Follow the $$$$

[Ed Kindred]

In Texas our goverment, state & fed, collect $3.10 in taxes for every pack of cigarettes sold. In the US, there are about 30 BILLION packs of cigarettes sold annually. That is a very serious tax base !!! Philly has enacted a $1 per ml tax on e-juice. "Taxation without representation" is here. It actually has been for many years, this is just a new addition to it. We can look forward to our state, local & national governments to follow suit. I have no doubt that they will. If 1% of smokers quit smoking & start vaping, it will cost our government around 1 billion dollars a year in tax loss. Not only does this give them reasoning to tax the vaping industry but opens the door for them to INCREASE their tax base. Look out DIY juice, here we come !!!

 

[GinnyTx]

NO NEW Taxes my behind!!

and it won't be the same as ciggies, it'll be more, count on it!

 

[Absintheur]

The highest taxes on products are always levied against the smallest segment of society possible. In the US this has traditionally been alcohol, tobacco, and segments of the gun culture. Now the government is seeing another small voting base they can tax, the Vapers. The gun lobby is extremely strong and has successfully fought against some rather insane taxes because of the sheer numbers of people who take grassroots action against these tax proposals. Vapers need to take lessons and organize both locally and nationally to stand up against government and stand up for our rights. I am an NRA member and a member of CAASA. I take time time write to my elected officials and make the time to appear in person in the State House when possible.

As it has been said before, if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

 

[MamaRymes]

It is a proposed tax of 50 cents per ML per the proposing council woman's facebook page. Sadly, because these are elected officials, we do have "representation" even if it doesn't represent what we want, but truly, when has a politician ever cared about what "we the people" really want if it doesn't line up with their agenda?. The taxation wouldn't go into effect until July of 2015, but if this gets passed in Philly, you can bet other local, and state governments will jump on the gravy train. I agree with Absintheur, that we the vapists need to be better at organizing grassroots movements to have our voices heard.

ETA:the thing that infuriates me most about this proposal is that one of the councilwoman's focus areas is "small business development." :FACEPALM:

 

[twall]

It won't be so easy as cigarettes.

There are no "poster children". No old guy in a wheelchair with tubes coming out like a cyborg. No guy "singing" with a buzz box. No PSA showcasing the worst of the horrible cases caused by smoking. There aren't any as of yet for vaping.

That means people don't feel [as] guilty about vaping. If they don't feel guilty, taxes look and feel like taxes, and piss people off. With cigarettes, smokers look at their shoes, sheepishly kick a stone and say "gawsh, I guess I deserve it. I'm a filthy, horrible person and deserve taxation without representation.". The worst part of vaping is some people "don't like it".

Look at what those taxes go for. They tell smokers they are a huge burden on the healthcare system. Yet none of those billions and billions of dollars is going to offset those costs. Just hate the smoker. The taxes they paid - I paid go for everything but helping smokers. Not a dime goes to help them quit, helps them when they get sick, nothing. Just take a look at where that money actually goes. Unrelated government spending that has nothing to do with smoking.

They are going to try to do it to us as vapers, too. After all, they taxed and taxed and taxed (a lot of) us as smokers, and we barely whined a sniffle. They figure we're used to it, so we'll roll over again.

Will we? It's up to us.

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

Philly has enacted a $1 per ml tax on e-juice. "Taxation without representation" is here.

City officials just don't understand the innerwebs. Everyone will just order online out of state avoiding those extra taxes and also the state and local sales tax as well.

On the bright side, the USPS gets the shipping biz and they need it.

 

[GinnyTx]

as an online tax dodger I so agree Kodiak

Love the Dune reference Absintheur

we've joined CAASA and will be signing or doing whatever we can here on the home front (writing elected officials, that if they wish to remain so..they better not back taxing the ejuice)

 

[Penn]

It is a proposed tax of 50 cents per ML per the proposing council woman's facebook page. Sadly, because these are elected officials, we do have "representation" even if it doesn't represent what we want, but truly, when has a politician ever cared about what "we the people" really want if it doesn't line up with their agenda?. The taxation wouldn't go into effect until July of 2015, but if this gets passed in Philly, you can bet other local, and state governments will jump on the gravy train. I agree with Absintheur, that we the vapists need to be better at organizing grassroots movements to have our voices heard.

