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(emphasis added)
It estimated the state lost $900 million in taxes to the illegal sales.
1 posted on 02/14/2003 7:09:24 PM PST by Marianne
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To: Marianne
Last week CATO put out a very interesting paper on NY's long running cigarette tax problem.

(I originally read mention of this paper over @ C&S.)

2 posted on 02/14/2003 7:27:31 PM PST by Fixit (http://comedian.blogspot.com)
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To: Marianne
"Today's decision is a major victory in New York State's continuing effort to protect our children from tobacco products, and the lifetime of addiction and illness that often follows," said state Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer.

Every tyranny these days is "for the children." It's not for the tax revenue, it's for the children.

3 posted on 02/14/2003 7:28:45 PM PST by coloradan
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To: Marianne
I'm glad this happened, the history behind such a stupid decision will support my glee.

Way back in the early 20s there was a movement by a bunch of euphorian, nazi woman's groups to stop the use of alcohol. They wanted a society to match their idea of what society would be all about. They enlisted the help of a powerful Senator from Minnesota. His name was Volstad. He wrote the Volstad act and pushed it through Congress like a bull. Volstad was very left wing, even for his time. He was a socialist, as a matter of fact. Nobody was looking, or thinking, when the Volstad Act was passed and the action of this law was unconstitutional, immoral, and totally without cause or merit, but it passed (The People's representatives must have been asleep). The 'law' did only one thing, it made a whole new class of criminal, the People, the people that wanted to drink. It also made organized crime one whole hell of a lot of money and put them in the billionaire class. By supplying the American people with what they wanted, they put billions of dollars into their coffers. The strength of 'the mob' was a direct result of the Volstad Act, 'prohibition'. It was the 'unintended consequence' of, yet another leftist idea. The freedom we enjoy must be preserved, any freedom. If it is the freedom to have a drink, or the freedom to have a smoke, it doesn't matter.

The Volstad Act was finally struck down by an act of Congress, the 21st Amendment to the Consitution of these here United States. That Act, the Volstad Act, made criminals out of regular, law loving citizens. Any law that makes us, the citizens of this country, criminals is a law that must be stuck down, as it was then.

When we, the people let down our guard, the verman from the left will attack. They will attack our rights because they want to rule us, they want control over all the facets of our lives, and they want, and need, our productivity to fuel their elitist socialist program. Socialism brings everyone down to the lowest common denominator, but raises the 'ruling class' to elite status. Capitalism raises the bar to it's highest, and gives rewards for hard work and dedication. The ideological difference is 180 degrees, and the idea of freedom is imbedded in capitolism. With out a free market, there is no freedom or liberty. The idea that government provides all is a socialist eutpia that has never, and will never, work. Man is meant, by God, to be free and he will fight for that right.

6 posted on 02/14/2003 8:22:57 PM PST by timydnuc (FR)
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To: Marianne
It estimated the state lost $900 million in taxes to the illegal sales.

I'm guessing a percentage of this goes to the mob, and a larger percentage will be going to the mob when Indian sales are curtailed.

It'd be interesting to know who is behind this push...
7 posted on 02/14/2003 8:51:07 PM PST by cryptical
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To: Marianne; harpseal; Travis McGee; Squantos; sneakypete; Chapita
They(the Fed court) said a loophole in the law permits sellers to continue, using the U.S. Postal Service.

Hmmm, feds protecting feds.

8 posted on 02/15/2003 6:38:53 AM PST by razorback-bert
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To: Marianne
I understand lots of welfare recipients are supplementing their income by an extra 50-100 thousand dollars per year by trucking cigarettes from tobacco states. They truck just enough per trip to not land them a felony if caught.

Its all under the table though, so they still keep getting their taxpayer funding.
9 posted on 02/15/2003 9:46:55 PM PST by Future Useless Eater
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