57% Of Cigarettes Sold In NY Are Smuggled In , 52% In Arizona , 48% In New Mexico & Washington

Cigarette Taxes And Cigarette Smuggling By State

 

 

 

” Public policies often have unintended consequences that outweigh their benefits. One consequence of high state cigarette tax rates has been increased smuggling as criminals procure discounted packs from low-tax states to sell in high-tax states. Growing cigarette tax differentials have made cigarette smuggling both a national problem and a lucrative criminal enterprise.

  Each year, scholars at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Michigan think tank, use a statistical analysis of available data to estimate smuggling rates for each state.[1] Their most recent report uses 2012 data and finds that smuggling rates generally rise in states after they adopt large cigarette tax increases. Smuggling rates have dropped in some states, however, often where neighboring states have higher cigarette tax rates. Table 1 shows the data for each state, comparing 2012 and 2006 smuggling rates and tax changes.”

 

 

 

” New York is the highest net importer of smuggled cigarettes, totaling 56.9 percent of the total cigarette market in the state. New York also has the highest state cigarette tax ($4.35 per pack), not counting the local New York City cigarette tax (an additional $1.50 per pack). Smuggling in New York has risen sharply since 2006 (+59 percent), as has the tax rate (+190 percent).”

 

Read the rest from the Tax Foundation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Surprise , Surprise … Yet Another Obamacare “Miscalculation”

Medicaid Expansion Brings Latest Unpleasant Surprise From Obamacare

 

 

 

 

 

” Now we have the latest in the long and growing list of unpleasant “surprises” about the Affordable Care Act.

  It turns out that expansion of Medicaid coverage for low-income Americans increases rather than decreases visits to hospital emergency rooms.

  According to just-released results of a new study published in the journal Science based on 10,000 low-income residents in Oregon newly covered by Medicaid, emergency room visits were 40 percent higher than those with no insurance at all.

  It was supposed to be the opposite. Supposedly, a big driver of our high expenditures in health care has been due to those without insurance going to emergency rooms.

  So get more of these folks covered with government health insurance, they stop going to the emergency room, and we all save money. Right? Wrong.”

 

Continue reading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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John Hospers Compares John Ross’s Unintended Consequences And Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged

Unintended Consequences And Atlas Shrugged

 

 

 

Published on May 2, 2012

” John Hospers was professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Southern California. He was also the first Libertarian Party Presidential candidate in 1972.

  In this lecture from an International Society of Individual Liberty conference in 1996, Hospers compares John Ross’s novel Unintended Consequences with Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Hospers was a personal friend of Rand during her lifetime. He passed away in 2011.

  Download the .mp3 of this lecture here: http://bit.ly/KvAzAh “

 

 

 

    “Unintended Consequences” is a book that is as powerful in it’s own right as is Atlas Shrugged and is much over-looked or perhaps more accurately , derided as cheap fiction . Such couldn’t be further from the truth and it is very refreshing to witness someone of Professor Hospers intellect and reputation giving the book it’s due . If you are not familiar with “Unintended Consequences” you should find a copy today . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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ObamaCare 2016: The Website Problems Were Finally Solved. But The Doctor Shortage Is A Nightmare

 Happy Yet?

 

 

 

” Three years after the disastrous launch of the Affordable Care Act, most of the website troubles finally have been ironed out. People are now able to log on to the government’s ACA website and to most of the state health-insurance exchanges. The public has grudgingly come to accept higher insurance premiums, new taxes and increases in part-time workers who were formerly full-time. But Americans are irate anyway—because now they’re seeing the health-care law’s destructive effect on the fundamental nature of the way their care is delivered.

Even before the ACA’s launch in 2013, many physicians—seeing the changes in their profession that lay ahead—had begun talking their children out of going to medical school. After the launch, compensation fell, while nothing in the ACA stopped lawsuits and malpractice premiums from rising. Doctors must now see many more patients each day to meet expenses, all while dealing with the mountains of paperwork mandated by the health-care law.

