The Maryland Citizens Health Initiative, headed by Vinny DeMarco, is scheduled to announce today a new coalition of groups backing a 50% hike in the cigarette tax.
The tax hike would make Maryland’s cigarette tax rate double the national average, giving the state the 5th highest tax in the nation. It would still be below New York’s $4.35 a pack tax, the nation’s highest.
The increase is being supported by AARP and the state medical society, along with dozens of other health, progressive and church groups.
Virginia and Delaware convenience stores will make a fortune. Owners of convenience stores in Maryland will continue to get screwed.
ReplyDeleteI vote $10.00 a pack. If they want to go somewhere else the price of gas will get them.
ReplyDeleteThey increase the tax on cigarettes and they get to expensive so people stop smoking. Then their revenue goes down so they want to raise taxes again. This doesn't make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they're not saying the money is for a certain "bogus" fund again.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet they're comparing dollars when they talk about how out of state cigarette purchase increases are less than the drop in MD sales.
Just like Delaware claiming 4 out of 5 Delaware adults don't smoke.
Right. Sit at a red light sometime and see how many smokers you see from the number of cars you observe!
I believe it has been stated (proven) in the past that when the economy goes bad, smoking goes UP.
The next thing we'll hear is that this tax will create jobs!I don't care about this tax because I buy my smokes and booze in Delaware.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows smoking is bad for one's health and can lead to all kinds of disease. But using that logic alot if not most foods sold in grocery stores are bad for one's health and cause way more disease and affect more people than smoking ever will.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess we should add a $1 tax to all unhealthy foods to help fund health care? I guarentee they are way more obese people with health issues directly related to their weight than there are smokers.
want to make money then tax people for every pound they are over weight! Our government would be awash in money!
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