Being a smoker, this story sort of caught my attention!
A pack of smokes here in Texas is costly enough, but the poor folks in Russia are going to be breaking into the piggy banks for sure when this goes into effect!
Makes me want to reach for a smoke just reading this story from the Houston Chronicle.
Russia official calls for 700 percent hike in cigarette tax
Bloomberg NewsApril 28, 2011, 8:48AM
Russian Health Minister Tatyana Golikova called on the government to approve a sevenfold increase in tobacco excise taxes to cut the number of smokers by 20 percent.
Taxes will be raised over a “long term” to help reach an “optimal level” of 55 rubles per cigarette pack, Golikova said in an interview in Moscow today.
Looks like one more reason to be thankful that we live in the good ol' U.S.A., don't ya think?
Coffee on the patio this morning! I'm doing like the governor said and praying for rain!
16 comments:
It seems to me that they should either make smoking illegal or leave the poor smokers alone. This trying to have it both ways is just too hypocritical!
Hey Gorges...
I seem to remember the government trying something like that with booze at one time! We all know how that worked out, right?
Besides, too much money is made from the "Sin Taxes" and the PTB don't want to give that up!
Hey, I appreciate you coming by today!
Well, ya gotta admit, it worked out pretty well for Joe Kennedy!
They did that in New Zealand, priced cigarettes outside the reach of normal folk. Mnay had to give it up for financial reasons. One of the reasons I live in Brazil, here they cost about $2/pack of 20, in NZ it's like $5+
AV
New Hampshire does a brisk business in cigarettes to neighboring high tax states. Same goes for booze for that matter. Heck, no sales tax, NH is a big shopping state for everything.
Hey AV...
Just like coffee, sugar, medicine and everything else...I guess it would be long before until the only folks able to afford anything are the rich ones!
Guess the next thing to do is raise the taxes on food even more!
I really appreciate you coming by today, buddy!
Hey Sixbears...
Sounds like a good place to me! Besides, the scenery is nice!
Only thing is, I don't do well in the cold weather!
Thanks, my friend, for coming by today!
Sure glad I quit 4 yrs ago it was to expensive then. I have a friend who smokes like crazy and he smokes those really nasty cheap cigs that I told him are from the sweepings off the floor for the second time around. They smell really bad.
I sure hope you all get some rain soon. It was about 32 degrees here last night and made sure I left the water dripping in case it got down to the 28 they said it would be. But my electric heater keep me toasty.
Hey JoJo...
Sounds like maybe your friend and I smoke the same brand!
Glad you quit when you did, sweetie! It's getting out of hand for those of us that still smoke!
You stay warm...and I appreciate you coming by today!
Let me pose a question. Why does nicotine go so well with caffeine? I don't know the answer, but I do know coffee screams for a cigarette. Have you noticed that coffee's going up, too? First, they steal our SSI money, then they tax everything that they possibly can. Oh yeah, let's not forget that they try to legislate morality. When will they ever learn? When will we stop electing morons and greedy dunces? Never, I guess. Stop on by will have a cup and a smoke.
Michael
Hey Michael...
Boy, how right you are about coffee and smokes going together! Seems like I almost have to have one with the other!
At my age, I should be able to afford the few vices I have, ya know?
Good question about who we elect. No answer to that mystery, I'm afraid!
I really appreciate you coming by today!
In american money how much is a ruble?
I don't smoke so have not paid attention to the prices. Ouch.
But at least they can probably buy them on Sunday. Trying buying a bottle of wine for dinner in IND on Sunday. Not allowed. (and you can't buy a car either, I guess they're worried about someone getting snootful and going out for a testdrive and taking out a stop sign.)
Hey Bob...
A USD is equal to 2.37 rubles.
That means that they are raising cigs to about $2.00 a pack in American money!
Considering what they make on the average in Russia, that's a LOT!
Guess vodka is next!
Thanks for coming by today!
Makes Will an Kate trivia doesn't it now think about bottle water!
Hey Bridget...
Good for you for not smoking! I really should quit myself!
Of course, I've been saying that for years!
Here in Texas, we used to have those types of laws limiting what you could buy on Sunday. They were called "blue laws" and the voters got rid of them after a short time!
Interesting about the car sales being banned on Sunday!
Hey, thanks for coming by today!
Russia's also where they've been assassinating reporters by the hundreds every year for the last several years. There's no way that law will be enforced. They'll just go blackmarket.
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