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FSogol

(47,609 posts)

15. Rand Paul was promoting the idea last night that if NYC taxes were lower, then

Thu Dec 4, 2014, 12:36 PM

Dec 2014

Eric Garner would still be alive. Suddenly today, a bunch of dim-witted libertarians jump out of the woodwork crying about cigarette taxes.

It is really sad that I have to explain this to you, but Garner's death had zero to do with cigarette taxes. It had to do with cops using excessive force on a black man. Garner's interaction with the police came from selling cigarettes, but his death did not. His death came from shithead cops willing to use deadly methods on a black man accused of committing a very minor crime.

This has nothing to do with partisan politics. Rand Paul is not right on this issue, he is ignoring racism and poor/deadly policing to pander to some anti-tax fucks. So I'll repeat:

Fuck Rand Paul and his idiotic supporters.

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How much is the tax on one cigarette in NY city? [View all] notadmblnd Dec 2014 OP

$5.85 per pack. Agschmid Dec 2014 #1

Your right not the issue, yeoman6987 Dec 2014 #5

Because they're deadly sharp_stick Dec 2014 #12

Lots of things are deadly to SOME people. Just as cigarettes are deadly to SOME people. sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #14

That's not what the person was saying and you know it. Agschmid Dec 2014 #19

The person said that the government has the right to punish citizens with 'sin taxes' for sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #28

What else is deadly to 450K per year, 55k who choose not to do it, in the US alone? whatthehey Dec 2014 #31

I bet obesity is just as, if not more, deadly joeglow3 Dec 2014 #77

I agree. Cigarettes are deadly to SOME people. My father smoked since he was seven years young. BlueCaliDem Dec 2014 #34

Nice to be lucky sharp_stick Dec 2014 #38

Good post, thank you. I am sorry about your dad though. Not at all surprised at the reaction sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #40

If the government REALLY wanted to prevent people from smoking (or drinking, or whatever) hughee99 Dec 2014 #44

That's all the Drug War was about also, to generate billions, maybe trillions of dollars sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #49

Cigarettes are deadly to sharp_stick Dec 2014 #32

Why were the police there? What was the arrest for? sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #47

It wasn't an arrest sharp_stick Dec 2014 #52

??? I am talking about the murder of Eric Garner. Why were the police there in the first place? sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #58

Ah fuck it sharp_stick Dec 2014 #65

No one I know has died from smoking or from being around smokers. Again with the hyperbole sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #67

I hope your luck holds out sharp_stick Dec 2014 #68

And I've seen firsthand what a car can do a body after someone I loved more than sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #69

Your credibility is shot. Agschmid Dec 2014 #87

What I know is that SOME people are harmed by many things that other people, a majority actually are sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #89

They aren't that intelligent if they are making those choices. Agschmid Dec 2014 #95

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But that's all it is, one person's judgemental sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #109

I engage in all kinds of risky behavior everyday... Agschmid Dec 2014 #112

And who said there is 'NO RISK' for those who smoke? A correction was made to the claim sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #113

You win. Agschmid Dec 2014 #116

Thank you. I've read your replies and agree that the gov't isn't all snappyturtle Dec 2014 #101

they also encourage smuggling. Travis_0004 Dec 2014 #33

Sure they do sharp_stick Dec 2014 #36

So deadly 1/2 of NYC cig sales are now rum-runs. Eleanors38 Dec 2014 #104

Why were police interested in this? Who sent them out to arrest someone for, allegedly, he denied sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #11

You got all that out of my post? Agschmid Dec 2014 #17

Yes, it is racism. The racist Drug War has allowed racist cops to target, disproportionately, sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #37

So less than 30 cents per ciggie. KamaAina Dec 2014 #114

When Mr Garner bought the pack, HE paid the tax SoCalDem Dec 2014 #2

That would have been my next question notadmblnd Dec 2014 #6

The city is so dumb! yeoman6987 Dec 2014 #23

I hope they do too notadmblnd Dec 2014 #25

Over 50% of ciggerettes in NYC do not have the tax paid Travis_0004 Dec 2014 #43

Yep, even said in my post someone would be here to claim this. notadmblnd Dec 2014 #46

Link to pages that back up those assertions please. nt stevenleser Dec 2014 #75

Google it. Jesus Malverde Dec 2014 #82

So you would willfully evade paying taxes? philosslayer Dec 2014 #80

yes Travis_0004 Dec 2014 #83

^^^FTW^^^ moondust Dec 2014 #18

Do we know that for sure? aikoaiko Dec 2014 #20

Indian Reservations in NYS lost their battle regarding taxes after decades of fighting sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #53

In 2008 Jesus Malverde Dec 2014 #100

How about they tax SUGAR products? I know, the Sugar lobbies have spent millions trying to sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #103

+1...nt Jesus Malverde Dec 2014 #105

I read somewhere on here yesterday that he was buying them in Virginia where taaxes are lower. arcane1 Dec 2014 #78

aha.. I thought so.. He was SoCalDem Dec 2014 #79

Don't take my word for it, I've been unable to find the link! :) arcane1 Dec 2014 #81

