primitives discuss cigarette tax hike in Massachusetts

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023380776

Oh my.

The Straight Story (43,708 posts)    Wed Jul 31, 2013, 02:52 PM

Latest cigarette tax increase (MA) from 2.51 to 3.51 pack, about $10/pack now

As the Commonwealth of Massachusetts began collecting an additional dollar from cigarette smokers via a tax increase Wednesday, the reaction on the streets of Springfield was mixed.
 
To David Glantz, owner of Buckeye Bros. Smoke Shop on Main Street in the South End, the increase -- from $2.51 to $3.51 in tax per pack -- represents a potential threat to his sales. Glantz said that as name-brand cigarettes like Marlboros and Newports rise to about $10 a pack, he expects to take a financial hit.
 
"If they were raising the taxes in all states at the same time, it would be one thing. But so many people will just travel to New Hampshire where the taxes are less and stock up rather than buying locally, I'll probably lose some business," Glantz said. "Plus, you have people going to Westover (Air Reserve Base) and having someone with a base pass buy them there to avoid the state taxes. It just isn't fair for stores like mine."
 
Springfield resident Jon Athan, 27, says he's smoked for about six years and he feels the tax increase is exploiting people with addictions.
 
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/07/western_massachusetts_resident.html
 
Now if we would just raise the gas tax that much (killing the earth with fossil fuels), fast food (a desire not a need), alcohol (bad for health, contributes to crime), soda and anything other than tap water (bad for you, uses fossil fuels to make and transport), etc we would be not only consistent but we would all be happier.

HiPointDem (20,315 posts)    Wed Jul 31, 2013, 03:38 PM

1. Governments get $33 billion+ a year from taxing smokers. Add that to higher insurance premiums.

Which are going to get even higher under obamacare.

Yeah, those smokers are leeching off the 'healthy' people, sure they are.

bunnies (11,078 posts)    Wed Jul 31, 2013, 03:47 PM

2. Well... Now when they come up here for booze...

they can just get butts too. Im sure all the cigarette stores on the MA/NH border are thrilled to hear this.

srican69 (836 posts)    Wed Jul 31, 2013, 04:08 PM

3. I used to work in the merchant marine

the bond store sold us cartons of cigarettes for about 8 or 9 dollars .,, i've never smoked so I don't know how many packs were in each - but there were quite a few ..
 
we also could buy 1 Litre Black Label Whisky for $13 and a 24 beer case ( Henieken and like) for about 6 bucks ..
 
those were the days

[BattleHymn]

I can't wait until states start taxing marijuana at the same level as cigarettes. 

 

[thundley4]

Illinois cigarette taxes are high enough that it is cheaper to drive to Missouri and buy several cartons, that is even with the high price of gas.

[franksolich]

Illinois cigarette taxes are high enough that it is cheaper to drive to Missouri and buy several cartons, that is even with the high price of gas.

I wonder how true that is, nationally.

Around here, in northeastern Nebraska, I'll bet the majority of cigarette sales are to people from South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa.  Our cigarette taxes aren't low, but they seem to be a Hell of a lot lower than in these neighboring states.

[thundley4]

I wonder how true that is, nationally.

Around here, in northeastern Nebraska, I'll bet the majority of cigarette sales are to people from South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa.  Our cigarette taxes aren't low, but they seem to be a Hell of a lot lower than in these neighboring states.

Places like Chicago and NYC that also have higher taxes than the states have large black markets for cigarettes.  Illinois saw less of an increase in tax revenues than they thought they would. 

[NHSparky]

srican69 (836 posts)    Wed Jul 31, 2013, 04:08 PM

3. I used to work in the merchant marine

the bond store sold us cartons of cigarettes for about 8 or 9 dollars .,, i've never smoked so I don't know how many packs were in each - but there were quite a few ..
 
we also could buy 1 Litre Black Label Whisky for $13 and a 24 beer case ( Henieken and like) for about 6 bucks ..
 
those were the days

Yeah, welcome to 1996, dumbass.  Merchant Marine?  Only in your ghey fantasies.

And for the record, tax-free "at-sea" smokes were $3 a carton, a bottle of Jack was $8, and a case of beer was $4.  That was around 1987.

[Dblhaul]

They raised the taxes so much on cigs here it made me quit smoking. 4 years free!
This is just another way the government tells you what you can do. They don't want you to smoke so they raise taxes on it to stop you.

[thundley4]

They raised the taxes so much on cigs here it made me quit smoking. 4 years free!
This is just another way the government tells you what you can do. They don't want you to smoke so they raise taxes on it to stop you.

They don't want successful businesses so they raise taxes on them.

[Texacon]

Funny how DUmmies recognize raising taxes will force people to look for ways of not paying said tax.

Can they not understand how this works on a larger scale?

Never mind.

