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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Experts concerned menthol cigarettes are still on market
Anti-smoking advocates are concerned that the new law allowing the FDA to ban candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes doesn't include menthol cigarettes, the top-selling flavor and an increasingly popular choice among teenagers. Research shows while teen smoking rates have declined overall, the proportion of teens who smoke menthol cigarettes is increasing.
Slipping out for a cigarette has its benefits
The proportion of American adults who smoke has fallen from 42 per cent to under 20 per cent over the past 50 years, the American Journal of Public Health said in July. This suggested, the journal wrote, that the US was halfway through a 100-year war on cigarettes. Now, Thomas Farley , New York's city health commissioner, has resolved to fight on the beaches.
Mr Farley wants to end smoking on beaches and in parks, to add to the city's ban on cigarettes in bars, restaurants and workplaces.
As someone whose sole teenage cigarette made him feel sick, I welcomed the Financial Times' decision, over 20 years ago, to set up smokers' rooms and ban smoking at desks. The UK's ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces in 2007 was even better, because it meant no more cigarette fumes wafting over restaurant food.
But it also meant the closure of the smoking rooms, and my colleagues having to hang around outside. The weather has been balmy, but winter will see them puffing desperately, shoulders hunched, so that they can rush in from the cold.
Separating cigarette smoke from the rest of us was justified. The dangers of second-hand smoke are well established. In 2005, before the smoking ban, the British Medical Journal said that inhaling other people's smoke in the workplace was probably responsible for the deaths of at least two people every working day.
But the hazard is greatly dissipated outside, and any remaining danger is surely preferable to hounding law-abiding people off the streets - or beaches and parks.
It is annoying to find cigarette butts buried in the sand or discarded around park benches, but nonsmokers leave more rubbish behind. Most smokers have now internalised society's disapproval of them. It was not long ago that visitors would ask for permission to light up in your home, or request an ashtray. Few would dream of doing so now. Smokers today are more courteous than mobile phone owners, burger munchers, headphone wearers or cyclists.
It is time to consider what, apart from killing two people a day, smokers have contributed to our workplaces. They form a particular subculture. Forced into each other's company they seem a more congenial bunch than most people at work.
Little research has been done on smoking in the workplace. Much of what there is focuses on how smoking bans encourage people to quit, or how non-smokers resent smokers leaving their desks for a puff (surely less of a legitimate gripe when so many people waste time surfing the internet without leaving their desks).
But I have not been able to track down any research on one of the most striking aspects of workplace smoking groups: their heterogeneous make-up. Companies spend money on activities such as Outward Bound adventures and cookery classes, hoping to encourage bonding between different departments. Smokers already cross those boundaries. Look at any group congregating for a cigarette: you will see senior executives and security guards, marketing and IT support.
Does smoking produce business benefits? "There's no doubt in my mind that it inspires cross-departmental collaboration," one FT commercial manager (and smoker) told me. "You get to know people who you otherwise wouldn't, and get a feel for what they do. If you've half a spark of creativity about you you'll doubtless stumble across an idea you hadn't thought of before. It also allows for the 'off the record' conversations between departments that grease the wheels of business. I'd be pretty lost without them."
Some FT smokers felt that spirit was lost when the smokers were forced outside. "There was an enforced intimacy about the smokers' room (and an enforced sense of solidarity in breathing each other's foul fumes) that is only replicated outside when there is a gentle drizzle, and everyone has to huddle close to the walls. But you do still get cross-departmental chatting," a smoker said.
One colleague recalled a previous job where the smokers were always the best source of gossip. "People (and not only former smokers or those trying to give up) used to announce: 'I'm just going off for a passive' - to sit in the smoking room and find out all the good stuff."
I never went into the smoking room. The stained ceiling gave you an idea of what cigarettes did to your lungs. But I probably missed out on the odd work tip as a result.
Mr Farley wants to end smoking on beaches and in parks, to add to the city's ban on cigarettes in bars, restaurants and workplaces.
As someone whose sole teenage cigarette made him feel sick, I welcomed the Financial Times' decision, over 20 years ago, to set up smokers' rooms and ban smoking at desks. The UK's ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces in 2007 was even better, because it meant no more cigarette fumes wafting over restaurant food.
