A Smokin' Crime Wave - huge cig tax fosters violent black market

[Loonman]

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/5035.htm

January 7, 2004 -- FOR years, New Yorkers associated the hushed, rhythmic call of "Smoke, smoke" with hustlers peddling pot and worse in the city's streets and parks. But while the Giuliani war on crime thinned the dealers' ranks, Mayor Bloomberg has opened the door to a new generation of hustlers who have taken up the cry to hawk Marlboros and Newports.
And these new smoke peddlers are fast proving far more ambitious and, in many cases, violent than their predecessors.

The motive? Exorbitant new local taxes created an opportunity for huge "buttlegging" profits. With a 75 percent sales tax, cigarettes here are far more expensive than in other cities and states. Legal sales have plummeted and some vendors have taken to pocketing the $3-a-pack of sales tax.

But there's little evidence New Yorkers have taken the mayor's patronizing suggestion to quit complaining about a tax that's good for them and kick the habit. Instead of frequenting local retailers, middle-class smokers have been buying cigarettes online and out of state.

[libview]

1. can't really blame them.

I use to smoke, and $7 a pack is just crazy. It's a tax on the poor is all it is.

[pnb]

2. It may get worse too

From what a couple of friends in NY told me, it will be much harder to get smokes online because NY changed laws regarding how the cigarettes can be shipped into the state. I now have one friend who sends me a check periodically and I send cigarettes to her because she can't get them from the net anymore.

The cigarette taxes in NY are so ridiculous.

[karabekian]

9. its funny

how NY will go to such lengths to collect the tax on such a "deadly" product. It shows me that the tax is probably less to do with getting people to quit and more a source of revenue for these people.

[BiggJawn]

3. How are they "more ambitious and violent"?

Are they tacling stockbokers walking down the street and shoving smokes in their cake-holes?
Or does this refer to "turf wars" amongst vendors?
Aint' Murka great? where else can you get involved in organized crimne while using a legal product?

Glad I quit.

[Bandit]

6. Tax evading is not legal

:shrug: People have to have their drugs, no matter how harmful to society.

[Loonman]

8. Unfair taxation is tyranny

Especially if the money is not used for anything.

[catmandu57]

4. It isn't New York

but, in the last two months there have been several stories here in the state of Missouri of people smashing through convenience store windows and bagging up all the cigarettes they could carry.
Smashing and grabbing tobacco is getting to be very profitable.

[Loonman]

5. Punitive tax

Does nobody good, except for tax-fattened hyenas known as politicians.


Cigarette tax money is supposed to go into cessation programs, but it doesn't.

It lines the pockets of fat cat pols who are also getting money from the tobacco lobby.

[n0_data]

7. Smoke, smoke

God, it's seriously that easy (or used to be) to get weed in NY? My town totally sucks ass.

But yeah, since they've gone up to $5.00 a pack, I've just been buying tobacco and hand rolling my own. You'll save $20.00 off the equivalent of a carton of cigs.

Rolling each cig is definitely a hassle (though I've become quite adept and speedy at it), and it's very harsh with no filter. But on the bright side, I've cut down considerably, mainly due to the afore mentioned reasons. And ultimately I believe it'll make quitting much easier - which I plan to do very soon. :eyes:

[Bandit]

10. So you are saying higher costs are making you consider quiting?

But but but everyone here who smokes says that is impossible. That Higher costs have no impact on people either starting to smoke or quiting smoking. You are an anomaly I guess.:shrug: Side note: good luck on kicking the habit. :-)

[n0_data]

11. Yup

I guess I am. I seriously can no longer afford commercial cigarettes, and the unfiltered cigs I'm smoking now are incredibly rank.

But to be fair, I remember a while back saying similar things, when cigs got to be $3.00 a pack. At the time I made several attempts at quitting, and here I am today still smoking -- although I've adjusted my habit as explained above in order to maintain my fix. Kinda pathetic really.

So..yeah, it's a real easy thing to say, a lot harder to actually do. This time though I'm determined to kick. Thanks for the encouragement btw. :)

[BiggJawn]

13. 3 factors that lead to me quitting...

1. I finally got tired of being viewed as a mindless, addicted cash-cow by my state legislaters.

2. I got tired of the hassles involved with "rolling your own". i used a tube-stuffing machine and smoked "Drum", which is so popular around here it's in short supply. Sure, I saved a LOT of $$$, but it cost me time to roll-up those things.

Thirdly, and most importantly, since quitting, I've returned to younger days when I was "The Man of Steel"...:evilgrin:

[Bandit]

15. I'm sure if you are anything like everyone else I know

You will look back on your quitting as one of the best accomplishments of your life. :thumbsup: :toast: and now the GOP will get less of your money. :thumbsup:

[markses]

12. I would expect that

nearly everyone growing up in NYC knows 5 marijuan dealers by the time they're in the 10th grade. That's how it was for me, anyway. The "Smoke, Smoke" guys are usually a desperate fall back, and often sold pure swag - garbage if not outright phoney stuff. Mainly for the tourists and day-trippers.

But yes. It is extremely easy to get weed. When I was a kid, I remember that one guy sold it directly out of the Mister Softee (ice cream) truck. We also used to buy beer in a local store when we were 13, without even the hint of a raised eyebrow from the proprietors.

[Robb]

14. Back at Berkeley

...the joke was "Apparently I resemble a local celebrity named 'Bud', because I walk down the street and people look at me unsurely and say 'Bud?'" ;)