Conservatives Strongly Oppose Budget Proposal to Increase Cigarette Tax
Bootleggers Supply Terrorist Cigarette Profits
Ft. Hamilton Station, NY
– Recent reports (AP Story by Michael Gormley - March 29) indicate
that the elected leaders of New York State, Governor David A. Paterson and
the Legislative Leaders, are considering adding an additional $1.50 per
pack increase to the current $1.50 state tax on cigarettes.
If this is true, and we have no reason to believe it is not, our elected
officials have redefined ignominy; in their haste to agree to a bad
budget, they are literally handing money to terrorist.
We have seen many things in New York State since our beginnings in 1962
but this one - to increase the tax on a pack of cigarettes to $3.00 (even
more in the confines of New York City) is by far the most egregious act
ever by three men in a room and those who will meekly vote for it.
In November 2007, State Senator Jeffrey Klein joined with Congressman
Anthony Weiner, and called for congressional investigations and putting
"additional" teeth in existing federal laws based on documentation
in several cases that uncovered the funding of Hamas, Hezbollah and
other terrorist groups.
New York State Legislators answer to this: double the tax on cigarettes
while refusing to collect from Indian Reservations.
In 2006, Canadian Karim H. Nassar pleads guilty to smuggling $500,000 of
cigarettes from the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation. He admits that profits
were sent to Hezbollah guerillas.
New York State Legislators answer to this: double the tax on cigarettes
while refusing to collect from Indian Reservations.
There are numerous other cases, all cited in a letter sent to every
elected Assemblyman and Senator in January of this year.
New York State Legislators answer to this: double the tax on cigarettes
while refusing to collect from Indian Reservations.
What will our esteemed legislators say when our citizens are attacked by
terrorists? How will they explain that they were too timid to collect the
cigarette tax from Indian reservations while doubling the tax on those who
purchase cigarettes in their neighborhood? How will they explain that in
their haste to pass a bad budget they drove good people to the bootleggers
who supply money to Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups?
-30-
