Cigarmakers in a panic: The federal tax on each cigar could rise from 5 cents to $10.

St Petersburg Times ^ | July 17, 2007 | JAMES THORNER

[martin_fierro]

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[OBXWanderer]

It wouldn’t hurt Rush. He can afford it.

Rush might just hop in that G IV of his, and zip down to Dominica or Central America for a smoking session, but even Rush would not be too happy with a socialist tax such as this.

[patton]

I never could stand cigar smoke, anyway.

;)

[saganite]

I’m sure he wouldn’t be happy and not only because he hates taxes. A tax that high on a cigar will put a lot of cigar makers out of business and the choice and quality will decline overall.

[OBXWanderer]

to the states to help buy coverage for kids not poor enough for Medicaid.

What an absolute crock of socialist dung. Not poor enough?????

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[rbosque]

I love my Arturo Fuente Gran Reservas.
Looks like I’ll have to order them from out of California, this state is full of anti-smoking nazis.

[Redcloak]

I don't see why a cigarette boat can't smuggle cigars.

That is exactly what will happen. Confiscatory taxes, and other forms of prohibition, lead to black markets. The "Churlins" won't benefit from this, but criminals will. And who knows... Perhaps the next Senator from Massachusetts will be the son of a tobacco smuggler.

[Gabz]

Wiseguy :)

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

This is ridiculous. And there aren’t enough people affected by this to really get outraged about yet another outrageous tax.

This government is out of control. Given Congress’ low poll numbers, it will be interesting to see how much turnover there will be in 2008. Very little, I expect. The sheep are asleep.

[TheSpottedOwl]

This is just incredible! Ten buck tax on EACH cigar? My dad smoked Dutch Masters “seconds” for years. He did buy an expensive one now and again. I miss the smell of cigar smoke :(

Oh and btw, those little cigars mentioned in the article? Those are primarily bought as a delivery system for liquified substances. Illegal substances. I guess the crooks wouldn’t want to anger their voting block by goring their ox, now would they?

[Gabz]

And there aren’t enough people affected by this to really get outraged about yet another outrageous tax.

It's not much there being too few to be outraged as it is that there are far more who are fully supportive of such outrageous taxes, including many right here on Free Republic. They are so blinded in their hatred for smokers that they can't see things like this are just a first step and they will most likely be next in the crosshairs.

[Myrddin]

Ridiculous. It's not designed to derive tax revenue. It's designed to price the product so high that nobody can afford it. Typical stupid liberalism. The guy who runs my favorite gun shop also stocks fine cigars. He enjoys one on a Friday night and has lots of customers who come only for the cigars. It won't put him out of business, but it will likely make that sideline non-viable.

I buy a fair number of guns from him, but I avoid Friday nights :-)

[SaveTheChief]

Dream on. Too few even know where that comes from, let alone what it means.

I doubt many in this country even knows what the Declaration of Independence is, what it means, what it says, or the significance of the document.

This is what happens when we allow the federal government and leftist unions the opportunity to get at the young minds of America's children. Most today are clueless of the principles upon which our nation was founded, and why we will lose it all should we remain apathetic to these government attacks on our freedom.

Ronald Reagan, in his farewell address, spoke about the "Shining City on the Hill" and his faith that America's best days were ahead of us. In only two decades, everything has changed. I look the the future saddened that very few seem to value the past or should want to continue the traditions and the values that made our nation the greatest source of freedom the world has known.

We've become a nation of shortsighted, greedy, automatons that are too interested in our own shallow pursuits to realize that the great ideals that gave us these luxuries is being corrupted by socialism.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Exactly right. And that is why the politicians prefer “sin taxes” as opposed to spreading it out to include all taxpayers generally. Remember how tobacco tax increases were originally justified to offset the healthcare costs incurred by smokers and to educate the youngsters not to smoke? I don’t know about other places, but here in Illinois, they don’t even make that case anymore. They have a revenue need and they know that can stick it to smokers and get away with it. They are close to that with the cigar tax increase. What logical connection is there between cigar smoking and healthcare for poor children? None that I can see. But then again, I’m not among illumined ones up on Capitol Hill.

[Raycpa]

They forgot about loose tobacco.

[Gabz]

You are exactly right. Budget shortfalls are being closed throughout the country by increasing tobacco taxes. I have a 2003 letter from the Gov. of Delaware claiming she would gladly give up all tobacco tax revenue if it meant no one was smoking, 2 months later she proposed, and the legislature passed, a cigarette tax increase of more than 100%.

[uglybiker]

sez:
Der qvality uff life ve vill hinder!
Der shmokes vill be taxed! Think uff der kinder!
Mine life sucks! Dat much iss true!
I vill not shtop until yours sucks too!

[twonie]

Thank you! You did indeed fix it.

[RandallFlagg]

“No country has ever taxed itself into prosperity.”
—Ronald Reagan