But it also meant the closure of the smoking rooms, and my colleagues having to hang around outside. The weather has been balmy, but winter will see them puffing desperately, shoulders hunched, so that they can rush in from the cold.
Separating cigarette smoke from the rest of us was justified. The dangers of second-hand smoke are well established. In 2005, before the smoking ban, the British Medical Journal said that inhaling other people's smoke in the workplace was probably responsible for the deaths of at least two people every working day.
But the hazard is greatly dissipated outside, and any remaining danger is surely preferable to hounding law-abiding people off the streets - or beaches and parks.
It is annoying to find cigarette butts buried in the sand or discarded around park benches, but nonsmokers leave more rubbish behind. Most smokers have now internalised society's disapproval of them. It was not long ago that visitors would ask for permission to light up in your home, or request an ashtray. Few would dream of doing so now. Smokers today are more courteous than mobile phone owners, burger munchers, headphone wearers or cyclists.
It is time to consider what, apart from killing two people a day, smokers have contributed to our workplaces. They form a particular subculture. Forced into each other's company they seem a more congenial bunch than most people at work.
Little research has been done on smoking in the workplace. Much of what there is focuses on how smoking bans encourage people to quit, or how non-smokers resent smokers leaving their desks for a puff (surely less of a legitimate gripe when so many people waste time surfing the internet without leaving their desks).
But I have not been able to track down any research on one of the most striking aspects of workplace smoking groups: their heterogeneous make-up. Companies spend money on activities such as Outward Bound adventures and cookery classes, hoping to encourage bonding between different departments. Smokers already cross those boundaries. Look at any group congregating for a cigarette: you will see senior executives and security guards, marketing and IT support.
Does smoking produce business benefits? "There's no doubt in my mind that it inspires cross-departmental collaboration," one FT commercial manager (and smoker) told me. "You get to know people who you otherwise wouldn't, and get a feel for what they do. If you've half a spark of creativity about you you'll doubtless stumble across an idea you hadn't thought of before. It also allows for the 'off the record' conversations between departments that grease the wheels of business. I'd be pretty lost without them."
Some FT smokers felt that spirit was lost when the smokers were forced outside. "There was an enforced intimacy about the smokers' room (and an enforced sense of solidarity in breathing each other's foul fumes) that is only replicated outside when there is a gentle drizzle, and everyone has to huddle close to the walls. But you do still get cross-departmental chatting," a smoker said.
One colleague recalled a previous job where the smokers were always the best source of gossip. "People (and not only former smokers or those trying to give up) used to announce: 'I'm just going off for a passive' - to sit in the smoking room and find out all the good stuff."
I never went into the smoking room. The stained ceiling gave you an idea of what cigarettes did to your lungs. But I probably missed out on the odd work tip as a result.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Alberta man charged for illegal cigarettes
An Alberta resident is facing charges in Nova Scotia on charges stemming from the seizure of illegal tobacco.
The RCMP says a pickup truck loaded with contraband cigarettes was stopped Tuesday on Highway 104 near Debert.Officers found cases in the back holding 290,000 cigarettes.
A 34-year-old man, formerly of Noel N.S., but now living in Alberta, was arrested and is to appear in court in Truro today on five charges.
The RCMP says a pickup truck loaded with contraband cigarettes was stopped Tuesday on Highway 104 near Debert.Officers found cases in the back holding 290,000 cigarettes.
A 34-year-old man, formerly of Noel N.S., but now living in Alberta, was arrested and is to appear in court in Truro today on five charges.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Cigarette Stamp Opens Trail in New Britain Cold Case
Fourteen years after a woman’s body was found behind Brittany West Plaza in New Britain, her identity and many other factors in the case remain and identity, but police are hoping that people in Albany, New York might be able to help them solve the case.
Police think that the New Britain murder of an unidentified woman in September 1995 might be linked to the killing of another unidentified woman a month later, about 30 miles away in Tolland, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts cops have some leads after finding a tax stamp on pack of cigarettes that led them to Albany.
Because New Britain cops believe their Jane Doe is connected to that Mass Jane Doe, they too believe their victim spent time in Albany.
Now, officials are distributing the photos in the Albany area to see if new leads might come up for a very cold case.
Police think that the New Britain murder of an unidentified woman in September 1995 might be linked to the killing of another unidentified woman a month later, about 30 miles away in Tolland, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts cops have some leads after finding a tax stamp on pack of cigarettes that led them to Albany.
