ping
Which of course goes to show you that a single truckload of cigarettes can make your local politician a cool two Million too, many times a day...
Uncle Sam does not like it when others take some of the action.
I wonder where all those thousands of Millions of "legitimate" bucks go. Most likely to hire more tax collectors...
The solution is obvious... the tax in NY should be reduced so there's no incentive to smuggle.
Predictable when you have 100 to 200 percent profit margins.
Selling bootleg cigs in NYC is now as profitable as selling crack.
Predictable when you have 100 to 200 percent profit margins.
Selling bootleg cigs in NYC is now as profitable as selling crack.
What is actually happening here is the birth and burgeoning of a new ethnic mafia to join in the competition with the Asian gangs and the Cripsandbloods and the Original Mafia and the Latino mob and the Jamaicans and the Russian mafia and all the rest. It is Diversity- truly multicultural crime and should be cherished and perhaps assigned enforced quotas to ensure that there is equal representation of all minorities in organized crime.
FBI caught a big Hezbollah cell here in Charlotte several years ago that was smuggling cigarettes. Everyone was shocked that a terrorist organization was in the area...
(I think it was prior to 9-11)
Does anyone suppose it ought to be illegal for a public agency to tax a product deemed dangerous to individual health. Isn't a tax a benefit for government? So for government to gain benefit from taxing a product which is not beneficial to someone else, is the right thing to do?
OTOH, even allowing the sale of something know to be harmful to some and expensive for the rest, Oh never mind, this could get really...
As with prohibition, politicians will simply say that we must dedicate more law enforcement resources to fight cigarette smuggling. But if they would stop growing government on the backs of smokers, the problem would disappear instantly.
DUH.....................this is just common sense - something that seems to be greatly lacking in politicians.
BTTT