Published: February 04, 2009 11:57 pm      

Tobacco products targeted

Pennsylvania is the only state not taxing pipe and chewing tobacco and cigars, but that would end if Gov. Ed Rendell has his way.

The commonwealth is facing a revenue shortfall this fiscal year of $2.3 billion, and Rendell has proposed a series of new tobacco taxes to plug the dam. He also wants to increase cigarette taxes.

“Even Kentucky and North Carolina tax these products,” Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said. “And the governor believes we are leaving money on the table that can be used to help meet health-care costs.”

Rendell is not winning fans among the tobacco crowd.

“It’s wrong,” clerk Mary Heider of Wholey Smokes in Cambria City said flatly. “They ride around in their Cadillacs and they keep taxing the same people over and over and over.”

Heider noted that sales taxes are paid on tobacco products, complaining of double taxation.

Coworker April Kiser was equally vocal.

“They’re hitting the small-business owners,” she said.

“They’re the ones busting their butts to break even.”

Over at Smoke City downtown, Brandon Wise was stocking up with a few flavored cigars and didn’t appreciate the governor’s taxing ways.

“You should tell Rendell to calm down,” he said. “They’re taxing us enough.”

Wholey Smokes customer Bob Stevens of Geistown agreed, plunking down $4.99 for two tins of Copenhagen chewing tobacco.

“I’m totally against it,” he said. “It costs enough now as it is.”

Amanda Shaffer of Tobacco Alley on West Main Street in Somerset said the bureaucrats in Harrisburg “can take a pay cut for themselves.”

Heider had a parting shot that Ardo was glad to field.

“If everybody quit chewing and smoking for a month,” she said, puffing on a cigarette, “the state would go down.”

“If people didn’t chew or smoke for a month,” Ardo countered, “it would actually be a good sign. We would gladly see people using less tobacco and see the savings in health-care costs.”