Talks today between the MCA and CBSA have been canceled for today. Not sure if that’s productive or not, but it does seem that the government simply has no interest in discussing issues in good faith, and that they probably won’t until the tent location next to the old CBSA station on the island is cleared.
That puts the MCA in a tricky position. In the meanwhile the government is still determined to seize vehicles of Akwesasne residents crossing into Cornwall that haven’t followed the check in policy.
– -As wacky as this may sound the impact of the war against illegal ciggies is impacting our local economy.
You had hundreds of cigarette sellers earning money from the sales of cigarettes. The money they earned, all tax free, was kept in our economy. Now the sales of legal cigarettes have more than doubled which brings in a lot of tax dollars to the government.
The customers of these sellers though are now paying as much as 6 times per smoke. Those dollars they now are spending are not being spent locally too. Add those two factors together and there’s a lot less cash on the streets of Cornwall.
It’s odd, but that’s life in this city. There are stores and businesses that really are suffering, especially in the East End.
Mix this in with a reduction of bridge traffic from the Island and you have a recipe for Financial disaster for our city.
I’m not sure what the solutions are. I am not suggesting that contraband cigarette sales are good or right. I’m just seeing and hearing how the numbers impact our community.
What do you think Cornwall?
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Of course it is impacting your economy. “Smugglers” and their employees spend all that hard earned cash, typically they spend the bulk of it locally. Moreover, they have an incentive to spend more than save, since they can’t exactly drop all that money into the banking system.
The beneficiaries of “illegal smuggling” are the individuals who keep more of their money, rather than spending it on taxation, which they later spend on other goods and services they desire. Every dollar the government steals in the form of taxation, is a dollar the individual who earned it does not spend based on on his own preferences.
I will say that contraband cigarettes are neither good nor evil; merely a response to the taxation imposed by the government. The people calling themselves “government” are evil for demanding wealth from people, and using the threat of force and imprisonment in the collection of that wealth.
As I said before, Akwesasro:non will adapt by taking business elsewhere. This bridge nonsense will hurt the people of Cornwall the worst. This is unfortunate, for they are punished for a situation they did not create. Collateral damage. For all the racist rhetoric we see on some of these online forums, I believe it is the case that most people simply want peaceful relations and trade with one another.
I couldn’t agree more Rezrevolt.
Remember that those taxes go to pay for the health care system…
Aren’t cigarette taxes actually insurance against illness? Smokers pay premiums that pay for their healthcare, call it big government tax if ya want. Since taxes are pooled, aren’t nonsmokers benifiting from smokers’ premiums? Cigarette taxes should be lowered, healthcare to smokers should be increased. Purists who do not contribute tobacco taxes, alcohol taxes, gambling taxes, even gas taxes, are mooching society’s healthcare, education, and infrastructures. At least they pay some payroll tax.
It is not the same thing as insurance, for real insurance companies have to earn and keep your business, as well as compete against all the other insurance companies who are also striving to earn and keep your business, by serving you, the customer. I will call it a big government tax, because that is what it is.
Government creates and enforces a monopoly, requires individuals to pay through coercion and violence, and those who live by their own preferences are moochers. Real morality there. Oh, and committees of self serving bureaucrats tied to special interests get to decide how much goes where. This will certainly end well.
That is (one of) the problems with such socialized, monopoly schemes, it creates an economic war of all against all. Your smoking increases my healthcare costs, my love of skiing pushes up your healthcare costs, now we must tax everyone more, or else begin banning things which can impact ones health.
Don’t forget your bike helmet citizen.