California Taxes Watch: Smokers Will Pay More

An unidentified man smokes a cigarette in Sacramento, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005. A coalition of health organizations wants to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 300 percent in California to boost funding for hospital emergency care, nursing education, cancer research and a variety of other health programs. The per-pack tax would jump by $2.60 under an initiative the coalition hopes to have on the November 2006 ballot, supporters said Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005.

Timm Herdt of the Ventura County Star has Smokers might pay more

Hospitals and healthcare advocacy groups in California, which had been headed toward an intramural fight over dueling tobacco-tax initiatives, on Tuesday united behind a single, massive tax measure they hope to put before voters in November.

The measure would seek a $2.60-per-pack tax increase on cigarettes, which would raise the price of a pack of cigarettes by about 65 percent and give California by far the highest tobacco taxes in America. The increase alone is higher than the current top state tax rate of $2.46 in Rhode Island. Along Tobacco Road in North Carolina, the tax is just a nickel a pack.

When added to the existing 87 cents per pack in California, it would bring the state taxes on a single pack of cigarettes to $3.47.

The only jurisdiction that comes close is New York City, where the city and state each impose a $1.50 tax for a combined tax of $3 per pack.

Less Smoking is GOOD.

A Black Market in Tobacco Products is BAD

Can you imagine the hijacking of 18 wheelers full of Cigs?

And how about our native American folks on their soverign territory (Indian Casinos)? How will they cash in?

And…..redistribution of wealth for government programs through addiction taxation smells……..

And…..the amount?……..

It may pass but will cost too much to enforce……

Stay tuned……..