Because New Britain cops believe their Jane Doe is connected to that Mass Jane Doe, they too believe their victim spent time in Albany.
Now, officials are distributing the photos in the Albany area to see if new leads might come up for a very cold case.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Chinese Citizens Ordered to Smoke More Cigarettes to Boost Economy
(NaturalNews) The government of Gong'an County, in China's Hubei province, sparked global controversy when it imposed a "cigarette quota" on public employees, in an effort to boost local revenue during the economic downturn.
Chinese law allows county governments to levy taxes on sales of cigarettes only if they are produced within the province. Gong'an County typically raises the least cigarette tax revenue of any county in the region, however, in part because neighboring Hunan province makes some of the highest quality cigarettes in China.
In an effort to raise revenue, the county passed a law ordering public employees to smoke only Gong'an county cigarettes, and threatening to penalize them if they failed to meet a certain quota. County employees were ordered to smoke a total of 230,000 Hubei-brand cigarettes, for total spending of nearly 4 million yuan ($590,000). As part of the new rule, a "special task force" was created and charged with enforcement.
The order drew global media attention when a local newspaper reported that a middle school teacher was to be disciplined for smoking the wrong brand of cigarettes. The teacher reported that county officials entered the school unannounced one afternoon and began sorting through the cigarette butts in the staff room.
When three "non-compliant" cigarette butts were found, the county threatened a fine. After negotiation with the school, a public reprimand was issued instead.
When the story broke, local and global press immediately criticized the rule for wasting public money and encouraging unhealthy practices.
In recent years, the central Chinese government has launched major anti-smoking initiatives. China is home to 350 million smokers, 1 million of whom die from tobacco-related causes each year.
Faced with mounting criticism, Gong'an authorities temporarily suspended the rule, saying that it violated rules about issuing notices.
"The matter is under review," the county said in a statement.
No health concerns were cited as a reason for the reversal, but officials did say that they had no intention of encouraging non-smokers to begin smoking.
Chinese law allows county governments to levy taxes on sales of cigarettes only if they are produced within the province. Gong'an County typically raises the least cigarette tax revenue of any county in the region, however, in part because neighboring Hunan province makes some of the highest quality cigarettes in China.
In an effort to raise revenue, the county passed a law ordering public employees to smoke only Gong'an county cigarettes, and threatening to penalize them if they failed to meet a certain quota. County employees were ordered to smoke a total of 230,000 Hubei-brand cigarettes, for total spending of nearly 4 million yuan ($590,000). As part of the new rule, a "special task force" was created and charged with enforcement.
The order drew global media attention when a local newspaper reported that a middle school teacher was to be disciplined for smoking the wrong brand of cigarettes. The teacher reported that county officials entered the school unannounced one afternoon and began sorting through the cigarette butts in the staff room.
When three "non-compliant" cigarette butts were found, the county threatened a fine. After negotiation with the school, a public reprimand was issued instead.
When the story broke, local and global press immediately criticized the rule for wasting public money and encouraging unhealthy practices.
In recent years, the central Chinese government has launched major anti-smoking initiatives. China is home to 350 million smokers, 1 million of whom die from tobacco-related causes each year.
Faced with mounting criticism, Gong'an authorities temporarily suspended the rule, saying that it violated rules about issuing notices.
"The matter is under review," the county said in a statement.
No health concerns were cited as a reason for the reversal, but officials did say that they had no intention of encouraging non-smokers to begin smoking.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Shops 'flout cigarette sales law'
A fifth of corner shops in England flout the law and sell cigarettes to teenagers and young children, trading standards officers have said.Fines for shopkeepers are so low - less than £100 - that they do not act as an effective deterrent, they added.
Teenage volunteers visited more than 4,000 shops to see if owners would sell them cigarettes without asking for proof of age during a year-long study.
The Association of Convenience Stores said the findings were inaccurate. Magistrates have said their guidelines discourage heavier fines.
Wrists slapped
One in seven 15-year-olds is a regular smoker and the research indicates plenty of shops are willing to sell cigarettes to under-18s. The Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors), the body which oversees the work of trading standards officers across the UK, said the level of fines imposed on offending shopkeepers is not high enough. Lacors chairman Paul Bettison said: "Councils are doing everything in their power to protect young people from the dangers of smoking but retailers are effectively only being slapped on the wrist with minuscule fines."Less than £100 is hardly enough to make a shopkeeper think twice.
