
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 22, 1990                   TAG: 9005220449
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

MORE CIGARETTE TAX IS DISCRIMINATORY

On May 7, City council voted to double the 5-cents cigarette tax to 10 cents per pack.

Councilman Robert Garland was right when he said that "city residents would do their shopping in the county." This will cause the city to lose sales taxes and sales.

Smokers will not foot the bill so City Council members can raise their salary $1,000 a year. We urge all smokers to do their shopping in Roanoke County.

President Bush said "no new taxes." At this very time, Congress is considering a doubling of the federal excise tax on cigarettes. This tax is unfair for those 50 million Americans who smoke. Smokers now pay $10 billion a year in federal taxes. If this tax increase passes, this would cost smokers $5 billion a year more.

It is discrimination, pure and simple, to single out smokers for more unfair taxes.

I urge all smokers to write or call our senators and representatives to urge them to vote against any new taxes. Tell them to ask President Bush to stick to his pledge, "no new taxes."

\ RUSSELL FULK\ ROANOKE

by CNB