Cigarette Tax’s Unintended Consequences That EVERYBODY Saw Coming – Except Libs

[Yarddog]

Were liberals the only ones who didn’t see this coming?

When New York raised their cigarette taxes to the highest in the nation – $4.35 per pack – not only did revenue decline by $1.3 billion, but organized crime and the smuggling of cigarettes across state lines is now rampant in the Empire State.

Over the last ten years, while state lawmakers raised the tobacco tax by190 percent, smokers switched to cheaper alternatives – like going to nearby Indian Reservations – quit smoking altogether or bought them on the rampant black market, The Daily Caller is reporting.

In fact, now 58 percent of all cigarettes are supplied from out-of-state and the number of packs bought at “full price” has dropped by 62 percent.


Snip

High cigarette taxes not only assist global crime networks but also have a disproportionate impact on the poor. According to the New York State Department of Health, low-income smokers, defined as individuals in households earning less than $30,000 a year, spent 23.6 percent of the annual household income on cigarettes in 2010-2011. That number is up from 11.6 percent in 2003-2004.





Read more: New York Loses $400 Million After Imposing The Nation’s Highest Cigarette Tax

Just gotta learn to roll their own

 

[Rustic]

Were liberals the only ones who didn’t see this coming?

When New York raised their cigarette taxes to the highest in the nation – $4.35 per pack – not only did revenue decline by $1.3 billion, but organized crime and the smuggling of cigarettes across state lines is now rampant in the Empire State.

Over the last ten years, while state lawmakers raised the tobacco tax by190 percent, smokers switched to cheaper alternatives – like going to nearby Indian Reservations – quit smoking altogether or bought them on the rampant black market, The Daily Caller is reporting.

In fact, now 58 percent of all cigarettes are supplied from out-of-state and the number of packs bought at “full price” has dropped by 62 percent.


Snip

High cigarette taxes not only assist global crime networks but also have a disproportionate impact on the poor. According to the New York State Department of Health, low-income smokers, defined as individuals in households earning less than $30,000 a year, spent 23.6 percent of the annual household income on cigarettes in 2010-2011. That number is up from 11.6 percent in 2003-2004.


Read more: New York Loses $400 Million After Imposing The Nation’s Highest Cigarette Tax

Lol funny how you didn't mention the statistics of those New Yorkers who now smoke less because of the tax. That is ultimately the point.

You Like being a control freak??

 

[auditor0007]

The only way gun control is effective is if you actually take all the guns away from everyone.

And the only way that works is if you employ leprechauns mounted on unicorns. So let's not go there, mkay?

Actually it has worked very effectively in a number of countries, but I did not suggest it would work here.

 

[peach174]

Were liberals the only ones who didn’t see this coming?

When New York raised their cigarette taxes to the highest in the nation – $4.35 per pack – not only did revenue decline by $1.3 billion, but organized crime and the smuggling of cigarettes across state lines is now rampant in the Empire State.

Over the last ten years, while state lawmakers raised the tobacco tax by190 percent, smokers switched to cheaper alternatives – like going to nearby Indian Reservations – quit smoking altogether or bought them on the rampant black market, The Daily Caller is reporting.

In fact, now 58 percent of all cigarettes are supplied from out-of-state and the number of packs bought at “full price” has dropped by 62 percent.


Snip

High cigarette taxes not only assist global crime networks but also have a disproportionate impact on the poor. According to the New York State Department of Health, low-income smokers, defined as individuals in households earning less than $30,000 a year, spent 23.6 percent of the annual household income on cigarettes in 2010-2011. That number is up from 11.6 percent in 2003-2004.


Read more: New York Loses $400 Million After Imposing The Nation’s Highest Cigarette Tax

Lol funny how you didn't mention the statistics of those New Yorkers who now smoke less because of the tax. That is ultimately the point.

The point is the unintended consequences like underground cigs and someone who was killed for selling one cig illegally on the streets and it goes on and on.
The cost keeps going up higher than it did when we originally were only dealing with their medical bills.

 

[rightwinger]

Public smoking laws, education and sin taxes have all done what liberals intended.

Making smoking a thing of the past

Will anyone be smoking cigarettes a generation from now?




