Thursday, July 26, 2007
Rocky Patel Speaks Out On The Cigar Tax
Friday, March 09, 2007
Cigar Tax Proposed for Pennsylvania
Cigar Aficionado Web Features Cigar Tax Proposed for Pennsylvania: "Posted: Friday, March 09, 2007
By David Savona
Pennsylvania may soon have a tax on cigars, but any levy would likely be very small.
In February, Gov. Ed Rendell announced his new budget. Included in those plans, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was a 36-cent-an-ounce tax on cigars, smokeless tobacco and other tobacco products other than cigarettes. The budget also called for a cigarette tax increase of 10 cents a pack.
The OTP tax, if passed, would be noticeable to smokers of cheap machine-made cigars, but barely perceptible to those who enjoy premium, handmade cigars. Pennsylvania currently has no tobacco tax on cigars. The proposed tax will now go before the state senate and house, along with the other items in the budget."
By David Savona
Pennsylvania may soon have a tax on cigars, but any levy would likely be very small.
In February, Gov. Ed Rendell announced his new budget. Included in those plans, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was a 36-cent-an-ounce tax on cigars, smokeless tobacco and other tobacco products other than cigarettes. The budget also called for a cigarette tax increase of 10 cents a pack.
The OTP tax, if passed, would be noticeable to smokers of cheap machine-made cigars, but barely perceptible to those who enjoy premium, handmade cigars. Pennsylvania currently has no tobacco tax on cigars. The proposed tax will now go before the state senate and house, along with the other items in the budget."
Labels: cigars, PA News, PA Politics
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Milton Street Out of Mayor's Race
6abc.com: Milton Street Out of Mayor's Race: "PHILADELPHIA (AP) - March 6, 2007 - The flamboyant older brother of Philadelphia Mayor John Street says he's giving up on running for mayor himself. Milton Street says he will run for an at-large City Council seat instead."
Milton Street, who is black, says he hopes two of the three major black candidates for mayor will abandon their bids so as not to divide the black vote.
The major black candidates in the May 15th Democratic primary are Congressman Chaka Fattah, state Represenative Dwight Evans and former City Councilman Michael Nutter. All three are running against two major white candidates: Congressman Bob Brady and businessman Tom Knox.
The winner of the Democratic primary is heavily favored to win November's general election.
Mayor John Street can't run because of term limits.
Labels: PA News, PA Politics, Philly Politics
Monday, February 26, 2007
Timing may be right for state to institute tax on snuff, cigars
Timing may be right for state to institute tax on snuff, cigars: "Kentucky, North Carolina and the rest of Appalachia's tobacco-rich states collect an excise tax on chew, snuff and cigars. With just a few exceptions, so does the rest of the country.
Not so in Pennsylvania, where an eclectic but effective mix of politicians, lobbyists and tobacco farmers has been able to block it for two decades.
Gov. Ed Rendell says he wants to change that. He's proposing an excise tax -- on top of the existing sales tax -- at a rate of 36 cents per ounce of smokeless tobacco and roughly 3.6 cents per cigar. It's part of his 'Prescription for Pennsylvania' plan to raise $151 million to improve health care.
It would seem that the Democratic governor's timing is right. Former legislative powerhouses like Rep. Mike Veon, D-Beaver Falls, known for his after-hours cigar sessions, and Sens. Chip Brightbill of Lebanon County and Noah Wenger of Lancaster County, who helped to scotch plans to collect a tobacco excise tax in the past, no longer roam the Capitol halls as lawmakers."
Not so in Pennsylvania, where an eclectic but effective mix of politicians, lobbyists and tobacco farmers has been able to block it for two decades.
Gov. Ed Rendell says he wants to change that. He's proposing an excise tax -- on top of the existing sales tax -- at a rate of 36 cents per ounce of smokeless tobacco and roughly 3.6 cents per cigar. It's part of his 'Prescription for Pennsylvania' plan to raise $151 million to improve health care.
It would seem that the Democratic governor's timing is right. Former legislative powerhouses like Rep. Mike Veon, D-Beaver Falls, known for his after-hours cigar sessions, and Sens. Chip Brightbill of Lebanon County and Noah Wenger of Lancaster County, who helped to scotch plans to collect a tobacco excise tax in the past, no longer roam the Capitol halls as lawmakers."
Labels: cigars, PA Politics
