Ruling leaves proposed tobacco tax hike with uncertain future

[nicnik]

Judge dislikes ANTZ' tax lies:

Ruling leaves proposed tobacco tax hike with uncertain future

The ballot language Green ruled against estimates the tax and surcharge will raise $263 million to $374 million annually and that the fiscal impact on local governments is unknown. Green ruled that because the summary does not take into account that demand for cigarettes fall as prices rise and because other estimates of the local impact put it at up to $10.4 million, it failed to meet the legal standards.

“The failure to utilize even the most rudimentary concepts of price and demand render the inclusion of the unreasonably high” Department of Revenue “number deceptive and unfair,” Green wrote.

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

"The money would be used for early childhood education and health programs, with a small portion set aside for smoking cessation."

Furthermore, this article is yet another example of how governments will never be able to ween themselves off BT's tax teat. It's unsurprising how the master settlement started with promises of major tobacco prevention and is now simply another revenue stream to do with as they please.