From the NY Post:The underground tobacco market is spreading like a fast-growing cancer in the wake of tax hikes that make New York cigarettes the most expensive in the nation -- and it's costing the state tens of millions a month in lost tax revenue, a Post analysis has found.
Illegal cigarettes are pouring into neighborhood bodegas by the truckload from neighboring Indian reservations, lower-tax states in the South and even as far away as China, authorities say.
Government data show that New York state is being smoked out of as much as $20 million a month from all these illegal cigarette purchases -- an estimated 7.3 million packs a month sold off the state tax radar.
15 comments:
Its the Mayors tax that's illegal.
Go to Flanders, or around Shinnicock the Indians sell en cheap "Spirit" brand flat $3.50 a pack
I do not smoke - BUT - GOOD FOR BLACK MARKET CIGARETTES! Fk Bloomberg and his excessive taxes.
If the city needs more money, get rid of some of Bloomberg's beloved Medicaid recipients and/or the professionals who are involved in Medicaid fraud.
Support the Indians.
Here is how a smoking habit played out among 6 people I knew.
They spent tens of thousands of dollars supporting a filthy habit for decades.
They got sick.
Their insurance ran out leaving them dumped on the public hospitals.
They -all- (including my Aunt) died and cost their survivors another $3-4K for burial.
I won't even go into the disfiguration and suffering involved in their decline.
-Anything- that impedes and reduces this awful habit it worthwhile.
The mirroring of prohibition.
NYS and NYC lawmakers are so ignorant to repeat history.
Legalize marijuana = billions in tax revenue
The greatest argument to legalize drugs can be found in what we are all witnessing as cigarettes become more and more difficult to obtain, heading towards being outlawed outright. The black market is now growing. How long before violence starts breaking out over distribution etc?
The State needs to lower the taxes on cigarettes and put the competition out of business. If they don't, they stand to lose millions of dollars that the taxpayers will have to pay. Government has no right taxing the tobacco industry to death. They need to go after ILLEGAL drugs, not the legal ones. I don't smoke, but smokers have a right to do it if they want to. This state keeps getting itself deeper and deeper into a financial hole. Lower the taxes on cigarettes, and people will buy from regular businesses
There are good drugs and there are bad drugs. Trouble is, some of the bad drugs are legal and some of the good ones aren't.
"I do not smoke - BUT - GOOD FOR BLACK MARKET CIGARETTES! Fk Bloomberg and his excessive taxes."
I second that.
F**K BLOOMBERG! Since that little troll took office, I quit buying my smokes in the boroughs. And when he went, with Phillip Morris, and tried to sue the American Indians, I buy only the smokes the American Indians make.
The taxes now amount to 90% of the price and make cigarettes so expensive that purchased legally they are unaffordable for most people.
That's the same as prohibition and will lead to the growth of violent mafias that will plague us for generations, just like prohibition did.
Nice going Mike.
So what, they knew bootlegging was going to happen. It was factored in.
I don't smoke so why should I have to buy food while looking at these gross pictures of rotting teeth etc that the city thinks will make people quit. The harder you make it for people to get, the more alternative ways people will find to get it.
We proved that with Prohibition
We are proving it with pirated books, movies & music on the internet
and we will prove it again with cigarettes.
Anyone who actually believes that the cigarette tax was for the health and well being of anyone needs a reality check. It has nothing to do with it at all. It's a stepping stone to more taxes on more legal products that they all deem bad for you, but what I find funny is that I only read on this site about building on toxic sites and this is ok? It's actually funny. I guess the cancer or other related illness is ok as long as the Mayor says so, I'm sure that cancer that people get won't affect health costs only cigarettes cancer affect health costs. I can go on and on with the substances in our daily lives that are KILLING us all, but I won't. We will just all worry about cigarettes. And trust me I'm not condoning smoking I'm just making a point.
I lost my job 30 months ago, and although I find some occasional work, I have been sliding backwards for 30 months. No unemployment, nothing to help. I’m thinking about running cigarettes up from VA.. I won’t have a choice soon. I haven’t figured out how to find customers in NYC yet, but I am sure I will eventually.
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