ETA:the thing that infuriates me most about this proposal is that one of the councilwoman's focus areas is "small business development." :FACEPALM:

Odd to see someone being rational on the internet.

We do have a system that includes representation. The problem is people tend to be single issue voters and refuse to look at taxation, the general economy and if the people they vote for keep their promises. The end result of an uniformed populace is one day the individual looks and notices "these things aren't right". Then they shake it off and vote for the same ...... again.

 

[Ed Kindred]

The highest taxes on products are always levied against the smallest segment of society possible. In the US this has traditionally been alcohol, tobacco, and segments of the gun culture. Now the government is seeing another small voting base they can tax, the Vapers. The gun lobby is extremely strong and has successfully fought against some rather insane taxes because of the sheer numbers of people who take grassroots action against these tax proposals. Vapers need to take lessons and organize both locally and nationally to stand up against government and stand up for our rights. I am an NRA member and a member of CAASA. I take time time write to my elected officials and make the time to appear in person in the State House when possible.

As it has been said before, if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

I have taken time to write and my Wife and I are both members of CAASA. I will continue to do my part. Keeping others informed is part of that. Thus the post on the largest forum available. We will participate in everything available here in Houston and other places when possible. We found ways around most of the tobacco taxes and, unfortunately, will likely have to do the same with e-juice in an effort to make the taxation more trouble than it is politically worth.

 

[LMS62]

Odd to see someone being rational on the internet.

We do have a system that includes representation. The problem is people tend to be single issue voters and refuse to look at taxation, the general economy and if the people they vote for keep their promises. The end result of an uniformed populace is one day the individual looks and notices "these things aren't right". Then they shake it off and vote for the same ...... again.

I couldn't agree more. In addition to single issue voters, the other problem is that many people simply vote along party lines....even if the candidate they are voting for does not really represent their interests.

 

[Absintheur]

The NRA "grades" politicians coming up for vote by they way the have voted in the past and by what proposals they have backed and makes this database public. It would be a good thing if a grassroots group could do the same with the politicians who have voted for anti-vaping laws, taxes, etc.

 

[K_Tech]

City officials just don't understand the innerwebs. Everyone will just order online out of state avoiding those extra taxes and also the state and local sales tax as well.

On the bright side, the USPS gets the shipping biz and they need it.

Until they start coming after you for back taxes like they did with folks that ordered their cigarettes on line from native American reservations. Or just block the purchases altogether.

 

[mountaingal]

Well, taxes are bad, but they are saying in effect that vaping is legal and OK!!!!!
Don't they know the FDA is going to ban it outright, so that we can only get pre-filled cartos, that are awful.
Will big Tobacco let them tax their new VUSE?
Join CASAA and fight for our right to vape!!

 

[MamaRymes]

Well, taxes are bad, but they are saying in effect that vaping is legal and OK!!!!!
Don't they know the FDA is going to ban it outright, so that we can only get pre-filled cartos, that are awful.
Will big Tobacco let them tax their new VUSE?
Join CASAA and fight for our right to vape!!

They'd have a difficult time saying otherwise considering the mayor decriminalized that other stuff this month!

I'm a CASAA member. I live 10 miles outside of Philly. I got a call to action email about NYC, but nothing about this. I wonder if they have given up on Philadelphia after their experience during the hearing on vaping bans in the city. I don't need a CTA, I have already contacted the councilwoman, and plan to write the rest of the council as well as the other committee that has to approve the tax, but it would be nice to see one.

 

[Rotowoman]

I haven't been vaping very long, but the friend who turned me on to vaping also turned me on to this forum. I've already joined CASAA, and I DO write and call my so called "representatives" and what not. We really need to remind these people that WE pay their salaries!