When you think about it, cigarettes cause both death and taxes.
Scott Adams figured he was saving about $20 per carton the past few years by ordering his cigarettes online and by phone from out-of-state tobacco dealers.
Those savings are proving mighty costly now.
The state claims Adams owes nearly $8,000 in unpaid cigarette taxes and penalties. After hounding him for more than a year, the state last week began garnisheeing 25 percent of Adams’ wages.
Adams says he blew off the numerous warnings and tax statements he received in the mail, figuring the state was just trying to intimidate him and didn’t really have the authority to force him to pay.
I lost a link to the story, but it seems that the state just figured out that by both putting a huge tax on tobacco products and then limiting the places where people can smoke, makes people quit smoking.
While this sounds all well and good, the tale I heard the other day is that the state is crying about the loss in tax revenue because of the quitters.
I know that a number of politicians are lawyers, but would think that a few economists would find their way into the government too.
Sheesh – they don’t have to be economists to do simple arithmatic, for heaven’s sake. Let’s all say it together … if they buy LESS of the stuff, there will be less TAXES on SALES of the stuff.
Just further proof that our edumacation system is completely screwed.