.

or created a hell of a black market product

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

 

[jon_berzerk]

Public smoking laws, education and sin taxes have all done what liberals intended.

Making smoking a thing of the past

Will anyone be smoking cigarettes a generation from now?




.

or created a hell of a black market product

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

LOL

even in the privacy of their own home

--LOL

 

[rightwinger]

or created a hell of a black market product

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

LOL

even in the privacy of their own home

--LOL

Dont look at me...ask your wife

I love driving by a house and watching a smoker huddled up in the cold and rain so he can fill his lungs with filth
His habit is not even welcome in his own house

 

[SwimExpert]

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

See, this is you liberals' problem. You can't simply leave a reasonable government policy alone as a reasonable government policy. You have to always reach for something more, all with the intent to control other people. Yes, there are alot of restrictions nowadays that prevent people from smoking in public buildings, etc. Yes, some states have laws that make it a crime to smoke in a car when children are in the vehicle also. These are perfectly reasonable. Why can't you let them rest as such?

But you're not satisfied with that. Government policy that protects public health ought to be your main concern. But you have to take it 10 steps further into some really dark territory when you say that smokers are being driven from society. What kind of insanity is that? That's a vile and ugly attitude. What's next, shall we drive poor people from society? Maybe we should drive black people from society. How about Jews? And really, if we're going to go this far, why not go just one more step further and drive them out by slaughtering them?

 

[rightwinger]

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

See, this is you liberals' problem. You can't simply leave a reasonable government policy alone as a reasonable government policy. You have to always reach for something more, all with the intent to control other people. Yes, there are alot of restrictions nowadays that prevent people from smoking in public buildings, etc. Yes, some states have laws that make it a crime to smoke in a car when children are in the vehicle also. These are perfectly reasonable. Why can't you let them rest as such?

But you're not satisfied with that. Government policy that protects public health ought to be your main concern. But you have to take it 10 steps further into some really dark territory when you say that smokers are being driven from society. What kind of insanity is that? That's a vile and ugly attitude. What's next, shall we drive poor people from society? Maybe we should drive black people from society. How about Jews? And really, if we're going to go this far, why not go just one more step further and drive them out by slaughtering them?

Smokers used to be cool. All the movie stars smoked. They were allowed to light up wherever and whenever they choose

Society made them outcasts, not the government

 

[Maryland Patriot]

Helped cause me to quit smoking.

Congratulations, thats a good thing.
But lets look at this, raising the cost of smoking caused many, not only you, but many to quit, and kept an untold number of others from starting.
I bet if the amount of welfare that a person could have would be reduced over time, it would have the same effect, people would start working instead of having others work for them.

 

[SwimExpert]

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

See, this is you liberals' problem. You can't simply leave a reasonable government policy alone as a reasonable government policy. You have to always reach for something more, all with the intent to control other people. Yes, there are alot of restrictions nowadays that prevent people from smoking in public buildings, etc. Yes, some states have laws that make it a crime to smoke in a car when children are in the vehicle also. These are perfectly reasonable. Why can't you let them rest as such?

But you're not satisfied with that. Government policy that protects public health ought to be your main concern. But you have to take it 10 steps further into some really dark territory when you say that smokers are being driven from society. What kind of insanity is that? That's a vile and ugly attitude. What's next, shall we drive poor people from society? Maybe we should drive black people from society. How about Jews? And really, if we're going to go this far, why not go just one more step further and drive them out by slaughtering them?

Smokers used to be cool. All the movie stars smoked. They were allowed to light up wherever and whenever they choose

Society made them outcasts, not the government

I don't see anyone making smokers outcasts. But you sure are titillated by the idea of the government doing so.

 

[Maryland Patriot]

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

LOL

even in the privacy of their own home

--LOL

Dont look at me...ask your wife

I love driving by a house and watching a smoker huddled up in the cold and rain so he can fill his lungs with filth
His habit is not even welcome in his own house

I can understand that.
I get the same joy when I see the homeless people trying to huddle up to stay warm in the winter. There ignorance got them kicked out of their own houses.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

Public smoking laws, education and sin taxes have all done what liberals intended.

Making smoking a thing of the past

Will anyone be smoking cigarettes a generation from now?




