[Consort]

Symbolism and substance on display: Now we can literally see our tax dollars go up in smoke.

[BullDog108]

Just buy them on the web:

http://www.discount-cigarettes.org/index.shtml

It may be illegal, but who cares, and how can they enforce?

[1Old Pro]

cigarette smokers in the city will pay more than seven dollars a pack for many major brands.

DOUBTFUL. But the convenience stores in NJ had better increase inventories.

[hellinahandcart]

Well, there's always the PATH train, since I don't have a car. What's the price per pack in NJ? Where's the cheapest place to buy cigs in Hoboken?

[hellinahandcart]

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

Strange that he hasn't told us how many children will be saved by raising the parking fines from $55 to $110.

I was trying to explain to someone this morning, how this so-called financial whiz has just insured that revenues will go DOWN. Would *you* bring your car into the city to shop now? I didn't think so...

[YankeeReb]

Interesting thread. Watching every liberal politician scramble to raise tobacco taxes "for the sake of the childeren" has become sort of a sick joke. Just once I'd love to see some media talking-head ask one of these questions:

1) With all the money taken from the tobacco companies in lawsuts and given to the states for "anti-smoking programs", why are there still childeren smoking? You'd think by now these programs would have ended that problem.

2) Since smoking is so bad , why not outlaw the manufacture of cigarettes?

--- And the one I'd really like to ask ANY Liberal---

3) If taxes on cigarettes are a way to reduce Smoking, doesn't it follow that Payroll taxes reduce employment, sales taxes reduce sales and corporate taxes reduce economic output?

[Timesink]

This is also going to be a big financial hit on all the city's delis. Fewer people coming in to buy cigarettes = fewer people coming in to buy anything, to say nothing of the lost profits from the lung candy itself.

[truth_session]

Just buy tobacco and rolling papers.

[dmeara]

Bloomberg says the goal of this tax is to raise more revenue. Then he says it is to stop people from smoking. Well, which is it?

[per loin]

Doesn't Bloomy understand basic math? If he made the tax $7,000 per pack, the city could raise an additional $111 billion in taxes.