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Maine storekeepers say customers fuming about high cigarette tax
New Hampshire Union Leader ^ | September 19, 2005 | Glenn Adams

Posted on 09/20/2005 4:25:26 PM PDT by Past Your Eyes

Maine storekeepers say customers fuming about high cigarette tax

By GLENN ADAMS Associated Press Writer

HALLOWELL, Maine (AP) -- Taking time out to tend to customers who drift into his tobacco shop on a sunny Monday morning, owner Tom Allen showed little worry about the doubling of Maine's cigarette tax to $2 that just took effect.

"There's no impact on me whatsoever. If anything, it will help because people will stop buying packs and make their own," said Allen, whose Kennebec Tobacco Co. sells bags of loose rolling tobacco as a sideline to its main products, cigars and pipe products.

But farther west toward the New Hampshire border, storekeepers said they were hearing it from customers and seeing the first signs of regulars drifting to the Granite State to buy their smokes. New Hampshire's tax is 80 cents a pack, which makes a carton of cigarettes $12 less in that state than in Maine.

(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: business; cigarettes; maine; newhampshire; pack; store; tax
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To: Past Your Eyes

also heard that all of the major credit card companies (in an agreement with ATF) will no longer pay websites that sell cigs across state lines........suggest finding a truck driver friend who passes through Kentucky


21 posted on 09/20/2005 4:58:17 PM PDT by shooter223 (the government should fear the citizens......not the other way around)
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To: Past Your Eyes
...bags of loose rolling tobacco as a sideline to its main products, cigars and pipe products.

Ever since Taft raised the tax here in Ohio on cigarettes by $0.75, I've been bying loose tobbaco, cigarette tubes and a cheap, but easy to use, tube stuffer. I used to lay out $7.48 per day now it costs me $0.92 per day.

22 posted on 09/20/2005 5:00:00 PM PDT by Rudder
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To: patton
Actually, I don't live free. I figure I'll die instead.

But at least I know how to spell cemetery.

23 posted on 09/20/2005 5:01:11 PM PDT by Past Your Eyes (I'm just sitting here on the Group W bench.)
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To: Past Your Eyes
The increase is one of the latest in an extensive series of steps the state has taken to discourage smoking

No ... it's the latest step in an effort to increase TAXES.

24 posted on 09/20/2005 5:06:03 PM PDT by layman (Card Carrying Infidel)
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To: 556x45
None of what you've said surprises me.Here in the People's
Republic the two most heinous crimes are:not paying "your fair share" and "hatred and intolerance". And as for collecting taxes on out of state purchases,the Mass income tax return contains a question requiring you to declare how much you've purchased without paying Mass sales tax and then you're assessed 5% of that figure.

Also,Mass State Police have been known to hang out in parking lots of NH fireworks stores before July 4th and following cars with Mass plates back into Mass and then stopping them (fireworks are illegal here).

25 posted on 09/20/2005 5:06:49 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative
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To: Gay State Conservative
They don't want anybody to have any fun do they?

Unless the state (guess I should say Commonwealth) gets a nice cut out of it.

26 posted on 09/20/2005 5:11:53 PM PDT by Past Your Eyes (I'm just sitting here on the Group W bench.)
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To: shooter223
suggest finding a truck driver friend who passes through Kentucky.

Earlier this year,I drove down the East Coast (I-95) to Florida.I was really surprised to see that cigarettes in VA and the Carolinas are at least $3 a pack cheaper than in the northeastern People's Republics.

It almost made me wish that I smoked.

27 posted on 09/20/2005 5:12:15 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative
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To: Past Your Eyes

"tax to $2 that just took effect"

LOL.. In 1970 a pack of smokes cost 24 cents.

A gallon of gas cost 29 cents...


