Another way to bleed NYS dry. It's not like the proposed increase will go to health care. When they target a certain demographic and that fails, Patterson resurrects his idea to go after the Indian Reservations again. We all know how that turns out If you're a NYS resident and you've had enough whether you smoke or not, feel free to reply to your County Legislator. If they don't tax the smokes, they'll go after your beer next
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On Tuesday, New York Governor David Patterson proposed increasing the state excise tax on cigarettes by $1.00 per pack.

If passed, adult smokers would pay $3.75 per pack in state excise taxes–the HIGHEST in the country. In addition to the Federal Excise Tax increase of $1.01 per pack–Federal and state excise taxes will total $47.60 per carton! When will enough be enough?

Instead of finding real solutions to New York’s serious budget problems, politicians continue to talk about quick fixes like tobacco taxes. But tobacco taxes are an unreliable source of revenue—and they place an unfair burden on a small minority of New Yorkers to balance the state’s budget.

New York politicians need to get their spending under control, and balance the budget without raising taxes—on tobacco or anything else.

Contact your legislators today and remind them that raising your taxes to fix their spending habits is STILL a bad idea!

Contact your elected official by calling (866) 722-8669 -OR-
CLICK HERE TO E-MAIL YOUR LEGISLATORS NOW
http://www.tobaccoissues.com/alertdetai ... ertID=1054

Keep electing democrats people......

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Hold my beer and watch this...

tax the shit out of cigs. shits filthy anyways.

im all for a modest tax raise here in michigan, if it gets us out of the red, and the tax money is spent on something to invest in the state and bring prosperity back here. why on earth we arnt using lake michigan beaches to create resorts and tourist areas, i have no fucking clue.

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Taxing cigarettes is counterproductive. As I've said in other threads, smoking has been proven to reduce obesity, so if anything they should subsidize tobacco and provide it medicinally to those with qualifying BMIs.

Here's my slogan:

President Obama smokes and he's thin.



Michael Moore doesn't smoke and he's fat.



Be like Barak Obama, and smoke your body fat away!

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Um, they already are. What is your threshold for "taxing the shit" out of something?
Name 1 thing taxed more than cigarettes.

Democrats have no fucking imagination.
Hey, we've run up a huge deficit because we refuse to cut any of our bloated social programs...what can we do?

Tax cigarettes, gas and liquor...brilliant!
Certainly that will solve the cause of our problems.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

This is New York. Poor governmental decisions aren't limited to one political party. The Repubs have done just as much stupid shit.

When is the last time Repubs were in control?

EDIT: Let me answer that for myself:

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Hold my beer and watch this...

tax em right out of peoples budgets. im for a ban on public smoking. michigan is finally going smoke free in all bars and restaurants may 1st. cant wait.

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Fascist.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Are you serious? The NY State Senate has been controlled by Republicans for years. Only in the last 5-ish years have the Democrats started regaining control of that house.

Even then, you know how NY works. 3 men in a room make all the decisions.

51 years of Democratic control of the assembly.

Tell me...to what party do the people proposing this tax (aside from Patterson) belong?

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Hold my beer and watch this...

The Republicans have had the Senate for almost as long. What's your point?

Neither party has done a damn thing for this state. How can you legitimately try and blame this on Democrats?

Because Democrats are proposing the tax.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

People haven't been able to smoke in NYS bars, restaurants, and most public places (or are confined to an "area") for 6 years. It hasn't stopped those who want to smoke from doing so. If anything, it's killed the Mom & Pop establishments - or they've resorted to keeping a locked door with a peep hole and you pay a dollar to get in and smoke. The dollar goes towards their paying the fine if they get caught.

"Taxing the shit out of people's budgets" isn't going to make people stop smoking. It will force even more to purchase cigarettes at Indian Reservations - further reducing the money NYS collects. It's all cyclical.

I think you missed the point of my post. We're talking about; "If passed, adult smokers would pay $3.75 per pack in state excise taxes–the HIGHEST in the country. In addition to the Federal Excise Tax increase of $1.01 per pack–Federal and state excise taxes will total $47.60 per carton!"

How much more can they try to get out of us? They should focus on the reason why we're in this mess and figure out a way to stop people from leaving in droves.

Let me ask ETC, XC, and Mike - what does a pack of name brand cigarettes cost in your state?

i dont know. im not stupid enough to smoke cigarettes. cigars? sure. cigarettes? hell no. last time i bought cigarettes was for underagers when i was 18. it was about 5 bucks a pack.

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No clue. Unfortunately, I'm not a cigarette smoker. A decent stogey will run a good $5.00 on average, though.

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Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way. I can't wait to look in the mirror, 'cause I get better looking each day. To know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, it's hard to be humble, but I'm doin' the best that I can.

Something like $6.50 here in Cali.
I quit smoking last year but I would never try to infringe on someone elses right to happiness.

You want to stop people from smoking? outlaw it.
That'll work as well as the war on drugs.

They're coming for fast food and soft drinks next.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

This is your problem right there...
Stunning.


You think you're smarter than other people and have no problem having your will imposed on them for what you percieve as their own good.

You are a fascist.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

But let's not talk about the increases voted in during the Pataki/Bruno days. Let's just make it partisan for no good reason.

The point is that no matter what party is in control in this state, they are going to increase taxes on something, or make decisions that aren't in the best interests of the people of this state. Both parties are equally to blame for the fucked up condition that the state is in.

Your golden boy Republicans are right next to the Democrats in refusing the do anything to reduce the state deficits. So, Patterson ends up grasping at straws, and coming up with stuff like this.

Personally, I don't much care, since I don't smoke. (Nor do I think others should either, but that's another topic.) I just can't believe that you could possibly defend any Republican actions in this state. They're just as bad.

That's where I agree with you and disagree with Mike. You can't pass legislature to mandate that someone do something "for their own good," no matter how true it might be.

For the record I've never smoked, and I don't miss it in restaurants and bowling alleys. I think those of us that choose not to have a right to the clean air those laws provide.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual