Big Tobacco -- our True Patriots?

VPOTUS Joltin' Joe Biden says that it is our patriotic duty to pay taxes. Not trying to lessen the true patriotism of Gold Star Families --- but copying that formula -- doesn't it seem like maybe Tobacco Shops should be allowed to fly some kind of flag - with a red cross or $ sign circled with the words - "Collector of Taxes - by Appointment of the US Gob'mint" circled around. Oh, here's one suggestion for the flag -- The Smoke Taxin'Devil!

Every time there is a need - kids health, poor folks, unemployed civil servants -- a new tax is imposed on tobacco -- the gob'mint wants us to quit but depends on the tax income.......

In case you are a recovered smoker like myself and haven't priced them lately -- here is the tax income they generate...... (NOTE: doesn't include the price of the cigarettes or the $1.01 Fed tax)


Most counties and cities do not have their own cigarette tax rates, but there are major exceptions. More than 460 local jurisdictions have their own cigarette tax rates, bringing in more than half a billion dollars in annual revenue and working effectively to reduce smoking rates, especially among youth. The following are the highest cigarette tax jurisdictions taking all state and local cigarette taxes into consideration.

1. New York City ($1.50 per pack) plus New York State ($2.75) $4.25 per pack
2. Chicago ($0.68) plus Cook County ($2.00) plus Illinois ($0.98) $3.66 per pack
3. Evanston ($0.50) plus Cook County ($2.00) plus Illinois ($0.98) $3.48 per pack
4. Anchorage ($1.402) plus Alaska ($2.00) $3.402 per pack
5. Cicero ($0.16) plus Cook County ($2.00) plus Illinois ($0.98) $3.14 per pack
6. Rosemont ($0.05) plus Cook County ($2.00) plus Illinois ($0.98) $3.03 per pack
7. Barrow ($1.00) plus Alaska ($2.00) $3.00 per pack
8. Matanuska-Susitna Borough ($1.00) plus Alaska ($2.00) $3.00 per pack
9. Sitka ($1.00) plus Alaska ($2.00) $3.00 per pack
10. Cities with no tax in Cook County ($2.00) plus Illinois ($0.98) $2.98 per pack
11. New York state ($2.75), excluding New York City $2.75 per pack
12. New Jersey ($2.575), with no local cigarette taxes $2.575 per pack
13. Massachusetts ($2.51), with no local cigarette taxes $2.51 per pack
14. Rhode Island ($2.46), with no local cigarette taxes $2.46 per pack
15. Juneau ($0.30) plus Alaska ($2.00) $2.30 per pack
16. Fairbanks ($0.20) plus Alaska ($2.00) $2.20 per pack
17. Washington ($2.025), with no local cigarette taxes $2.025 per pack
18. Maine ($2.00), with no local cigarette taxes $2.00 per pack
19. Michigan ($2.00), with no local cigarette taxes $2.00 per pack
20. Arizona ($2.00), with no local cigarette taxes $2.00 per pack
21. Alaska ($2.00), excluding areas with local cigarette taxes $2.00 per pack
22. Connecticut ($2.00), with no local cigarette taxes $2.00 per pack
23. Maryland ($2.00), with no local cigarette taxes $2.00 per pack
24. Hawaii ($2.00), with no local cigarette taxes $2.00 per pack
25. Washington, DC ($2.00) $2.00 per pack
26. Vermont ($1.99), with no local cigarette taxes $1.99 per pack
27. Wisconsin ($1.77), with no local cigarette taxes $1.77 per pack
28. U.S. Territory Northern Marianas ($1.75), with no local cigarette taxes $1.75 per pack
29. Montana ($1.70), with no local cigarette taxes $1.70 per pack
30. Cuyahoga County ($0.345) plus Ohio ($1.25) $1.595 per pack
31. South Dakota ($1.53), with no local cigarette taxes $1.53 per pack
32. Minnesota ($1.504), with no local cigarette taxes $1.504 per pack
33. Texas ($1.41), with no local cigarette taxes $1.41 per pack
34. Iowa ($1.36), with no local cigarette taxes $1.36 per pack
35. Pennsylvania ($1.35), with no local cigarette taxes $1.35 per pack
36. New Hampshire ($1.33), with no local cigarette taxes $1.33 per pack
37. Ohio ($1.25), other than Cuyahoga County $1.25 per pack

These combined cigarette tax rates do not include the federal cigarette tax ($1.01 per pack, effective 3/31/09) or any state or local sales taxes that apply to cigarettes.

Shucks, they make the IRS look redundant......... wonder how many of these tobacco tax dollars actually help the kids, or the poor -- and how many end up in that trough all them gob'mint hogs be swillin' in?