Looks like the governor wants to raise tobacco taxes again. See the AP article at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFLm1v-BoGpbLRKscAo7dGkrh97gD9CP61CO6
This makes me ask the same old question (which none of our local legislators, to my knowledge, wants to address): As the tax increases and smoking declines, eventually the goose laying the golden egg is going to go bye-bye. What will replace it?
Now, for all those folks who try to tell us that the tax increaes are going for health care, read these two items from that article:
"Martino said Parkinson has not decided whether to ask legislators to dedicate the new revenues to health programs, or use it to help the state balance its budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins July 1."
This one is even better:
"But in 2002, when legislators boosted the cigarette tax from 24 cents, they did it to help close a budget shortfall. " So keep shoveling that bovine scatology about using it for health costs.............a 55¢ per pack increase (from 24¢ to 79¢ back then) and it went to a budget shortfall.
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