Nothing surprises me.. Every time something happens, SoCalDem Dec 2014 #84

"He'd have gotten a free ride" arcane1 Dec 2014 #86

I think it's fair to say the people are being taxed to death. nt Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #3

No, pun intended. notadmblnd Dec 2014 #7

Taxes pay for services you know. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #29

Yeah. Where would we be if we didn't have taxes to pay for -- Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #56

As I'm sure you know, that's still a very tiny percentages of what taxes pay for. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #57

And the cigarette tax is a very tiny percentage of tax revenue. Yet, it seems to have killed a man. Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #62

Jesus H. Christ. The tax didn't kill anybody. The cop did. Disgusting and ridiculous post. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #63

I should be ashamed for wanting a tax reduced or abolished because Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #70

Wrong. I detest the drug war. I believe the substances should be legal and taxed. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #72

"I believe the substances should be legal and taxed." Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #76

Ha Ha Ha Ha sharp_stick Dec 2014 #66

You must be a another fan of the drug war. Nuclear Unicorn Dec 2014 #71

29 cents....? spanone Dec 2014 #4

Wow, just wow notadmblnd Dec 2014 #8

Fuck Rand Paul. FSogol Dec 2014 #9

What does Rand Paul have to do with the murder of a citizen for, allegedly, selling a few cigarettes sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #13

Rand Paul was promoting the idea last night that if NYC taxes were lower, then FSogol Dec 2014 #15

Did it ever occur to you that Rand Paul might be simply repeating what millions of people sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #22

"I sure hope you are not claiming to represent Liberals by condoning yet another WAR ON" FSogol Dec 2014 #27

If that is your goal, to end racism, then you don't give the cops yet another reason to sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #30

I gave the cops permission? Me? FSogol Dec 2014 #35

I'm glad Rand Paul is seeing the light on this, thanks to all the Liberals who opposed sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #54

How does we know if Eric Garner added the tax on yeoman6987 Dec 2014 #26

FYI: In NYC most strangers "bumming a cig" there days offer to pay for them, was 50, now often 1$. bettyellen Dec 2014 #10

My wife remembers that from 40 years ago in NYC TexasProgresive Dec 2014 #21

I remember being very surprised myself as a kid, so I thought I would mention it. There are also bettyellen Dec 2014 #59

I haven't followed the case much until recently Mosby Dec 2014 #90

Wow, I wonder if that applies here. Interesting. bettyellen Dec 2014 #91

I remember Liquor stores in CA selling them in the not to distant past. Live and Learn Dec 2014 #98

1 human life apparently Glassunion Dec 2014 #16

It's difficult not to lapse into a sense of hopelessness notadmblnd Dec 2014 #24

We're blaming taxes instead of cops? JaneyVee Dec 2014 #39

People like Rand Paul seem to be notadmblnd Dec 2014 #41

The party of "personal responsibility". JaneyVee Dec 2014 #45

it's not about the fucking cigarette notadmblnd Dec 2014 #50

what if he was selling bottled water ? olddots Dec 2014 #42

I agree gollygee Dec 2014 #48

He had over 30 arrests Travis_0004 Dec 2014 #55

He might very well have been doing something illegal gollygee Dec 2014 #61

The cigarettes are just the excuse Man from Pickens Dec 2014 #102

If he was white, he could strip down to his whitey tighteys, play guitar and become rich for adirondacker Dec 2014 #64

Think you'd actually have to be rich and not black for that to occur. nt Live and Learn Dec 2014 #97

For petty little chit that shouldn't even be illegal let alone more than an infraction. Live and Learn Dec 2014 #96

More than the value of Mr. Garner's life NoJusticeNoPeace Dec 2014 #51

who cares,....what NYC sets its tax rate. shallwechat Dec 2014 #60

A % of the sale price........nt CK_John Dec 2014 #73

You're right. Excessive taxation has created a black market LittleBlue Dec 2014 #74

What always cracks me up is that they put sin taxes on something SoCalDem Dec 2014 #85

how much is wholesale price of cigs (without tax)? quadrature Dec 2014 #88

in az a carton of malboros is $60.25 at costco. Mosby Dec 2014 #92

that is the retail price. a pack costs 25 cents to make... quadrature Dec 2014 #93

no that's a wholesale price. Mosby Dec 2014 #94

I think it was partially about the cigarettes. nilesobek Dec 2014 #99

This is a War On Drugs death, no different from... Eleanors38 Dec 2014 #106

WHO CARES? That's not the issue here, even though RWers are trying to make it so. Avalux Dec 2014 #107

SMH, along with a heavy sigh notadmblnd Dec 2014 #108

I never called you a troll, I wasn't thinking that at all. Avalux Dec 2014 #110

Thank you for that reply notadmblnd Dec 2014 #111

Many NYC bodegas (neighborhood markets) sell "loosies" KamaAina Dec 2014 #115