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Ill: Lawmakers criticize cigarette tax increase
News Channel 8 ^ | Feb 18, 2005

Posted on 02/18/2005 3:23:48 PM PST by SheLion

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ State lawmakers say Illinois smokers may not have to worry about shelling out a lot more money for their habit right away.

Lawmakers from both parties are sharply criticizing Governor Blagojevich's plan to increase cigarette taxes by 75 cents per pack and use the money to pay for school and road construction projects.

They say the tax increase would simply prompt smokers to travel to neighboring states such as Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana to buy cigarettes cheaper.

They say that would hurt the economy and ensure the state doesn't take in enough money to fund the projects.

Instead, they're looking at other revenue sources such as gambling expansion, electronic lottery games and modernizing the state's sales tax for extra money.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: antismokers; bans; butts; cigarettes; fda; individualliberty; lawmakers; maine; niconazis; professional; prohibitionists; regulation; rinos; senate; smoking; taxes; tobacco

They say that would hurt the economy and ensure the state doesn't take in enough money to fund the projects.

Why does one state have lawmakers that make sense and the other states have idiots?

1 posted on 02/18/2005 3:23:57 PM PST by SheLion
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To: Just another Joe; Great Dane; Madame Dufarge; Gabz; MeeknMing; steve50; KS Flyover; Cantiloper; ...

Will wonders never cease!!!


2 posted on 02/18/2005 3:24:33 PM PST by SheLion (The America we once knew and loved is gone.)
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To: SheLion
Why does one state have lawmakers that make sense and the other states have idiots?

Actually they're all idiots, it's just a matter of degree.

3 posted on 02/18/2005 3:26:05 PM PST by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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To: facedown
Actually they're all idiots, it's just a matter of degree.

I have to agree with you on that one.

4 posted on 02/18/2005 3:26:41 PM PST by SheLion (The America we once knew and loved is gone.)
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