"It is time for magistrates to hit those retailers that have a blatant disregard of the law and children's health with higher fines."
The Magistrates' Association has said some of its members are unhappy that sentencing guidelines discourage them from imposing heavier fines. But retailers say the findings of the study are not accurate. Shane Brennan, from the Association of Convenience Stores, told the BBC: "This report fails to paint an accurate picture of what is actually happening for the responsible majority of shops out there in the country, who are every day preventing young people from getting hold of tobacco". In Scotland, the Parliament's health committee has recommended a law change to make it illegal for under-18s to buy tobacco. The committee has also backed plans by the government in Edinburgh to ban the display of cigarettes and outlaw tobacco vending machines. Scottish ministers have said they want to cut the proportion of young people who smoke to less than 23% by 2012. The findings on under-age cigarette sales in England come as the government launched an anti-smoking advertising campaign.
It features children describing their fears about their parents' nicotine addiction.
Teenage volunteers visited more than 4,000 shops to see if owners would sell them cigarettes without asking for proof of age during a year-long study.
The Association of Convenience Stores said the findings were inaccurate. Magistrates have said their guidelines discourage heavier fines.
Wrists slapped
One in seven 15-year-olds is a regular smoker and the research indicates plenty of shops are willing to sell cigarettes to under-18s. The Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors), the body which oversees the work of trading standards officers across the UK, said the level of fines imposed on offending shopkeepers is not high enough. Lacors chairman Paul Bettison said: "Councils are doing everything in their power to protect young people from the dangers of smoking but retailers are effectively only being slapped on the wrist with minuscule fines."Less than £100 is hardly enough to make a shopkeeper think twice.
"It is time for magistrates to hit those retailers that have a blatant disregard of the law and children's health with higher fines."
The Magistrates' Association has said some of its members are unhappy that sentencing guidelines discourage them from imposing heavier fines. But retailers say the findings of the study are not accurate. Shane Brennan, from the Association of Convenience Stores, told the BBC: "This report fails to paint an accurate picture of what is actually happening for the responsible majority of shops out there in the country, who are every day preventing young people from getting hold of tobacco". In Scotland, the Parliament's health committee has recommended a law change to make it illegal for under-18s to buy tobacco. The committee has also backed plans by the government in Edinburgh to ban the display of cigarettes and outlaw tobacco vending machines. Scottish ministers have said they want to cut the proportion of young people who smoke to less than 23% by 2012. The findings on under-age cigarette sales in England come as the government launched an anti-smoking advertising campaign.
It features children describing their fears about their parents' nicotine addiction.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Are You Up To Date On The Electronic Cigarette Controversy
The electronic cigarette is something that is either being heavily promoted, or heavily contested among the public due to the fact that there is no certainty here or there about whether or not there are serious health risks from using it and if it is healthier than regular cigarettes or not. Naysayers will say that the electronic cigarette has a higher risk of causing nicotine poisoning, and thus far that has been the primary argument against them. Many who have done their own independent research have found this new product to be a more helpful than harmful device that, if used correctly, it could be used as a means of helping someone quit smoking.
The nicotine in this new version of a cigarette is made up mostly of water, alcohol, nicotine, propylene glycol, and flavorings. However, despite this fact, many researches cling onto the remote possibility of nicotine poisoning as a result of misuse. It has been the most used possible problem by researchers. There have yet to be any other medical issues brought up.
This product has actually been used by many as, despite not being marketed as such, a quit smoking device. This product does not use many of the chemicals that are put in cigarette tobacco. They are also technically smokeless, emitting only a vapor that gives the smoker the sensation of smoking. The electronic cigarettes, while not FDA approved as of yet, are not shown to have any of the other side effects of smoking conventional cigarettes, such as bad breath, stained breath, and the very serious lung cancer. The product acts similarly to the patch, in the sense that it releases only nicotine into the body and not any of the other additives into the body.