KC

[redwhit]

It's at that point where we're gonna see black market cigarettes start making the rounds and the tax revenues collapse between that and people quitting outright.  In two years, the politicians will be shocked, shocked I say, at the lack of tax revenue.

[DefiantSix]

Funny how DUmmies recognize raising taxes will force people to look for ways of not paying said tax.

Can they not understand how this works on a larger scale?
[snip]

Uhhh, potato? [/DUmmy]

[Bad Dog]

If they could only figure out a way to tax conservatism.

[DefiantSix]

If they could only figure out a way to tax conservatism.

Other than the fact that they're DUmbasses, why couldn't they? I mean, Spain figured out how to tax sunlght, so why wouldn't the goon squad slap a tax on counterrevolutionary thought crimes and the like?

[jukin]

They tax menthol cigarettes even more.

[98ZJUSMC]

Illinois cigarette taxes are high enough that it is cheaper to drive to Missouri and buy several cartons, that is even with the high price of gas.

Much, much cheaper.  My ride to Paducah is only 25 minutes and I save over $2.50/pk on Generics.  Our prices in So. Ill are about half that of crook county, anyway.

Oh, for the days of the $4.00 cartons (with coupon) of Dorals at Scott AFB.

Quote from: Texacon on Today at 07:24:38 pm
Funny how DUmmies recognize raising taxes will force people to look for ways of not paying said tax.

Can they not understand how this works on a larger scale?
[snip]

As usual, they instantly shed the mask and go full fascist demanding countrywide tyranny so that their vaginal soreness eases, or something.

[diesel driver]

They raised the taxes so much on cigs here it made me quit smoking. 4 years free!
This is just another way the government tells you what you can do. They don't want you to smoke so they raise taxes on it to stop you.

That would explain why government doesn't want us to drive cars, have houses with lights and heat, start and run businesses, or have health care.

[BlueStateSaint]

If they could only figure out a way to tax conservatism.

BS for planting that idea between their two brain cells.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Funny how DUmmies recognize raising taxes will force people to look for ways of not paying said tax.

Can they not understand how this works on a larger scale?

or something

[Karin]

Indian Reservations.   Take a road trip. 

[BlueStateSaint]

Indian Reservations.   Take a road trip. 

My supervisor will go with me on certain field visits--the ones that are near Indian reservations.  He buys a couple of cartons of cigs at a time.

[RobJohnson]

Yet the tobacco farmers still receive subsidies.

"We can sell the small tabletop machines to customers so they can roll them at home," Kelley said. "The Obama administration keeps talking about how they're not putting new taxes on people. But this is another tax on the poorest people."

http://www.goerie.com/article/20120707/NEWS02/307069913/New-law-angers-roll-your-own-cigarette-shops-customers

We had 3 RYO (roll your own) cig shops in my town, $22 bucks a carton for most. They used expensive pneumatic machines that could control the tightness of the cigarettes and custom make cigarettes to how a person liked them to burn, etc. They had to close. The company up North somewhere that made the machines was doing really well, that company had to quit making the machines....it was in a Midwestern state.

Now I see we have one store that has reopened in my town. I don't know if you still let you use their machine or if they just sell supplies, but they have the sign out front for $22 a carton plus sales tax.

[JohnnyReb]

Yet the tobacco farmers still receive subsidies.

http://www.goerie.com/article/20120707/NEWS02/307069913/New-law-angers-roll-your-own-cigarette-shops-customers

We had 3 RYO (roll your own) cig shops in my town, $22 bucks a carton for most. They used expensive pneumatic machines that could control the tightness of the cigarettes and custom make cigarettes to how a person liked them to burn, etc. They had to close. The company up North somewhere that made the machines was doing really well, that company had to quit making the machines....it was in a Midwestern state.

Now I see we have one store that has reopened in my town. I don't know if you still let you use their machine or if they just sell supplies, but they have the sign out front for $22 a carton plus sales tax.

They shut the one in my town down for awhile.....they're back open but can no longer roll them for you....you have buy supplies and do it at home yourself.

[Wineslob]

Now if we would just raise the gas tax that much (killing the earth with fossil fuels), fast food (a desire not a need), alcohol (bad for health, contributes to crime), soda and anything other than tap water (bad for you, uses fossil fuels to make and transport), etc we would be not only consistent but we would all be happier

Please, go kill yourself. 

[BlueStateSaint]

Please, go kill yourself. 

We would be happier!

[RobJohnson]

They shut the one in my town down for awhile.....they're back open but can no longer roll them for you....you have buy supplies and do it at home yourself.

That sucks.

The shops spent 30k on those machines and a lot of the RYO smoke shops had two or three machines as their business took off.

More manufacturing jobs lost in the United States. I could not find the article about the guy that was forced out of business by the law, his company was quickly expanding production to keep up with the demand for the machines. Loose tobacco already took about a huge increase in tax a few years ago under Obama, it's not like the tobacco was not being taxed, just not enough!