Smoking may be bad for your health, but it could be great for New York bottom line.
Th state Assembly is considering a dollar tax increase on cigarettes to close the ever-widening budget gap.
The move would bring the total tax on a pack of cigarettes to $3.75, a national high, and raise more than $200 million dollars in revenue.
It’s one proposal among many, that lawmakers will meet in Albany today to discuss.
Governor Paterson is not supportive of the Senate’s plans vowing to make big cuts to short term budget extensions if lawmakers miss the state’s April 1 budget deadline.
(Read More: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/)
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15 Responses
If people stopped smoking, they wouldn’t have to waste so much money, not to mention their lives, on ciggarettes!
Idiots! I would have made it $2 or more.
MazelKGH:
I think a pack of cigarettes should be $20 or more. Its a killer and at $11 still too affordable. The govt also should crack down on those selling over the internet and stop allowing duty free.
Its sickening how many Yeshivah Bachurim smoke!
#2 – You are correct.
Aside from the revenue – which is what the state is after, this is a life and death health issue.
When they just raise the tax $1, people will be mad, but they WILL keep buying cigarettes.
They should raise it 3 or 4 dollars AT ONE TIME. That will have an impact to make people be forced to stop this filthy, disgusting, selfish, and deadly habit.
Idiots!x2 I would have made it $5 or more.
to #3 whats sickening about smoking its a nebach on thise that dont smoke.
Duvis:
Anyone who smokes is a meabed atzmo ladaas and mischayav benafsho. It is unequivocally Assur to smoke Bizman Hazeh when everyone knows for a fact 1000% that it destroys health and causes cancer and emphysema.
I used to smoke and paid a heavy price (on health). What Duvis may be saying is that it’s a nebach on those that don’t smoke to have to put up with all the secondhand smoke.
They don’t want people to stop smoking. They’re depending on it for revenues. If everybody stopped smoking, ALL taxes would go up.
No, I don’t support smoking. It’s a nasty, dangerous addiction!
To all the bochrim who think its “cool” to smoke…
It’s cool to be doing something your parents oppose, behind their backs.
Yeah, its really cool to smell like a dirty ashtray.
Its even cooler when it turns your teeth that great shade of yellowish brown.
Its even cooler than that when the exposure of your mouth to all that smoke causes a decrease in blood circulation, causes your teeth to start getting loose and falling out.
Its super cool when the damage to your throat and larynx starts to give you that deep, masculine, throaty sound to your voice and you occassionally find you spit out blood.
But the ultimate cool is when because of that annoying cough you’ve developed, you go to a doctor and he tells you you’ve got lung cancer, and 6 months until you are face to face with the Beis din shel Maalah.
Suddenly, you change your mind about what’s cool.
Suddenly you’re ready to really stop smoking.
Suddenly… it’s too late.
#9 your 100% right. anyone who think the goverment is gonna tax cigs for the better good to get poeple to stop smoking is in la la land. They are saying stright out it for the money.
At least this gizaira’s not on Parli’s 🙂
If you anti’s were from Europe or smokers you would have a different out look on this matter. Your just brained washed into believing that this is the biggest problem that our culture indulges in. A tainted jury is what you comments are on this matter . According to this though, M&M’s, bleached sugar and flour, etc. should be taxed by the same guidelines that the government is worrying about our health. There do not care about our health. There are bigger health risk to our society then smokes. These taxes are illegal and according to our constitution taxation without representation. If we had the guts we would have had another Boston tea party but with tobacco.
#!3
You’re the only one that has his head on straight here. The rest of you, although you are well-intentioned are wrong (in my opinion-obviously). The beauty and chessed of this country is that it is in accordance with what we have-free will. Free will means that you have the ability to make the right decision-and the wrong decision. Outlawing salt and transfats and taxing cigarettes is not what this country is supposed to be about. If they want to make cigarettes illegal based on health considerations, that might be another thing, but taxing it like this is not the answer
#14 Baronzev –
What you say may have some truth theoretically and philosophically, but…
L’maaseh, if raising the price of cigarettes a few dollars per pack may force even a few, or even ONE Yid to stop smoking, which is undoubtedly a serious sakana to his life, then this price increase will be a great thing.