Another point of controversy is that many nonsmokers think that this means that any smoker friends they have will use the electronic cigarette as a license to smoke all of the time and stink up the place. But even this argument is void, because the electronic cigarette does not burn anything. Even the smoke which they often complain about is not even smoke by definition. It is actually an odorless vapor. That is right: an odorless vapor. This means that nobody will be stinking up anything. In fact, this is one of the factors that makes this smoking apparatus so popular. And to those who think the electronic cigarette is more expensive, it is actually more cost efficient compared to buying pack after pack of cigarette.
The nicotine in this new version of a cigarette is made up mostly of water, alcohol, nicotine, propylene glycol, and flavorings. However, despite this fact, many researches cling onto the remote possibility of nicotine poisoning as a result of misuse. It has been the most used possible problem by researchers. There have yet to be any other medical issues brought up.
This product has actually been used by many as, despite not being marketed as such, a quit smoking device. This product does not use many of the chemicals that are put in cigarette tobacco. They are also technically smokeless, emitting only a vapor that gives the smoker the sensation of smoking. The electronic cigarettes, while not FDA approved as of yet, are not shown to have any of the other side effects of smoking conventional cigarettes, such as bad breath, stained breath, and the very serious lung cancer. The product acts similarly to the patch, in the sense that it releases only nicotine into the body and not any of the other additives into the body.
Another point of controversy is that many nonsmokers think that this means that any smoker friends they have will use the electronic cigarette as a license to smoke all of the time and stink up the place. But even this argument is void, because the electronic cigarette does not burn anything. Even the smoke which they often complain about is not even smoke by definition. It is actually an odorless vapor. That is right: an odorless vapor. This means that nobody will be stinking up anything. In fact, this is one of the factors that makes this smoking apparatus so popular. And to those who think the electronic cigarette is more expensive, it is actually more cost efficient compared to buying pack after pack of cigarette.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Opinions at Mesa State meeting for, against smoking ban
At least 119 people, mostly college students, attended a meeting Thursday night at Mesa State College to discuss a potential campuswide ban on smoking.
The meeting is the first of four meetings on the subject planned on consecutive Thursdays at the college.
While some student smokers defended the act of lighting up and some nonsmokers defended their right to fresh air, others focused on cigarette-related littering and possibly designating smoking areas rather than banning cigarette use altogether.
Mesa State student Kyle Evans said his fellow classmates, instead of seeking a ban, should speak up when a person litters or stands too close to a building while smoking.
“We just don’t have the means to enforce this legislation,” Evans said.
Ted Rodriguez, a student and a grounds crew worker at the college, said prohibition of alcohol didn’t work and that a smoking ban won’t take well, either. But he would appreciate it if those who choose to use tobacco clean up after themselves, Rodriguez said.
“There’s nothing more disgusting than picking up a cola can and finding out it’s a spit can,” he said.
David Miller, a math major and smoker, said some smokers are considerate.
“To lump me in and alienate me and tell me I can’t smoke because a few people throw their cigarettes down isn’t fair,” he said.
Jen Kimbrou, a Mesa State student-athlete, said it isn’t fair that plumes of smoke effect her health when shuttling between classes.
“I’m allergic to (smoke). As a student-athlete, I can’t afford these allergic reactions,” she said.
Dave Robinson, a Mesa State student, said the ban would not stop people from smoking; it would just push them to the outer edges of campus to do the deed. Robinson said he worries how the college would appear to passersby and prospective students if a ban were enacted.
The Thursday meeting and a forthcoming survey conducted by the college’s business department will provide some insight for Associated Student Government members to discuss at their next meeting, said Nick Lopez, college government vice president.
“I feel this was really helpful,” Lopez said of the meeting.
The meeting is the first of four meetings on the subject planned on consecutive Thursdays at the college.
While some student smokers defended the act of lighting up and some nonsmokers defended their right to fresh air, others focused on cigarette-related littering and possibly designating smoking areas rather than banning cigarette use altogether.
Mesa State student Kyle Evans said his fellow classmates, instead of seeking a ban, should speak up when a person litters or stands too close to a building while smoking.
“We just don’t have the means to enforce this legislation,” Evans said.
Ted Rodriguez, a student and a grounds crew worker at the college, said prohibition of alcohol didn’t work and that a smoking ban won’t take well, either. But he would appreciate it if those who choose to use tobacco clean up after themselves, Rodriguez said.
“There’s nothing more disgusting than picking up a cola can and finding out it’s a spit can,” he said.
David Miller, a math major and smoker, said some smokers are considerate.
