As usual, a liberal state’s budget is in near collapse. New York State is heavily in the red.
So Democrats do what Democrats always do – they raised taxes on a select minority, and it was a poor man’s tax besides - smokers.
An added tax of $1.60 raises the price for a pack of cigarettes to $9.00! In New York City, the price will be close to $11 a pack! This brings the state tax for a pack of cigarettes to over half of the total price of the pack.
As an added measure, the Democrats will begin collecting cigarette taxes at Indian reservations and casinos. Visitors to the casinos used to be able to buy cigarettes there tax free.
One Indian Chief warned that “any attempt to collect this tax on the reservation will be considered an act of war.” Get out the tomahawks Chief, because in a shocker, liberal judges in New York ruled for the liberal palefaces in government.
Democrat Jeff Klein from the wealthy Westchester suburb bragged that, “the state has the added muscle this time to collect this vital source of income.”
Predictably, this increased tax will drive an underground black market in cigarettes into New York. Organized crime will be the winner and citizens will be the losers. Estimates were that 20% of the cigarettes smoked in New York were not “purchased” in New York. This trend will rise…..significantly.
Also predictable is that Democrats will spend more than their budget…and much much more than the added tax generates.
What do you expect? They are Democrats and they will just come after another group’s money. It is what Democrats do.
Wait til you see the tax (state and federal rake) that is placed on internet poker once it is legalized. Predction: It will be unbeatable - even for Ivey, Negreanu.....and even for Faldo.
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Free trade deals bad for Michigan
Congress will soon be voting on whether to send good American jobs with good American benefits to countries with cheap labor and no benefits.
As soon as this month, free-trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia will be sent to Capitol Hill. What politicians are calling free trade is actually freedom for CEOs to trade our jobs for more big salaries and bonuses.
You'd think politicians would learn something from our experience with trade deals, especially in our great state. No other state has been hammered harder by NAFTA than Michigan. We've seen with our own eyes the disappearance of auto plants that used to have 6,000 workers running three shifts. We've struggled with the devastation of our cities and the communities left without hope for their kids.
I'm concerned about the trade deal with South Korea because it's likely to have an impact similar to NAFTA. According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, the two industries hurt most by NAFTA are computers and electronic parts and motor vehicles and automotive parts. Those are the same industries that are being harmed already by South Korea. A trade deal would worsen our growing trade deficit with that country and cost 159,000 U.S. jobs in seven years, according to EPI.
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How any member of Congress from Michigan could vote for this bill is beyond me. Of the 20 congressional districts that took the biggest hits from NAFTA, 10 are in Michigan (and we only have 15, soon to be 14). A South Korea trade deal would add insult to injury in the communities our members of Congress represent.
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