Smoke 'em if you got 'em. The cheap ones, that is.
READ:
Starting Sunday, June 24, the price of a pack of cigarettes increases as the state tax more than doubles on them, thanks to a measure recently signed by Gov. Pat Quinn. The tax increase, which goes from the long-standing 98 cents a pack to $1.98, will create an estimated $350 million in revenue and hopefully force some state residents to quit the habit, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Read the full Chicago Tribune for more details about the cigarette tax increase.
But this could force state residents to buy their smokes from neighboring states and drop overall cigarette sales by about 20 percent, the Tribune report stated.
VOTE:
Because of the lower tobacco tax rate in Will County, outlets that sell cigarettes in Frankfort could see more Cook County customers crossing the borders to save money. In fact, .
YOUR TURN! Are you a smoker? What do you think of the tax increase? Will you cut back on your cigarettes? Or will you find cheaper places out of state to buy them? Take our polls and share your thoughts in our comments section.
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So, say your company gives you a 5% anual raise, The "Rule of 72" says that you take the interest rate (assuming that it's compounded annualy) and divide 72 by it. So, it will take nearly 15 years to double your paycheck. Illinois just doubled : Tolls, income tax, cig tax, Metra, etc. So, we are led to believe that the same folks in Springfield, who were crazy bad with pension money missing + $50 Billion, will handle all this new loot coming in properly? Same crooks, same result. Booze? Soft Drinks? Fatty Food? Who will be the next tax-target. Some states receive more in federal spending than they pay in federal taxes. Illinois is one of the largest recipients of over 150% from 1990-2009. http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/08/americas-fiscal-union Just where is all this money going? If it's not in the pensions, it's not in the schools, it's not in the toll roads- who is stealing the big dollars?
Will County posts CHECK BOOK ONLINE ..> BRAVO !! A HUGE step to "where the money is going". ! Don't tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I'll tell you what they are." BAVO and KUDOS to the Will County Officials, Jim Moustis, Cory Singer, Margo McDermed, Dave Izzo, and more! You set a standard for Transparency , even accountability that is CRUCIAL to managing TAX dollars in a responsible fashion. I have been and will continue to push our Dist 159 School board to weigh in on this fine example. Why should the School district be any different? Same money ... TAX DOLLARS! Of course there are some that would put $400,000 in deficit spending for computer category for District while we are poised to erase deficit, WITHOUT TAX increase. They say "Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Some of our school board and administrators have GREAT imaginations! Patrick Markham
Before the addition was put on the building at the Mokena library a few years ago, there was usually 2 employees on duty plus 2 high school kids putting away books in the evening. Now whenever time of day you go to the Mokena library there is a minimum of TEN employees in the building. Surprise, we owe another 54 Billion! http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-08/news/ct-edit-health-20120408_1_retiree-health-pension-reforms-pension-underfunding
"There is a significant Latin proverb; to wit: Who will guard the guards?" Every single person that increases, practices, joins in on vigilance and comment , improves the foundation of accountability! Patrick Markham