“To lump me in and alienate me and tell me I can’t smoke because a few people throw their cigarettes down isn’t fair,” he said.
Jen Kimbrou, a Mesa State student-athlete, said it isn’t fair that plumes of smoke effect her health when shuttling between classes.
“I’m allergic to (smoke). As a student-athlete, I can’t afford these allergic reactions,” she said.
Dave Robinson, a Mesa State student, said the ban would not stop people from smoking; it would just push them to the outer edges of campus to do the deed. Robinson said he worries how the college would appear to passersby and prospective students if a ban were enacted.
The Thursday meeting and a forthcoming survey conducted by the college’s business department will provide some insight for Associated Student Government members to discuss at their next meeting, said Nick Lopez, college government vice president.
“I feel this was really helpful,” Lopez said of the meeting.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Marlboro's black menthol 'One' cigarette in Japan
Whenever I travel internationally, I look at how cigarettes are advertised. On a recent trip to Japan, the Marlboro"One" menthol cigarette was featured on every vending machine that I came across during my brief stay. Cigarettes were about $3.00 a pack and the minimum age to buy was 20. A special card was needed to purchase out of a vending machine to prevent underage purchases.
One of the commercials that I viewed on the television was for "Cafe Tobacco," a smoking haven. The owner said that patrons are only in the cafe for 20 minutes and therefore, could not become addicted to cigarettes.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Tobacco settlement funds misused, Ohio judge rules
An Ohio judge ruled that state funds from a 1998 nationwide settlement with tobacco companies must be used for what they were intended, namely prevention and cessation programs.
The lawsuit, filed by a state-established foundation that oversees the tobacco money, alleged lawmakers in their 2009 budget illegally diverted some of the state's $230 million settlement funds to pay for other projects.
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas agreed in an Aug. 11 ruling that blocked the state from transferring the money. The court said depleting the funds "would result in a substantial increase in tobacco-related premature death and disease in Ohio, and a substantial increase in medical expense."
Gov. Ted Strickland is appealing the ruling, and maintains he and the Legislature have the authority to appropriate the funds as they see fit.
The lawsuit, filed by a state-established foundation that oversees the tobacco money, alleged lawmakers in their 2009 budget illegally diverted some of the state's $230 million settlement funds to pay for other projects.
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas agreed in an Aug. 11 ruling that blocked the state from transferring the money. The court said depleting the funds "would result in a substantial increase in tobacco-related premature death and disease in Ohio, and a substantial increase in medical expense."
Gov. Ted Strickland is appealing the ruling, and maintains he and the Legislature have the authority to appropriate the funds as they see fit.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Hundreds of cigarettes stolen from garage
RAIDERS stole hundreds of packs of cigarettes worth £5,000 from a garage in a night time break-in at Stamford.
Burglars got into the Morrisons petrol station in Uffington Road, Stamford some time overnight between Monday and Tuesday stealing about 800 individual packs of cigarettes and about 30 200-packs.
They forced their way inside by wrenching open a metal grate and then prising back metal wall panelling.
Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone who saw any suspicious vehicles on or around the A16 near Morrisons to get in touch as soon as possible.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there was an incident. The matter is now being investigated by the police.”
n Anyone with any information can call Stamford Police Station on 01780 752222, quoting incident number 61 of September 1.
Burglars got into the Morrisons petrol station in Uffington Road, Stamford some time overnight between Monday and Tuesday stealing about 800 individual packs of cigarettes and about 30 200-packs.
They forced their way inside by wrenching open a metal grate and then prising back metal wall panelling.
Police are appealing for any witnesses or anyone who saw any suspicious vehicles on or around the A16 near Morrisons to get in touch as soon as possible.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there was an incident. The matter is now being investigated by the police.”
n Anyone with any information can call Stamford Police Station on 01780 752222, quoting incident number 61 of September 1.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Time's up for tax crybabies
For decades, Americans have preferred to run up huge deficits by borrowing from foreigners rather than living within their means by collecting enough taxes to cover their government's expenditures.
Any attempts to raise taxes are greeted with derision by voters who have no idea how low their taxes are compared with the rest of the world.
Like others living outside the United States, I'm very unsympathetic to this whining and deficit-riddled form of governance. It's ruinous for the rest of the world and has been a contributing factor to the economic mess we're all in nowadays.