.

or created a hell of a black market product

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

 

[rightwinger]

or created a hell of a black market product

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

Like telling 17 year old customers that they cannot drink. Like telling customers they cannot patronize a business that is not up to fire or health codes.

Damned nanny state

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

Like telling 17 year old customers that they cannot drink. Like telling customers they cannot patronize a business that is not up to fire or health codes.

Damned nanny state

No, it's not the same thing.

Drinking underage is against the law no matter where it takes place. Fire and health violations are not obvious to anybody therefore somebody needs to control those hidden dangers.

If you go into a bar, nobody is surprised when they see people smoking. It's not a hidden danger. Cigarette smoke can be detected instantly. Then unlike hidden dangers such as food poisoning and fire hazards, a customer has the choice of whether they wish to stay in the establishment or not.

 

[rightwinger]

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

Like telling 17 year old customers that they cannot drink. Like telling customers they cannot patronize a business that is not up to fire or health codes.

Damned nanny state

No, it's not the same thing.

Drinking underage is against the law no matter where it takes place. Fire and health violations are not obvious to anybody therefore somebody needs to control those hidden dangers.

If you go into a bar, nobody is surprised when they see people smoking. It's not a hidden danger. Cigarette smoke can be detected instantly. Then unlike hidden dangers such as food poisoning and fire hazards, a customer has the choice of whether they wish to stay in the establishment or not.

A customer should not have to make a choice....neither should your employees

Especially when cigarette smokers have a choice of whether they should light up or not

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

Like telling 17 year old customers that they cannot drink. Like telling customers they cannot patronize a business that is not up to fire or health codes.

Damned nanny state

No, it's not the same thing.

Drinking underage is against the law no matter where it takes place. Fire and health violations are not obvious to anybody therefore somebody needs to control those hidden dangers.

If you go into a bar, nobody is surprised when they see people smoking. It's not a hidden danger. Cigarette smoke can be detected instantly. Then unlike hidden dangers such as food poisoning and fire hazards, a customer has the choice of whether they wish to stay in the establishment or not.

A customer should not have to make a choice....neither should your employees

Especially when cigarette smokers have a choice of whether they should light up or not

It's pretty equal if you ask me: cigarette smokers have the choice whether to light up or not, and people that don't like cigarette smoke have the choice whether they wish to stay or not.

Not all non-smokers mind the smell of cigarettes. My father quit smoking in his early 20's. He's 84 now and cigarette smoke doesn't bother him the least. Most of my friends don't smoke but that never stopped them from going to a bar or bowling alley where people were smoking.

Your comment reminds me of a guy I worked with years ago when the company was deciding on a no smoking policy or not. He was a non-smoker and said how much he couldn't stand cigarette smoke; how it would make him cough and eyes water. But he had no choice but to put up with it because he needed his job.

Then I asked why he worked part-time in bars being a bouncer, and the only reason he took that job is because he hung around the bars anyway. That shut the hypocrite up for the remainder of the discussion.

 

[Camp]

or created a hell of a black market product

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

It was not customer comfort or concern that brought about smoking bans at business establishments. It was about employee health and safety. Employees, including those in a bar, were being required to inhale second-hand smoke and suffer from it's harmful health effects.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

It was not customer comfort or concern that brought about smoking bans at business establishments. It was about employee health and safety. Employees, including those in a bar, were being required to inhale second-hand smoke and suffer from it's harmful health effects.

Then you should take it into consideration when you accept the job or not.

 

[peach174]

Who cares?
Smokers are being driven from society. They can't smoke at work. Can't smoke in public areas. Many can't even smoke in their homes are cars
So now they are driven to the black market to buy their precious smokes. Means I don't have to stand behind them in line at the convenience store

Means even communist and dictatorship countries have more freedom of smoking than Americans have.
America the 1st country ever to have freedom from government is now less free because the left think that they should tell the people what they can and can't do.

that really says something

Yes...because telling people they can't blow their filth in other peoples faces is a commie plot

That's not a Commie plot, but government telling private business owners what they are allowed to permit their customers to do sure is.

It was not customer comfort or concern that brought about smoking bans at business establishments. It was about employee health and safety. Employees, including those in a bar, were being required to inhale second-hand smoke and suffer from it's harmful health effects.

Which was a lie.