Posted on 05/16/2004 7:28:19 AM PDT by Leisler
Daily News goes undercover to learn true cost of city's high-tax war on butts.
They linger outside storefronts or sit on fire hydrants and whisper as you walk past, "Newports, Newports, Newports."
Some carry their merchandise in black plastic bags. Others stuff their pockets.
After two years with the highest cigarette taxes in the nation, bootlegging is a growing New York City profession that easily pays $40,000 a year - tax-free.
On Friday officials acknowledged that a third of the city's smokers buy from bootleggers, the Internet or Indian reservations.
The Daily News sent a crew of Columbia University journalism students to investigate. They found bootlegging thriving across the city, an underground economy that robs the city of tens of millions of dollars in revenue each year.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
I KNEW the minute the revenue fell, "they" would say that people have stopped smoking. This is a crock! It's their own fault for the loss of revenue and it's the American way to SHOP CHEAP. NYC's blew away the golden egg for cigarette taxes when they increased the taxes so much.
Let the lawmakers "dig the loss of revenue" out of someplace else. And that place I cannot name in this forum. But I think you get my drift. Someplace where the sun don't shine?
When your too spineless to cut spending,stick it to the smokers and claim it's for their own good.
Yea, right!
You're not going to get an arguement out of me.
And speaking of taxes. I'm thinking of buying a used truck. But the thought of my state Ca. getting taxes again after the guy who bought it before me allreadypaid them is ludicrous. Example, New truck 40,000, taxes are 8.25% $3300. I come along and buy it used for 28,000 8.25% taxes are $2300. Just think if a truck is bought and sold 3 or 4 times the state gets taxes on a $100,000! I heard that some states can only charge for sales tax once in the cars life. Is this true?
I'm not sure if it is true or not that some states only do it once.
In Delaware it is not clled a sales tax (Delaware supposedly doesn't have one) they call it a transfer tax......the state collects it on the purchase price everytime a vehicle changes hands. Most people selling a vehicle in a private sale will write up a bill of sale much lower than they are actually getting for the vehicle, so the purchaser doesn't get as hard hit with the tax.
Hey, simply translate the line from Newspeak into American:
"Prevents the city from robbing smokers of tens of millions of their hard-earned dollars each year."
Cigarette bootleggers are taking a page from the Joe Kennedy book. Yes: this is how the Kennedy's became rich only it was liquor and not cigarettes. Pretty soon a rich cigarette bootleggers son may be President or Attorney General, or may even murder his pregnant girlfriend and get away with it.
I just wanted you to know I got your ping. :)
Fat Teddy is all for FDA control over tobacco and ever increasing cigarette taxes. My guess is the escapades of that family have depleted old Joe's legacy and they are looking to relenish the family coffers.......this time not with booze, but with cigarettes.
LOL!!!!!
I can't get over these loons............if they think we believe they didn't know the bootlegging would happen they are smoking more than just tobacco!!!!
"The crisis occurred when the customhouse officers attempted to seize a cargo of wine which John Hancock was trying to smuggle into Boston. It was said that Hancock had sworn not 'to sell or to drink wine polluted by the payments of unconsitutional duties.' But rather than become a teetotaler, John Hancock took the easier course and became a smuggler.
In June 1768, the customhouse got wind of his activities, boarded his ship Liberty and demanded to see its cargo. Hancock and his men showed scant respect for these officials of His Royal Majesty. They locked them up in the cabin, landed the cargo, and when the work was done heaved the customhouse officers overboard.
Meanwhile the mob had learned what was going on at Hancock's wharf; and to punish the customhouse officers for their presumption seized the Collector and the Controller, drove them through the streets, and dragged the Collector's son along by the hair of his head. The Commissioners of the Customs did not wait for their turns to come: they fled to Castle William and thus put three miles of blue water between themselves and Boston Sons of Liberty."
Origins of the American Revolution by John C. Miller
LOL Who would have thought that *free* American citizens would have to resort to this.
The WOT (War On Tobacco) is coming.
When taxes get too high, this is what always happens.
Yea, they try taxing us out of site, then boo hoo about the loss of revenue. What the hell did they think? And they are REALLY pissed off because they can't figure out how to stop the internet sales. Well, they done shot the goose that laid the golden eggs!
Let them pull the lost revenue out of their cheap polyester slacks. LOL!
Well I'm not worrying too much about it....................I had nearly a quarter acre tilled up yesterday by a farmer down the road.........my permitted 1/10 of an acre of tobacco will be going in. Along with a whole heck of a lot of other stuff really, really soon!!!!
Wow, Gabz - now you've got to give tutorials to the rest of us.
Good luck - keep us posted.
This is going to be my first attempt........I actually bought a book on how and what to do.......I have a feeling it's going to become like my bible over the next 6-9 months!!!!
First they raise taxes on "sin" products so high that people must choose between cigs and liquor and necessities. Then we outlaw or tax any attempt to purchase these (legal) products without paying the tax. Internet, crossing state lines etc.
Just like some cities have a work tax, we will soon see cities require people to report how much they have under-reported their "sales and use" tax. Kinsa like Taxachusettes and their alternative additional tax on purchased goods, or Pennsylvania troopers busting folks who drive to Maryland to buy liquor.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.