you joking me? They can't stop selling their product? In other words they must work regardless of whether they want to or not? That's a form of slavery.
That doesn't take a brain surgeon.
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