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Not only did they take the island of Manhattan from the Indians for a few babbles, Patterson and Bloomberg are trying to force them to pay taxes on their cigarettes business so they can balance their budget. What a joke! Most people don't buy cigarettes in NY, whether from the Bodega's or Indians; they buy them out of state.
Constantly raising the cigarette tax for money! Has anyone in the legislature thought of reducing spending and cutting state government jobs?
Smokers are an easy target for unfair taxation. Indians are just in the way in NYS or it would've happened long ago. NY is desperate and this is one of the few areas they haven't already extorted to the max. That time is now. I hope I hear news reports about tires burning on 90... Respect those Treaties US Govt and NYS!!!!
I don't know if anyone has been following the latest salvos in the "cigarette tax wars" in NY, but the "Buffalo News" just ran an article in which Philip Morris came out in solid support of the State and its taxes.
Sound weird? Well it turns out that the State was enforcing its tax by collecting it at the wholesaler level so the Indians couldn't avoid it. The ever-enterprising and hard-working Native Americans turned around and (Surprise! Surprise!) increased their OWN tobacco growing and cigarette manufacturing! Big T is NOT happy!
I'll share a slightly expanded version of the post I just sent to the BNews below (they take a while to get them up) but you might want to check out the whole article.
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I also wanted to note how interesting it is that the government that uses "protecting the children" as one of the justifications for increasing cigarette taxes now wants to push a policy that will DIRECTLY make cigarettes MORE available to "the children."
Obviously the kiddies aren't driving onto the reservations and buying cartons of cheap cigarettes from the smoke shops. Also obviously, having those cheap cigarettes available reduces the amount of true black market cigarettes being sold by the pack or carton to anyone with legs long enough to walk into a back alley to buy them.
The pure governmental greed aimed at the Native Americans and smokers will make cigarettes MORE available to children... but does Governor Cuomo care? Of course not. All the talk about "the children" was just a lie to begin with anyway. Just a trick to use and abuse our natural love for our children.
One lesson above all to learn from this for anyone with any doubts: Antismokers lie: they lie in order to raise the taxes on smokers; they lie in order to promote the fears that drive the smoking bans; and they even lie about their concern for smokers' own well-being as they push elderly and infirm smokers in nursing homes out into the cold and the young and the young adult college smokers off their safe and well-lit campuses into sometimes dangerous surrounding neighborhoods regardless of the time of day or night to smoke.
New York's outrageous tax levels on smokers are simply a way of exploiting a vulnerable minority group that doesn't have the organization to stand up for itself effectively. Google "V.Gen5H" and read the "Health Arguments" right at the top and you'll see how much and how effectively you've been lied to over the years.
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The whole story and other posts at:
Watching a policy go up in smoke - News - The Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article615290.ece - broken link)
Krisps, up until the last 30 years or so they didn't have much of a base to start from. Once they got the casinos rolling and were able to take advantage of the criminal levels of tobacco taxation so that they could actually make some real money from their efforts I think they've been showing some good work. I'll admit though that my impression is all second hand: never been on a reservation nor lived near one. Still, treaties are treaties, and if the US and its states can't be trusted to keep their words and abide by fair laws ... well we won't have much left in the future.
None of you must live near a "Rez". Up here, the Senecas have their own plants for making cigarettes right on their reservation land. The brands are cheaper. They are Native made and native sold. Yes, smokers (including my 2 daughters) go and buy there. I'm not happy they do, but I'd rather they give the business to the Senecas than the big companies (I have never smoked, never will). They also have gas much cheaper.
Years back, in multiple areas of contention, Albany tried to mess with the Senecas south of Buffalo. They shut down the Thruway with tire fires. It is on their land.
This state needs to honor treaties it made and they don't. So, while I may not patronize their businesses, I think they have the right to have them and sell their products.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
4,409 posts, read 6,543,919 times
Reputation: 6253
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael J. McFadden
I don't know if anyone has been following the latest salvos in the "cigarette tax wars" in NY, but the "Buffalo News" just ran an article in which Philip Morris came out in solid support of the State and its taxes.
Sound weird? Well it turns out that the State was enforcing its tax by collecting it at the wholesaler level so the Indians couldn't avoid it. The ever-enterprising and hard-working Native Americans turned around and (Surprise! Surprise!) increased their OWN tobacco growing and cigarette manufacturing! Big T is NOT happy!
I'll share a slightly expanded version of the post I just sent to the BNews below (they take a while to get them up) but you might want to check out the whole article.
===
I also wanted to note how interesting it is that the government that uses "protecting the children" as one of the justifications for increasing cigarette taxes now wants to push a policy that will DIRECTLY make cigarettes MORE available to "the children."
Obviously the kiddies aren't driving onto the reservations and buying cartons of cheap cigarettes from the smoke shops. Also obviously, having those cheap cigarettes available reduces the amount of true black market cigarettes being sold by the pack or carton to anyone with legs long enough to walk into a back alley to buy them.
The pure governmental greed aimed at the Native Americans and smokers will make cigarettes MORE available to children... but does Governor Cuomo care? Of course not. All the talk about "the children" was just a lie to begin with anyway. Just a trick to use and abuse our natural love for our children.
One lesson above all to learn from this for anyone with any doubts: Antismokers lie: they lie in order to raise the taxes on smokers; they lie in order to promote the fears that drive the smoking bans; and they even lie about their concern for smokers' own well-being as they push elderly and infirm smokers in nursing homes out into the cold and the young and the young adult college smokers off their safe and well-lit campuses into sometimes dangerous surrounding neighborhoods regardless of the time of day or night to smoke.
New York's outrageous tax levels on smokers are simply a way of exploiting a vulnerable minority group that doesn't have the organization to stand up for itself effectively. Google "V.Gen5H" and read the "Health Arguments" right at the top and you'll see how much and how effectively you've been lied to over the years.
===
The whole story and other posts at:
Watching a policy go up in smoke - News - The Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article615290.ece - broken link)
Interesting that this has encouranged the Native Americans to move up the value chain. But doesn't the big cash cow settlement with big tobacco go away if big tobacco's share of sales declines under a certain percentage?
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Showdown at the NY Corral...