The forecast shortage of doctors has become a real problem. It started in 2014 when the ACA cut $716 billion from Medicare to accommodate 30 million newly “insured” people through an expansion of Medicaid. More important, the predicted shortage of 42,000 primary-care physicians and that of specialists (such as heart surgeons) was vastly underestimated. It didn’t take into account the ACA’s effect on doctors retiring early, refusing new patients or going into concierge medicine. These estimates also ignored the millions of immigrants who would be seeking a physician after having been granted legal status.”

 

 

 

Illustration by Dave Granlund

 

 

 

 

 

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Democrats May Lose By Winning

Winning The Battle Only To Lose The War , Or Be Careful What You Wish For

 

 

 

 

” In the 1920s, Republicans controlled all branches of the government and passed significant laws dramatically reducing immigration. However, that policy success had an unanticipated side effect. Millions of immigrants at the time were routinely going back and forth between the U.S. and their homeland. The new laws eliminated that option, and so they had to make a choice, and many opted for U.S. citizenship. In the 1930s, they became a key part of the New Deal coalition that gave political control to the Democrats for a generation. That certainly was not what the Republicans had in mind.

Today, the chattering class in D.C. is virtually unanimous in declaring that the Democrats have won the political battle over the so-called government shutdown. But it’s hard to see the overheated rhetoric of the past few weeks having a major impact on the midterm elections. Substantive issues like the economy and the president’s health-care law are far more likely to determine the outcome.

That could be a problem for Harry Reid’s team. The Democrats won the current news cycle by lashing themselves ever more tightly to the president’s health-care law.

The “morphine drip” view that the public will get hooked and vote against their own interests is wrong. In fact, implementation of the law may turn out to be the best thing politically for its opponents.”

 

 

Illustration by Eric Allie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Statism Comes To Your Car … Electronic License Plates

Switch to Electronic License Plates Could Improve SC Highway Safety

 

 

 

 

” South Carolina is considering a proposal, still in its early stages, to switch from metal license plates to new electronic license plates, or e-tags, as a way to improve highway safety.

“It’s the first of its kind,” says David Findlay, co-founder of Compliance Innovations, the South Carolina company that created the e-tags.  “It’s not an LCD or an LED. What it’s made of is electronic paper. It’s a new technology that allows you to hold the image with no power whatsoever for over 10 years. The only time it needs power is when you’re changing the status or the image on the plate.”

That power comes from the vibrations of your car, and from a transparent film over the tag that collects solar power.

The reason e-tags should improve highway safety is because the tags would be electronically linked to the DMV, so if a driver’s license has been suspended or his insurance has lapsed, the DMV would send a signal to the license plate. The word “SUSPENDED” or “UNINSURED” would appear on the license plate.

If your car is stolen, the DMV could make the tag read “STOLEN”. The state could also use the tags during Amber Alerts or other emergencies.”

 

 

 

Related articles

• Shameplates: E-tags on license plates let DMV show your ‘suspended’ or ‘uninsured’ status (rt.com)
• S.C. consider electronic license plate (wwlp.com)
• Shameplates: E-tags on license plates let DMV show your ‘suspended’ or ‘uninsured’ status (fromthetrenchesworldreport.com)
• South Carolina Studying Computer Networked Electronic License Plates (thetruthaboutcars.com

 

 

 

 

 

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“What 4th Amendment?” SCOTUS Approves DNA Data Collection From SUSPECTS … Not Just Convicts

 

SCOTUS says “What 4th Amendment?”

 

Published on Jun 5, 2013

” In a recent ruling, the US Supreme Court ignored the 4th amendment and paved the way for states to collect DNA from people who have not been convicted of a crime.”

