Busy week for the Tobacco Police. 11 incidents reported. RCMP report:
“The following details are seizures from September 10th to September 17th. A total of 9,450 cartons/resealable bags of contraband cigarettes, 302 kilograms of fine cut tobacco, 8 vehicles, 1 boat and 1 trailer were seized. A total of 10 people were arrested of which 7 face charges:”
“No community welcomes organized crime groups”, said Sgt. Michael Harvey of the RCMP. “However those who continue to purchase illicit tobacco products are inviting organized crime groups into their communities which has a negative impact on all citizens”.
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I love how Sgt. Michael Harvey keeps on repeating:
“No community welcomes organized crime groups, however those who continue to purchase illicit tobacco products are inviting organized crime groups into their communities which has a negative impact on all citizens”.
The only organized crime going on right now is the insane taxes being charged on the legal cigarettes by our government, which is really what is fueling the smuggling trade.
Well Clifford, not that I’m specifically disagreeing with you, but what if you were the government? You realized that cigarettes should be illegal as the cost to society in health terms is very expensive. If you prohibit them then you are basically in the same predicament as you are now because people who are addicted will still want them.
By charging excessive taxes at least they collect some monies to offset the health care costs in the hope that the numbers of smokers will eventually diminish to where it’s a manageable health issue.
Of course this is backfiring and illegal cigarettes are almost having the opposite effect in that when they were $15 per bag, or less!, they actually could lead to more people smoking more cigarettes. I just came from a room full of smokers and I have a head ache and feel nauseous. Could you imagine the impact on those smokers sitting in that room all day breathing in that nastiness?
No matter what social agenda one may have, one cannot fight the laws of economics. Taxes artificially raise the price of a product that is in demand, and thus a thriving black market is created along with all the negatives of black markets, in order to provide the desired products. This is the same of other drugs and prohibited items that people want, but are denied by the force of the state. The more the state tightens it’s grip, the greater the risk, selling price and incentive to enter these black markets.
The real criminals here are politicians and those of the citizenry who allow their fellow citizens to be robbed by the state and state funded enforcers.
Fortunately there are still heroes out there who in their own self interest take the risk in bringing lower cost goods to the people who want them.
If one does not like to be in a room full of smokers one is free to leave. If one does not wish to pay the health care costs of smoking, perhaps one should rethink a system wherein you pay for the choices of others, and make it your business to restrict those choices. It is a shame the state mandates that we should have to control the will of others.
I too have to laugh at the bureaucrats’ admonishments of the citizenry: Remember citizen, when we fail, it is your fault.
“Fortunately there are still heroes out there who in their own self interest take the risk in bringing lower cost goods to the people who want them.”
Heroes? Like the Akwesasne drug smugglers bringing pot and other illicit drugs across the border? ‘Cause if the tobacco smugglers are heroes, these guys must be too.
Our only hope here is a constitutional reform in which these “nations” support themselves. And if you want to make some sort of claim on the rest of Canada, by all means. History is written by the pen and made with the sword.
Even the smugglers are not heroes. It is a situation that needs to be dealt with. But the way the government and health system is going about it, is entirely wrong.
To answer Jamie’s question above:
“but what if you were the government? You realized that cigarettes should be illegal as the cost to society in health terms is very expensive. If you prohibit them then you are basically in the same predicament as you are now because people who are addicted will still want them.”
Its the principal of the issue Jamie that gets to me. Here we have random propaganda pointed at the masses (end users), that it is their faults that this black market is going on. We have the government, along with the health figures, all posturing on the fact that smoking is so bad, its a burden on the health system, etc. We watch them implement a Health Premium (not a tax…), to help offset these costs as well. But back to the posturing part, the government and health talks so bad against it, but yet they let it go on. I know full well if they make it illegal, that it will still continue anyways. But as I said, it is the principal of the issue. If they were so against it, then make it illegal and make their point known across the province and the rest of the country, instead of perpetuating the situation in the first place and then trying to tax the hell out of everyone on them.
Honestly, it almost could be termed that our government are drug dealers, except the drug is nicotine. Its a classic case of the teapot (government), calling the kettle (end user) black. They want the money from it, so they make it available. Then they tell us how bad it is after. Its a ridiculous standpoint. And how is anyone supposed to take any body seriously, when that body allows the issue to happen?
As for your other statement:
“By charging excessive taxes at least they collect some monies to offset the health care costs in the hope that the numbers of smokers will eventually diminish to where it’s a manageable health issue.”
See, if they were collecting enough monies from this, they wouldn’t be making a stink on how bad the “Illegal” smokes are (Never mind just how bad the “Legal” ones are as well). Both are equally as bad, but take notice at how they leave out the legal ones. So they are hurting, because of this black market that they are perpetuating. If they took in a little less per pack, then they would all but eradicate the black market for smokes, and in the long run, they would take in more, though at less per pack/carton.
This would remove the reasons to spend so much on policing the matter, it would also remove one of the trade items off the blackmarket up here and in turn make it harder to do other business.
Cigarettes are a huge moneymaker, probably brings in more than selling drugs, so if the government really wants to do something about it, then they need to get more reasonable on their practices. Either make them illegal and make their standpoint known on smoking. Or keep them legal, lower the taxes, and ultimately collect more in revenues, rather than letting it all go to whomever’s private hand’s.
The heroes are those who are not using force but engaging in voluntary trade. The morality of the product is merely a matter of opinion. Moreover it is not fair to single out people of Akwesasne, as though this is the only place where drugs are traded from.
If you wish to put a stop to the black market your only hope would be to stop legislating what free individuals can and cannot put inside their own bodies. If people stop using violence in order to enforce their own preferences, perhaps then peace can reign, otherwise this cycle will continue on forever. This is good for politicians, black marketeers and law enforcement agencies all, so I think not much will change.
Put gunships in our waters and your only accomplishment will be the transfer of the “smuggling” trade to a different area. Until the gunships become too expensive and are removed, then the trade will return. Using violence to restrict trade is a losing proposition.
As for supporting ourselves, we are and Canada continues to use violence to stop our growth. By all means, cut off the funding to the Indian Act puppets, save that portion which is lease and rent money from lands many of you occupy. You must however stop attacking our tradesmen who only wish to engage in voluntary trade.
Moreover all we demand is the return of lands taken by force and fraud, so that we may have the means to be truly independent. Fortunately for us, the swords of Canada are busy in Afganistan harming people who have never done a thing to Canadians.