28 posted on 09/20/2005 5:15:06 PM PDT by AMERIKA
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To: Gay State Conservative
LOL...they pulled that naughty trick at the NH liquor stores and wound up getting arrested by the NH state police. Oh, they were SO mad...but I must say they deserved it richly. The MA state police threatened, postured and complained publicly. It's was quite the show and entertaining too.
29 posted on 09/20/2005 5:16:17 PM PDT by 556x45
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To: Past Your Eyes
guess I should say Commonwealth

"Commonwealth" is the Massachusetts Power Structure's way of saying to working folks "what's yours is ours".

30 posted on 09/20/2005 5:18:06 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative
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To: Past Your Eyes

Well, that's what you get you mindless sheep of Maine that keep putting these morons into office.

One word for them: TOUGH!


31 posted on 09/20/2005 5:19:18 PM PDT by Fledermaus (I've totally given up on the possibility any politicians can govern....left or right or middle.)
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To: Past Your Eyes

I've been around a very long time, and used to "roll my own" when money got short. Smoking was accepted, and even celebrated during and after WWII. In the movies of those days the most sophisticated stars smoked in most of their scenes.

I quit smoking for personal reasons on April 19, 2001, but have never, and will never, complain about another person's right to smoke.

Public health problems, such as sodomy, are politically accepted, and even celebrated by the leftists in this country. After all, votes are accepted, no matter where they come from.

The simple political truth is this. The behavior that votes for me is acceptable.


32 posted on 09/20/2005 5:19:29 PM PDT by billhilly (If you're lurking here from DU (Democrats unglued), I trust this post will make you sick)
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To: Past Your Eyes

My wife and fell in love with Conway on our NE trip many years ago. We changed many plans to be able to stay a couple of days longer.

We then went back just to visit there for a week a few years later.


33 posted on 09/20/2005 5:20:22 PM PDT by Fledermaus (I've totally given up on the possibility any politicians can govern....left or right or middle.)
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To: AlaskaErik

lets see.......income tax(state&fed sometimes local)...FICA... estate tax...property tax...gasoline tax(state&fed)...liquor tax(state&fed)...tobacco tax(state&fed)...sales tax.......... taxes that are called something else......driver's license... license plates&registration...business license...hunting fishing license...firearms registration&permits.......a partial list at best off the top of my head........where are Franklin,Jefferson,Washington and friends when we need them?


34 posted on 09/20/2005 5:20:59 PM PDT by shooter223 (the government should fear the citizens......not the other way around)
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To: Fledermaus
My wife and fell in love with Conway

Hmmm. Just out of curiosity, what was it that you liked about the place? I'm not overly fond of it myself. Too damm many people and congested as he11. It is nice over on the West Side Road and, of course, the scenery is spectacular in places. But that's true of much of NH.

35 posted on 09/20/2005 5:30:11 PM PDT by Past Your Eyes (I'm just sitting here on the Group W bench.)
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To: Past Your Eyes
...and when my misspelling goes best seller, you remind me of that, OK?

LOL. It is a signiture.

36 posted on 09/20/2005 5:32:44 PM PDT by patton ("Hard Drive Cemetary" - forthcoming best seller)
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To: patton
LOL yourself! I also know how to spell signature. Do you need an editor?

";^)

37 posted on 09/20/2005 5:39:33 PM PDT by Past Your Eyes (I'm just sitting here on the Group W bench.)
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To: Past Your Eyes

I guess being a tourist and not a resident! lol

We had a great time there and the surrounding area. We loved to dine at the 1785 Inn.


38 posted on 09/20/2005 5:39:57 PM PDT by Fledermaus (I've totally given up on the possibility any politicians can govern....left or right or middle.)
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To: Past Your Eyes

Yes, I do - you volunteering?


39 posted on 09/20/2005 5:41:41 PM PDT by patton ("Hard Drive Cemetary" - forthcoming best seller)
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To: Fledermaus

I live about 8 miles south of the other (west) end of the Kancamagus Highway. Only go to Conway on business, which is about once a week.


40 posted on 09/20/2005 5:45:01 PM PDT by Past Your Eyes (I'm just sitting here on the Group W bench.)
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