(LINK TO SCOTUS OPINION) 
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/…

http://www.facebook.com/AmidstTheNoise
https://twitter.com/AmidstTheNoise
©2013 Amidst The Noise

 

 

 

HT/Paolo Rubino

 

 

 

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Demand For Ct Background Checks Skyrockets 6000%

Connecticut Sees Number Of Background Check Requests Increase By 6,000% (Not A Typo, 6,000%)

 

 

 

 

” In CT you have to get a permit just to purchase a firearm.

In December state police, who are responsible for processing the background checks for those permits, had a fairly normal backlog of around 1,000 pending background checks.

Now, just over 4 months later, and following the Newtown shooting and the passage of extremely strict new gun laws, that backlog has grown to over 60,000, an increase of around 6,000%

There are several reasons for the massive increase. One, part of the new gun control package passed by CT last month included an “effective immediately” provisions which now requires a background check for rifle and shotgun sales as well as handguns.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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60.9 Percent Of New York Cigarettes Smuggled

Cigarette Taxes And Cigarette Smuggling By State

 

 

 

 

” Public policies often have unintended consequences that outweigh their benefits. One consequence of high state cigarette tax rates has been increased smuggling, as criminals procure discounted packs from low-tax states to sell in high-tax states. Growing cigarette tax differentials have made cigarette bootlegging both a national problem and a lucrative criminal enterprise.

Every two years, scholars at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Michigan think tank, use a statistical analysis of available data to estimate smuggling rates for each state.[1] Their most recent report uses 2011 data and finds that smuggling rates generally rise in states after they adopt large cigarette tax increases. Smuggling rates have dropped in some states, however, often where neighboring states have higher cigarette tax rates. Table 1 shows the data for each state, comparing 2011 and 2006 smuggling rates and tax changes.

New York is the highest net importer of smuggled cigarettes, totaling 60.9 percent of the total cigarette market in the state. New York also has the highest state cigarette tax ($4.35 per pack), not counting the local New York City cigarette tax (an additional $1.50 per pack). Smuggling in New York has risen sharply since 2006 (+70 percent), as has the tax rate (+190 percent).”

 

 

 

 

 

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A “Homeless Bill Of Rights” … In California , Where Else ?

CA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE ‘HOMELESS BILL OF RIGHTS’

 

 

 

 

” State lawmakers want to make it legal to loiter, panhandle and sleep on the streets of California. One Citrus Heights City Council member calls the legislation offensive. In recent years, the city has banned panhandling at intersections and ATMS in response to police reports of mounting aggressiveness. It’s no surprise that the City Council would oppose a proposed statewide homeless bill of rights “It’s important to us, because I think there are a lot of unintended consequences to this bill,” said Councilwoman Jeanie Bruins.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Related articles

• ‘Homeless Bill of Rights’ measure introduced (abclocal.go.com)
• Illegals Want to Create a Country Called Aztlan -Give ’em California (grumpyelder.com)
• California homeless rights bill narrowed but still opposed (sacbee.com)
• Citrus Heights Poised To Oppose Homeless Bill Of Rights (sacramento.cbslocal.com)
• “Homeless Bill Of Rights” Advances In California (kmvt.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Union Demands Obamacare Repeal

Roofers Union Calls For Obamacare’s Repeal

 

 

” The United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers is reportedly the first union to officially call for repeal of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. The health care law is prompting some serious buyer’s remorse in Big Labor, which worked hard on behalf of the administration to pass it:

The union’s statement can be found here. The full text is below:

United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers International President Kinsey M. Robinson issued the following statement today calling for a repeal or complete reform of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA):

“Our Union and its members have supported President Obama and his Administration for both of his terms in office.

But regrettably, our concerns over certain provisions in the ACA have not been addressed, or in some instances, totally ignored. In the rush to achieve its passage, many of the Act’s provisions were not fully conceived, resulting in unintended consequences that are inconsistent with the promise that those who were satisfied with their employer sponsored coverage could keep it. “

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Obamacare Costs Rear Their Ugly Head … Everywhere

ObamaCare is About to Make Five Guys’ Burgers Cost More

 

 

 

” Liberals’ response to this will be: Well, Five Guys are just doing it wrong. That’s always their response. The government is always benevolent and doing it right (even when it imposes laws that the majority did not want); the private sector is doing it wrong. Just because, so there. That’s what arguing with liberals over ObamaCare amounts to.

