Rally aimed at RI gas, cigarette tax proposals

[The Straight Story]

Rally aimed at RI gas, cigarette tax proposals


Owners and employees of convenience stores in Rhode Island are protesting proposed hikes to the state's gasoline and cigarette taxes.

The owners are planning a Statehouse rally Tuesday afternoon.

A $7.2 billion spending plan scheduled for a vote on the House floor Wednesday would raise the cigarette tax by a dollar - or $3.46 - making it the highest in the country. The plan would also raise the state gas tax from 31 cents to 33 cents per gallon.

Convenience store owners are afraid the tax hikes will drive away customers and hurt small businesses and lower- and middle-income residents.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/03/31/ap6236608.html

[Chemical Bill]

1. Our governor has given huge tax cuts to rich people.

Funny how there is no rally protesting that. Maybe there is, it just doesn't make the corporate media. He's also eliminated funding for cities and towns, then said the stimulus cash should replace part of the money he cut. He's basically forcing cities to raise property taxes, then claiming that he hasn't raised any taxes himself. He's a repuke, naturally. The cigarette and gas tax hikes are the spineless democratic response. They wouldn't do anything logical like stop the tax cuts for the rich (after all, they are rich).

Bill

[slampoet]

3. Wasn't channel 10 news owned by a tobacco company for a while?

Maybe I'm thinking of one of the other stations.

[slampoet]

2. What Boloney!! There wasn't a single employee there.

I have been to a half dozen gas stations and Cumberland farms today and asked.

Not a single one of them even knew the rally was happening.


Why would anyone who only earns $9000-13000 a year bother to go to this rally for Business men?