Americans are tax crybabies, but their spendthrift party will have to end. For the first time, there are hushed whispers in Washington's policy corridors of a possible federal VAT, or GST, across the land to right the listing ship of state.
Some say this is impossible. After all, the President who does this must be the political equivalent of a suicide bomber, willing to die politically in order to get to fiscal heaven.
But no less than the great former governor of the Federal Reserve and Reaganite Paul Volcker has given some, albeit tepid, support to the possibility, according to a recent Washington Post article.
To Canadians, and the rest of the free/developed world, an across-the-board sales tax -- either a value-added tax or a goods and services tax -- is not only a no-brainer but, quite possibly, a world saver now. Europeans pay roughly 15% in VAT and most Canadians pay nearly the same in sales taxes to their provinces and the feds, Alberta excepted.
The Americans need to spend trillions over the next few years and can do this only through taxation, borrowing or printing. But more U.S. debt or currency debasement would be dire for the world's economy and would lead to even greater problems down the road. In a probably vain attempt, I will repeat once again some taxation statistics I published in January 2009. Figures were provided by investment banker and economist DeWolf Shaw of Montreal: - Washington could raise US$600-billion per year or more if Americans paid a 5% federal sales tax on goods and services if it were identical to Canada's 5% GST. - Another US$280-billion could be generated if Americans paid slightly more than double what they pay now, or US$3.75 a gallon, for gasoline, which is roughly what Canadians pay. - Another US$180-billion is available if Americans paid the same taxes on cigarettes as Canadians. - Then there's another US$355-billion for government coffers if Americans had the same liquor taxes as Canadians. - The total that could be raised from all four is US$1.415-trillion. That is, by the way, the size of Canada's or Spain's economies.
That's more than enough money to fix the fiscal mess. For those who think such taxes are job-robbers, consider the economic benefits and jobs that derive from a public sector that provides health care, infrastructure jobs or better education.
Who likes taxes? But the Americans need more of them as much as they need oxygen. They also need to be more responsible in managing their affairs.
Any attempts to raise taxes are greeted with derision by voters who have no idea how low their taxes are compared with the rest of the world.
Like others living outside the United States, I'm very unsympathetic to this whining and deficit-riddled form of governance. It's ruinous for the rest of the world and has been a contributing factor to the economic mess we're all in nowadays.
Americans are tax crybabies, but their spendthrift party will have to end. For the first time, there are hushed whispers in Washington's policy corridors of a possible federal VAT, or GST, across the land to right the listing ship of state.
Some say this is impossible. After all, the President who does this must be the political equivalent of a suicide bomber, willing to die politically in order to get to fiscal heaven.
But no less than the great former governor of the Federal Reserve and Reaganite Paul Volcker has given some, albeit tepid, support to the possibility, according to a recent Washington Post article.
To Canadians, and the rest of the free/developed world, an across-the-board sales tax -- either a value-added tax or a goods and services tax -- is not only a no-brainer but, quite possibly, a world saver now. Europeans pay roughly 15% in VAT and most Canadians pay nearly the same in sales taxes to their provinces and the feds, Alberta excepted.
The Americans need to spend trillions over the next few years and can do this only through taxation, borrowing or printing. But more U.S. debt or currency debasement would be dire for the world's economy and would lead to even greater problems down the road. In a probably vain attempt, I will repeat once again some taxation statistics I published in January 2009. Figures were provided by investment banker and economist DeWolf Shaw of Montreal: - Washington could raise US$600-billion per year or more if Americans paid a 5% federal sales tax on goods and services if it were identical to Canada's 5% GST. - Another US$280-billion could be generated if Americans paid slightly more than double what they pay now, or US$3.75 a gallon, for gasoline, which is roughly what Canadians pay. - Another US$180-billion is available if Americans paid the same taxes on cigarettes as Canadians. - Then there's another US$355-billion for government coffers if Americans had the same liquor taxes as Canadians. - The total that could be raised from all four is US$1.415-trillion. That is, by the way, the size of Canada's or Spain's economies.
That's more than enough money to fix the fiscal mess. For those who think such taxes are job-robbers, consider the economic benefits and jobs that derive from a public sector that provides health care, infrastructure jobs or better education.
Who likes taxes? But the Americans need more of them as much as they need oxygen. They also need to be more responsible in managing their affairs.
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