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City smokers to start paying $7 a pack today
News Radio 88 ^ | 7/1/02

Posted on 07/01/2002 5:25:58 AM PDT by areafiftyone

(New York-AP) -- It's costly to be a smoker in New York City now.

Beginning today, cigarette smokers in the city will pay more than seven dollars a pack for many major brands. The Bloomberg administration's new tax on cigarettes is expected to raise an additional 111 (M) million dollars of revenue this year.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the tax will prevent 50-thousand deaths -- including over 33-thousand premature deaths among city children.

The law raises the city tax on cigarettes from eight cents a pack to one dollar and 50 cents a pack.

Smokers in New York City will now pay more than double the national average for cigarettes.

Critics of the new tax say consumers could avoid the taxes by buying cigarettes over the Internet, in nearby states or from Indian reservations and from the underground market.

The mayor spent months negotiating with the City Council over how to close a five (B) billion dollar budget gap.

Besides the new cigarette tax, new fees were approved for cell phones and parking tickets for the budget year -- which begins today.<


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: pufflist
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To: areafiftyone; newgeezer
I am sure spending a lot of effort taking care of my Mother in Law who smoked herself into a wheel chair. She lost her leg due to bad circulation due to 57 years of smoking and eating junk food. Now she wants Medicare to buy her new leg for 8500 bucks, which they did. BUT, now her stump shrunk and they want to sell her/medicare another 8500 dollar leg after only 12 weeks. Meanwhile my wife and homeschooling mother of 8 has to haul her all over the city to get her hair done and buy her groceries and take her to new leg therapy. Her Dr told her she was too old and only 1 out of 5 people her age can use a fake leg. AND THE WOMAN IS A DEMOCRAT!!!

I could give a rats ass how much they tax cigarettes.

21 posted on 07/01/2002 5:50:31 AM PDT by biblewonk
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To: Dog Gone
Making criminals out of common people seems to be the theme of the day.
22 posted on 07/01/2002 5:51:55 AM PDT by Movemout
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To: areafiftyone
Native American stores both in NY and over the internet will probably see a boom in business. I'm 1 mile from a NA store (Oklahoma), and their native brand is about 1/5 of those NYC prices.
23 posted on 07/01/2002 5:52:03 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: areafiftyone
I've been saying for years that I couldn't afford to smoke if it "cured" cancer. This proves it!
24 posted on 07/01/2002 5:52:20 AM PDT by WKB
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To: DETAILER
Would it be legal for me to buy cigarrettes in my own town, then take them to NY and sell them to someone? A private sale?

Oh, I see: trying to cash in on the Tobacco Show Loophole!

25 posted on 07/01/2002 5:52:21 AM PDT by nravoter
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There are cheaper ways to get nicotine...
26 posted on 07/01/2002 5:53:17 AM PDT by ofMagog
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To: biblewonk
Tou're a bitter litle wonk aren't you?
27 posted on 07/01/2002 5:53:23 AM PDT by Movemout
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To: areafiftyone
Beginning today, cigarette smokers in the city will pay more than seven dollars a pack for many major brands.

Doing a little smart shopping I can get most major brands for $3 - 3.50 in Houston. I smell a business opportunity.

Oh yeah, I know it's illegal.

28 posted on 07/01/2002 5:53:40 AM PDT by Flyer
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Comment #29 Removed by Moderator

To: TomGuy
The Native American Stores (if there are any in New York State) would be waaaaaaaaay upstate. People in New York City rarely go way upstate. More than likely they will go down south for their cigarettes. I am always traveling down south and I buy cheaper cigarettes for my friend who smokes when I go down.
30 posted on 07/01/2002 5:57:55 AM PDT by areafiftyone
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To: areafiftyone
It's costly to be a smoker live in New York City...
31 posted on 07/01/2002 5:58:10 AM PDT by verity
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To: DETAILER
Would it be legal for me to buy cigarrettes in my own town, then take them to NY and sell them to someone? A private sale?

Don't get caught. If the city was as dilligent about deporting illegal aliens as they are about untaxed cigarettes, we'd have a lot fewer problems in this country.

32 posted on 07/01/2002 5:58:16 AM PDT by YankeeReb
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To: *puff_list
EXPENSIVE Puff
33 posted on 07/01/2002 5:58:51 AM PDT by Just another Joe
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To: Surfin
The bible is right on the money when it says that the lust for money is the root of all evil. I say power/money, but I guess it goes hand in hand.

You are right and the Bible is right. IT'S THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR!

34 posted on 07/01/2002 5:59:47 AM PDT by areafiftyone
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To: areafiftyone
Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the tax will prevent 50-thousand deaths -- including over 33-thousand premature deaths among city children.

And where did he get those hard numbers? The same place liberals get all their statistics, right out of their ass. But they know the kneepad media will never challenge their numbers. Meanwhile, they'll write "Bush alleges two plus two equals four".

If these numbers were even 10% correct, it would be criminal and immoral not to ban smoking. By their own numbers, they place government revenue above the saving of innocent lives. That's the sort of thing they regularly accuse conservatives of doing.

I don't smoke, but I'd rather spend my life in a room full of guys smoking cheap cigars than have to put up with these smoking nazis. I'll be cheering on the "buttleggers", who are really freedom fighters.

35 posted on 07/01/2002 6:01:25 AM PDT by 300winmag
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To: self_evident
It was in 1986, at Dahl's in Des Moines, IA.
36 posted on 07/01/2002 6:02:51 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: areafiftyone
The Native American Stores (if there are any in New York State) would be waaaaaaaaay upstate. People in New York City rarely go way upstate. More than likely they will go down south for their cigarettes. I am always traveling down south and I buy cheaper cigarettes for my friend who smokes when I go down.

I believe there is one out on the east end of L.I. in Westhampton. The Shinnocock Indians sell them at bargain prices. Of course you won't find a single Indian on that reservation, but that's another story.

37 posted on 07/01/2002 6:03:41 AM PDT by YankeeReb
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To: areafiftyone
"The Bloomberg administration's new tax on cigarettes is expected to raise an additional 111 (M) million dollars of revenue this year." Optimum stupidity?
38 posted on 07/01/2002 6:06:57 AM PDT by TBall
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To: YankeeReb
I believe there is one out on the east end of L.I. in Westhampton.

There is.

How convenient for all the rich, elitist friends of Bloomberg who can continue to get their smokes at wholesale rates.
39 posted on 07/01/2002 6:07:05 AM PDT by wheezer
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Comment #40 Removed by Moderator


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