The law and justice are on the side of Gov. David A. Paterson’s plan to start collecting state taxes on tobacco products sold by the state’s Native American nations. That doesn’t mean the governor won’t have to be very careful in the way he follows through with that pledge. Paterson said last week that he had been warned by his own State Police that “violence and death” could be the result of any effort to go against the Seneca and On ... Jump to full article >>

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You might think that those who appear on the state’s latest list of delinquent tax payers for non-payment of a cigarette tax own a convenience store or some other retail operation. And in some cases that’s true. In Pennsylvania, the largest tax lien issued in connection with non-payment of cigarette tax is on the Putignano Candy and Cigar Co. in Vandergrift, Westmoreland County. The state list indicates the company owes a total of $46 ... Jump to full article >>

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Oneida Indian Nation C.O.O. Peter Carmen says the Oneida Indian Nation will produce and sell more of their own brands of cigarettes and not pay for name brand cigarettes that carry a state sales tax. According to Carmen, the Oneida Indian Nation moved its cigarette manufacturing facility out of Western, N.Y. and to the City of Oneida, N.Y. in the former bingo hall of Territory Road. The goal is to be up and running by mid September, Carmen said. ... Jump to full article >>

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A hefty state tobacco tax hike appears to have led to a huge drop in demand for cigarettes. But those who waged the war over the tobacco tax say it may be too early to draw conclusions about the long-term effects of the new tax. There is no way to track actual cigarette sales, but orders for the tax stamps that have to be attached to every pack sold in the state fell dramatically in July. Since July 1, when the state cigarette tax jumped from 69 ... Jump to full article >>

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Representatives from all six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy emerged from a daylong conference here Wednesday to say they are forming a united front to resist state encroachment on their treaty rights. The participants offered no specifics about the options they might employ to counter state attempts to tax cigarettes sold on reservation land and restrict their commerce in other ways—aside from the lawsuits the nations already have filed on ... Jump to full article >>

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It is not surprising that Americans for Prosperity appeared in North San Diego County to support Congressman Brian Bilbray as reported by an area newspaper on August 12. Bilbray, for those who are unaware, sponsored the Congressional Cigar Association (CCA) in February 2009. The CCA has lobbyist board members and supports the tobacco and cigar industry. CCA events allow lobbyists to have direct contact and influence with congressional staff. Ear ... Jump to full article >>

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