Albany is an interesting place. It is a place where business is confusing, slow and considerably corrupt. Spitzer said he'd clean it up last year, but he ended up making a big mess with hardly anyone liking him that much anymore. Business continues as usual, the machine keeps humming along. So when Eliot wants to raise the cigarette tax from $1.50 a pack to somewhere in the $2.50 to $3.00 range.
Well the good folks that sell cancer in a box at Philip Morris, oh, excuse me, Altria, the reputable folks at Altria see these possible tax raises they also know a decline in sales to teenagers as well as small declines across the board. So naturally, the lobby money comes out. In the past few weeks it has been to the tune of $100,000 dollars for both parties to share. Of course, lawmakers say they aren't influenced by such things.
From The Times Union:
Much of the money went to the Republican and Democratic Senate campaign committees' housekeeping, or soft money, accounts, including $35,000 to the GOP, which holds the majority, and $30,000 to the Democrats.The contributions come as the Spitzer administration is considering raising the state's $1.50-per-pack excise tax on cigarettes. Budget experts have noted New Jersey charges $2.57, and groups like the American Cancer Society want a $3 charge.
Additionally, several counties, including Albany, Rockland, Tompkins and Onondaga, have over the past few years discussed raising from 18 to 19 the minimum age at which tobacco can be purchased. Suffolk County already has such a law, said American Cancer Society of New York spokeswoman Jennifer Cucurullo.
Altria gave $10,000 to the Onondaga County Republicans as lawmakers there are revisiting a so-called Tobacco 19 bill that passed in 2006 but was vetoed by then-County Executive Nicholas Pirro. The company also gave $9,500 to the Erie County Democrats.
So if none of this money influences lawmakers, the obvious question is, why give it in the first place? No one seriously believes the cigarette companies care about the communities and that the donations are for civic purposes as the spokeswoman for Altria suggests. I've seen "Thank You For Smoking" and re-learned all that I have known about those scumbags. The true test is when the new numbers for the tax come out, we'll see how much influence that money has over our elected officials in Albany.
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