Queens lawmakers had some choice words for what might be considered the most unusual cash-generating idea in the governor’s budget proposal: a tax on illegal drugs.Spitzer’s Illicit Drug Tax Puzzles Queens Politicians
“I think it’s an absurd idea,” said state Sen. Frank Padavan of Bellerose. “When you tax something, you assume that it’s legal to have it.”
Padavan was incensed at the idea of taxing illicit drugs, a proposal that’s been dubbed the “Crack Tax,” by its opponents.
The tax would essentially be a stamp program, requiring drug dealers to come forward and buy a stamp for any controlled substance, including marijuana and cocaine, with the price increasing depending on the relative street price of the drug.
Marijuana stamps would cost $3.50 per gram, while more expensive controlled substance stamps would go for $200 per gram.
“The tax is paid by the dealer, in advance of his or her receipt of the marihuana (sic) or controlled substance,” the proposal states. “Upon receipt of the product, the dealer must affix enough stamps to the packages of marihuana or the controlled substance in order to show the tax has been fully paid.”
16 comments:
Why not go all the way and tax prostitution, a lotta dough could be generated from the "vibrant" "up and coming" Queens Plaza area. Spitzer really needs to stop paying dumb and get to work on some of those campaign promises.
Is there a tax the libs don't like?
The whole premise behind "sin taxes" is nuts. If we tax products, we are tacitily approving.
Look at the cigarette tax, the government rakes in 80% or more of the cost of a pack, yet we call the manufacturers the culprits.
Why do governments collect all proceeds from the class action lawsuits against cigarette makers? They legalize the products, enabling them to collect and spend more "sin tax" money.
Why do the smokers and their survivors not receive monthly checks?
Haven't cops always said, to find the ultimate culprit "follow the money"?
"29 other states already have similar laws on the books," according to the Chronicle article. So though E.S.'s proposal is indeed "strange," as Councilman Comrie puts it, it's got to have some sort of sound rationale behind it. Otherwise one must suppose that dozens of politicians across the country are screwy...which is always a possibility.
What would be the penalty if a dealer of illicit drugs avoids paying the tax? jail?
Is Crappy that stupid?
Seriously.
Why not do a little reaearch before mouthing off like a conservative retard.
Here is a little more info for the knee-jerk, ill-informed morons..
http://nassaugopwatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/nassau-young-republican-prez-andrew.html
Padavan is an idiot who misrepresents the issues because ...well.... he's an idiot. he knows better. He was told what this was about but he runs to the media like a little mary and makes up shit.
I should have posted the relevent parts..
from the NYPost "Spitzer aides said they realize it's highly unlikely any drug dealers would come forward to purchase tax stamps.
That is why, they say, the governor's proposal requires "prompt notification" of the tax commissioner by law-enforcement agencies and DAs "who obtain any information that indicates that a dealer has failed to pay the tax due."
"But in reality the revenue is only collected after arrests, when dealers are slapped with a tax bill.
"The only folks we have buying those stamps are stamp collectors," said Kim Brooks, spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Revenue."
Although I don't know if Spitzer's proposal is the way to go, I will say that the "War on Drugs" has been a abysmal failure by all accounts and measures...We as a nation have been throwing money down a well for more then a generation...and the war has been lost..!
Our state has sunk to new lows. Does the tax condone drugs if one is caught later?
Can we suffer another 3 years with Governor Elliot "Developer heir" Spitzer and live tell about it? Can he not come up with something normal that doesn't include a tax for God's sake?
We should consider NYC breaking away from the rest of the State.
Then why not just say, "From now on, we will impose a non-dismissable fine on anyone found possessing drugs" instead of saying you are going to make people buy stamps in advance of their purchase?
Actually, this only shows the ignorance of our lawmakers.
The federal government was warned by the Supreme Court that banning something, like pot, would probibally be thrown out of court.
The way around it (in effect since the 1950s) is to sell it only if there was a revenue stamp.
The rub is the government makes two or three stamps a year - just enough to have an actual program, but not enough so that anyone in the general pulblic can by some legal weed.
It's legitimate, but silly. It's a way of adding penalties and finding new ways to convict drug sellers. Hard to be against that. Problem is, it's too cute by half and when Spitzer (who has a totally tin ear) says it you just want to roll your eyes. Again. He comes across like the kid who got beat up in school and now WILL MAKE THEM ALL SORRY!
How about doing something meaningful, Spitzie? Like lower my taxes. Control spending. Rein in the developers.. wait, can't do that.
interesting about the federal government printing out two or three marajuana revenue stamps a year. Like rare postal stamps, I bet they're worth a lot, granted the public can get their hands on them. Probably not, I suppose.
Our "Guv" iz on drugs!
Smokin' some "hydro" theses days Elliot ?
How about surtaxing your real estate family's friends
for their complicity in over developing our city
without any regard for the aging infrastructure
that can't keep pace with it ?
Governor Shvitzer.
The rub is the government makes two or three stamps a year - just enough to have an actual program.
"How many Spitzer supporter that it take to run a 2-3 stamp program"?
How many years does it take to remove the same program and the entrenched politically rewarded folks running it?
Perhaps Ron Paul's Liberterian viewpoints on government need a closer look by the tax paying public.
Post a Comment