For all those people who buy their cigars in PA.

BREAKING NEWS

Just a short while ago, Pennsylvania senators voted against Governor Ed Rendell's 2010-11 budget proposal to levy a whopping 30% tax on cigars (Other Tobacco Products) in an effort to plug the Commonwealth's budget shortfall.

This was Governor Ed Rendell's second attempt at proposing a first-ever tax on premium handmade cigars for the Keystone State.
Pennsylvania is one of only two states that does not tax cigars, with Florida being the other.


THANK YOU

CRA would like to thank in large part Pennsylvania's senators and leadership and all the CRA members who took time to contact Governor Rendell and other members of the Commonwealth's leadership to express your opposition to levying any tax on cigars.

This important victory comes within less than 24 hours after our victory in Springfield, Missouri where a proposed smoking ban was defeated due to the overwhelming response of local business owners and CRA members!

Keystone? You mean theres a whole Keystone state?



 

A vote for freedom and capitalism  

At least there is one state (PA) where the elected officials sometimes listen to the voters!

Unfortunately, here in NY the increase in taxes on Other Tobacco Products (cigars) increases tomorrow from its current 46% rate to a whopping 75% rate!  Today is the last chance we have in NY to go to our local B&M and and only pay an "expensive" price.  Tomorrow the price will be "unbelievably expensive".  Gonna put a lot of these shops out of business, and then NO tax is collected.  Good work NY Legislature!

Heavily tax alchohol, cigarettes, cigars. Then when enough people stop buying those things and the tax base is gone, then the politicians will find some other way to squeeze us even more. What a country.

Way to go PA senators!

Good to hear PA is doing something right!  Too bad about NY.  I've visited a couple of times and that's enough for me.

Cigar smokers are a small segment of the tobacco smoking population.  Smokers of premium, hand rolled cigars make up an even smaller number of the cigar smoking population with machine rolled cigars cigars leading the way.

I would think that CRA showed these statistics to those who needed to know in Pennsylvania.  I don't think that it would really generate that much tax revenue.

Victory for us!  Thank you CRA.

QuoteHerb - 7/1/2010  9:32 AM

Cigar smokers are a small segment of the tobacco smoking population.  Smokers of premium, hand rolled cigars make up an even smaller number of the cigar smoking population with machine rolled cigars cigars leading the way.

I would think that CRA showed these statistics to those who needed to know in Pennsylvania.  I don't think that it would really generate that much tax revenue.

Victory for us!  Thank you CRA.

I don't think that was the case.  Holt's, Famous Smoke and Cigar International are PA business.  Also Slippery Rock and Cigar America.  I probably left out a few as well.  The issue here is PA jobs, one of the reasons these big cigar business run out of PA is that Pa doesn't tax large cigars.  CI is expanding and creating another 125 jobs.  A cigar tax would raise prices for everyone, including all of you out of state people who benefit from the lack of cigar tax in PA so you can get your daily deals on the cheap.  I for one am grateful because it helps my local B&M compete.

Quotelowpro75 - 7/1/2010  6:42 AM

Thanks for the insight.  Since New York just increased their tax, does that affect out of state, on line purchases?  I just found Best Cigar Prices but I see that they're in New York.

QuoteHerb - 7/1/2010  9:32 AM

Cigar smokers are a small segment of the tobacco smoking population.  Smokers of premium, hand rolled cigars make up an even smaller number of the cigar smoking population with machine rolled cigars cigars leading the way.

I would think that CRA showed these statistics to those who needed to know in Pennsylvania.  I don't think that it would really generate that much tax revenue.

Victory for us!  Thank you CRA.

I don't think that was the case.  Holt's, Famous Smoke and Cigar International are PA business.  Also Slippery Rock and Cigar America.  I probably left out a few as well.  The issue here is PA jobs, one of the reasons these big cigar business run out of PA is that Pa doesn't tax large cigars.  CI is expanding and creating another 125 jobs.  A cigar tax would raise prices for everyone, including all of you out of state people who benefit from the lack of cigar tax in PA so you can get your daily deals on the cheap.  I for one am grateful because it helps my local B&M compete.

QuoteHerb - 7/1/2010  9:51 AM

Quotelowpro75 - 7/1/2010  6:42 AM

Thanks for the insight.  Since New York just increased their tax, does that affect out of state, on line purchases?  I just found Best Cigar Prices but I see that they're in New York.

QuoteHerb - 7/1/2010  9:32 AM

Cigar smokers are a small segment of the tobacco smoking population.  Smokers of premium, hand rolled cigars make up an even smaller number of the cigar smoking population with machine rolled cigars cigars leading the way.

I would think that CRA showed these statistics to those who needed to know in Pennsylvania.  I don't think that it would really generate that much tax revenue.

Victory for us!  Thank you CRA.

I don't think that was the case.  Holt's, Famous Smoke and Cigar International are PA business.  Also Slippery Rock and Cigar America.  I probably left out a few as well.  The issue here is PA jobs, one of the reasons these big cigar business run out of PA is that Pa doesn't tax large cigars.  CI is expanding and creating another 125 jobs.  A cigar tax would raise prices for everyone, including all of you out of state people who benefit from the lack of cigar tax in PA so you can get your daily deals on the cheap.  I for one am grateful because it helps my local B&M compete.

I'm pretty sure that unless Best Cigar Prices eats the tax, they are going to have to raise prices.  Here is an article on the NY tax, it doesn't mention Best Cigar Prices though.  http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/webapp/content/view/1783/27/

QuoteBob Cordell - 6/30/2010  12:50 PM

Keystone? You mean theres a whole Keystone state?



 

It's like that commercial where the house is made of Bud Light? Only with this, the state is made of Keystone.

QuoteNES Tek - 7/1/2010  11:02 AM

QuoteBob Cordell - 6/30/2010  12:50 PM

Keystone? You mean theres a whole Keystone state?



 

It's like that commercial where the house is made of Bud Light? Only with this, the state is made of Keystone.

And with the low cigar taxes, now they can afford to line it with your favorite Rocky Patel  

Woot!
 

Great news, thank God that jerk-off Rendell will be gone after this year

Great to hear!