NYS Legislators thinking to add $2 to cigarette tax in 8 Counties

[BigJ]

http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/ny-lismok035156689apr03,0,6174314.story

It may not be long before cigarettes are just as expensive on Long Island as they are in New York City.

The move to enact a $2 per pack cigarette tax in Nassau and Suffolk Counties is expected to gain momentum Tuesday when a host of officials gather in Mineola to call for Albany to authorize eight counties to implement their own cigarette tax.

The change would drive the price of many cigarettes to around $7 a pack.

"Anybody in elected office, the best legacy we can leave is to make it so prohibitive to smoke that in spite of themselves, people will live longer," said Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), the presiding officer of the Nassau Legislature.

Jacobs and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi are pushing a State Assembly bill, sponsored by Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead), that would authorize Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess and Rennselaer Counties to impose a cigarette tax. New York City, which introduced a $1.50 per pack tax in 2002, is seeking state approval to increase its tax to $2.

Health officials say an increased cigarette tax would lead to thousands of people quitting smoking, noting that smoking-related deaths and the number of women who smoke have both dropped in New York City since 2002.

"It's not just an incentive for adults, it's an incentive for teenagers to stop smoking or to never start," said Lisa Daglian, the spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society.

But Chris Seustel, an accountant who works in Melville and has been smoking a pack a day for a decade, says he couldn't get through the tax season without nicotine.

"That won't convince me to stop smoking," Seustel said of the tax. "I'm planning to quit, but right now I'm in the middle of my stressful season."

Officials also said leveling the cigarette taxes in New York City and the suburban counties would stop the flow of people who cross the Queens border to buy smokes.

New York City raised $123 million from cigarette taxes in fiscal year 2006, according to the city comptroller's office. The Nassau County Office of Legislative Budget Review estimated the tax would add between $26 million and $30 million to the county's coffers.

Jacobs and Suozzi said the tax would help the county offset rising costs.

"If we got the cigarette tax, it would be go along way toward avoiding a property tax increase in Nassau County," Suozzi said.

Mark Smith, a spokesman for Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, said Levy does not have a position on a county cigarette tax. William Lindsay (D-Holbrook), the Suffolk Legislature's presiding officer, said he supports a cigarette tax to help fund the county's schools.

"The government makes more money off cigarettes than the cigarette companies do," said Damin Toell, 29, an attorney from Hicksville who says an increased tax would not change his half-pack per day habit.

Jacobs said Nassau has a better chance of gaining state approval for the cigarette tax with seven other counties included in the proposal than it would by itself.

"It'll never work with just one," she said.

 

[slackerinabox]

I pay $7.25 a pack in the city (NYC).. Does that mean it's going up to $9.25? Oye... I should quit and, as a luxury item I won't disagree with the tax. IT's not a poor tax - it's a "we're idiots and we should know better but we're addicted to nicotine" tax...

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
I pay $7.25 a pack in the city (NYC).. Does that mean it's going up to $9.25?

You could answer your question by reading the first sentence of the story.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
I pay $7.25 a pack in the city (NYC).. Does that mean it's going up to $9.25? Oye... I should quit and, as a luxury item I won't disagree with the tax. IT's not a poor tax - it's a "we're idiots and we should know better but we're addicted to nicotine" tax...

No just 8 counties around the state. NYC would stay as it is (they're considering raising it by $0.50) while Long Island and other counties would get higher taxes.

 

[ElFenix]

in spite of themselves, people will live longer

so wrong



edit: anyway, they don't really care about your health because if they did they would ban them. no, they care about the revenue stream.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
I pay $7.25 a pack in the city (NYC).. Does that mean it's going up to $9.25?

You could answer your question by reading the first sentence of the story.

I read it, just figure that it'll slowly trickle to the "mainland" soon enough.

 

[OutHouse]

so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

 

[broon]

This reminds me of a story when some people were over taxed on tea. It was a time long, long ago.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

 

[broon]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

No doubt.

 

[tm37]

New York City raised $123 million from cigarette taxes in fiscal year 2006, according to the city comptroller's office.

And this

"If we got the cigarette tax, it would be go along way toward avoiding a property tax increase in Nassau County," Suozzi said.

It is really about the health

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

or alcohol.
but yeah i can see it going to be fast food. just a matter of time before they start huge tax's on a cheeseburgher.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

or alcohol.
but yeah i can see it going to be fast food. just a matter of time before they start huge tax's on a cheeseburgher.

Well...alcohol is already taxed to hell. But I'm sure politicians will figure out a way to squeeze more out of it in the future.

 

[bctbct]

If you want a tax windfall lets tax the hell out of health related items. :thumbsup:

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

or alcohol.
but yeah i can see it going to be fast food. just a matter of time before they start huge tax's on a cheeseburgher.

Well...alcohol is already taxed to hell. But I'm sure politicians will figure out a way to squeeze more out of it in the future.

Easy solution - legalize pot and then tax the hell out of it.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

or alcohol.
but yeah i can see it going to be fast food. just a matter of time before they start huge tax's on a cheeseburgher.

Let's start taxing larger sizes of clothing. Because if anybody is in anything bigger than a Large, they're obviously overweight. And a tax on sizes greater than a Large will motivate people to lose weight. So in spite of themselves, people will lose the weight and live longer 😉

 

[Queasy]

The cigarette black market just cheered.

 

[dmcowen674]

Go New York :thumbsup:

I would slap at least a $20 Tax per cigarette.

 

[Geocentricity]

Move to Taiwan - cheapest pack of cigs is $1USD

 

[Amused]

And the liberals punish the poor even more.

 

[broon]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Go New York :thumbsup:

I would slap at least a $20 Tax per cigarette.

I wondered when it would start.

 

[slackerinabox]

you bastards, this thread is making me really crave a cigarette.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

or alcohol.
but yeah i can see it going to be fast food. just a matter of time before they start huge tax's on a cheeseburgher.

Let's start taxing larger sizes of clothing. Because if anybody is in anything bigger than a Large, they're obviously overweight. And a tax on sizes greater than a Large will motivate people to lose weight. So in spite of themselves, people will lose the weight and live longer 😉

noo@!

i wear a medium. but i prefer large or extra-large (depends on brand). I can't stand tight fitting clothes.

same with pants. i buy 36's but i wear a 32 (or 30 depending on brand). how some wear tight jeans is beyond me.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: broon

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: Citrix
so what happens when a lot of people quit smoking and all that sin tax money that the government is addicted to dries up....

Gotta find the next sin to tax.

Fast food.

or alcohol.
but yeah i can see it going to be fast food. just a matter of time before they start huge tax's on a cheeseburgher.

Let's start taxing larger sizes of clothing. Because if anybody is in anything bigger than a Large, they're obviously overweight. And a tax on sizes greater than a Large will motivate people to lose weight. So in spite of themselves, people will lose the weight and live longer 😉

noo@!

i wear a medium. but i prefer large or extra-large (depends on brand). I can't stand tight fitting clothes.

same with pants. i buy 36's but i wear a 32 (or 30 depending on brand). how some wear tight jeans is beyond me.

Lose weight and tape your penis to the side of your leg. Possibly have your penis and testicles removed. Then you can wear all the tight jeans you want 😉

I say we just do away with jeans and make assless chaps mandatory.