The fight over Obamacare, so far held at the 30,000-foot level, is about to hit home. The latest impact hot off the grill: prices of burgers and hot dogs at Five Guys, the national chain that started in Washington, are going to rise to cover the president’s mandated insurance coverage.”

Related articles

• Ted Cruz: Why We Should Defund ObamaCare Now (conservativebyte.com)
• Marco Rubio On Board With Paul Ryan’s Aim to Defund ObamaCare (foxnewsinsider.com)
• Five Guys Burgers: Obamacare Will Boost Burger Prices (patdollard.com)
• AP: Applying for ObamaCare benefits could be as daunting as doing your taxes (hotair.com)
• Rep. Paul Ryan: House budget will assume the repeal of ‘ObamaCare’ (givemeliberty01.com)

 

 

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Government Business As Usual

14 Big Government Programs That Failed to Achieve Their Goals

 

 

 

 

” Prohibition was instituted with ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution on January 16, 1919, which prohibited the “…manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States…”

Congress passed the “Volstead Act” on October 28, 1919, to enforce the law, but most large cities simply ignored the law and bootlegged alcohol to meet demand, creating a huge black market rife with crime and corruption. Prohibition was repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933, essentially acknowledging the exercise had been pointless and counter-productive.”

Welcome To National Healthcare

More ObamaCare Unintended Consequences

” It’s a bad day to be one of the (dwindling number of) women of childbearing age in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

A southwestern Pennsylvania hospital will stop delivering babies after March 31 because its obstetricians are either leaving or refocusing their practices, and because hospital officials believe they can’t afford it based on projected reimbursements under looming federal health care reforms.
. . .  ”

 

 

Related articles

• An Obama Nation: Southwestern Pennsylvania Hospital To Stop Delivering Babies Because Of Obamacare (midnightwatcher.wordpress.com)
• Hospital to Stop Baby Deliveries Due to Obamacare (radio.foxnews.com)
• Southwestern Pa. hospital to stop baby deliveries (mysanantonio.com)
• ObamaCare Nightmare: Hospital will no longer deliver babies (thebrennerbrief.com)
• 13. Hospital to stop delivering babies because of Obamacare (12160.info)
• Hospital To Stop Delivering Babies (Obama-Care) (sweetness-light.com)

Julia Goes to College , Or Does She ?

By way of Tumblr comes this debunking of one of the myths perpetuated by the “Julia ” fairy tale offered up by Obama & Co.

 
With my first child entering college in the fall this subject is of particular interest to me and as is to be expected , EVERYTHING the government does ends up with the unintended negative consequences more than offsetting any small measure of benefit gained by the original intent .
   This is why the founders knew and advocated for ” who governs least governs best ” . In just 3 generations our genius ruling class has managed to unlearned hundreds of years of wisdom and presume to be smarter than the men who risked all to found this nation of ours .

Here is a taste ;

“Dr. Wolfram explains that the unintended consequences of Pell Grants are hurting college students:
The federal government’s financial aid programs cause higher tuition costs, reducing the ability of some students to go to college and causing others to attend a college that is not their first choice. Basic economic theory suggests
that the increase in demand for higher education brought about by the system of grants and loans will
increase the price of higher education. “

The PC Crowd Has Taken Over The Military

DC Caller : Army base cancels Ted Nugent concert over anti-Obama remarks.

Makes one wonder where the troops’ loyalties will be when the SHTF . I want to believe that the rank and file would never fire on their fellow citizens but it’s hard to believe that the brass won’t issue the orders . it seems that the corruption of the Federal authorities is nearly complete . This calls for a book recommendation . If you haven’t read ” Unintended Consequences ” by John Ross , perhaps you should .