Citizen Group Speaks Out Against State Cigarette Tax Increase

For Immediate Release - Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Contact: Corey R. Lewandowski (603) 894-5881

E-Mail:CLewandowski@afphq.org

Citizen Group Speaks Out Against State Cigarette Tax Increase

WINDHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE- Americans For Prosperity, a grassroots free market group, claims a 25 cent hike in the state cigarette tax would ultimately put New Hampshire citizens on the hook to pay for bigger government.

"Relying on a declining source of revenue, such as a cigarette tax, to pay for new government programs and support higher funding levels for existing programs, amounts to hoodwinking taxpayers into an unfunded-mandate that that they will eventually be forced to foot the bill for," said AFP- New Hampshire's State Director Corey Lewandowski.

Legislators voted in the spring to increase the tax if revenues didn't hit $50 million by the end of the quarter. Americans For Prosperity claims New Hampshire state government overspent taxpayer money, expecting tobacco taxes to pay for the spending spree.

"Cigarette taxes do little to curb smoking and much to feed politicians' addiction to hard-earned tax dollars," said Lewandowski.

Many smokers avoid the higher taxes by crossing state lines or seeking other venues of purchase. As a result, state government targets homeowners, consumers, and working families to pay for its spending spree.