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by Mike_Beaudet from Dedham

Last Post 36 days, 23 hours Ago


Liquor Lobby in MA
May 15, 2008 | 7:37 PM
Category: News
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Alcohol companies and groups like the Beer Distributors of Massachusetts have spent more than one million dollars on lobbyists on Beacon Hill in the last 3 years. They're against a bill that's languishing that would remove the sales tax exemption on liquor store alcohol sales. Most people probably don't realize they're not paying the sales tax when they go to the package store. The bill would use the sales tax money for alcohol treatment and addiction, something advocates say is desperately needed in this state.

 

Mothers Against Drunk Driving says for every dollar spent on addiction treatment, the state would save an average of seven dollars on the dysfunction caused by alcoholics and other addicts.

 

Cigarette taxes are sky high, but the other sin tax gets a pass. What do you think? Should the state remove the sales tax exemption on liquor store sales?

 

 

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Member Comments Total Comments: 15
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drewinmass read my blog
May 15, 2008 | 10:50 PM

Fact is, Mike, most working folks, joe sixpack, who is already getting reamed with taxes every time he turns around in this state, might be, umm, a little hesitant to embrace yet another tax. If the state is really concerned about the lack of funds to treat addiction, perhaps the wonderful legislature could do something about the OUTRAGEOUS pensions getting paid out to the Commonwealth's "public servants". There is enough waste and outright fraud going on to reach yet again into the tax payers pockets.
And the liquor has spent almost a million dollars in *three years* lobbeying for their interests? I wouldn't expect anything less in a free country.
Finally, your sweeps-"exclusive" was extremely biased. I thought I was watching a network news broadcast.
FisherCat read my blog view my photos
May 15, 2008 | 11:18 PM

Mike great work on that piece! thank god some one is trying to hold these appeasers to BIG ALCOHOL COMPANIES AN THE WINE INTREST an enablers up at the State House accountable for their in-actions to take charge of this serious sitution in this state....If you haven't read my post about taxes on alcohol below i would if i was you its a back an forth with my State Senator....in a e-mail response from him....you'll get a hoot out of it for sure...They passed a sweeping gun bill which brought up O.U.I.'S from decades ago in recieving gun permits otherwise denials for gun permits yet in his response he didn't like when i brought up his own sitution with his nephew an driver who passed away in a drunken car accident on rte 122 Oakham Yet they passed laws to look into my history to use to deny gun rights...Yet Police get a pass on drug & alcohol testing....
Xantun read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 12:43 AM

Mike, of COURSE we're giving the other "sin tax" a pass. Ted Kennedy lives in this state, remember?
tom1964
May 16, 2008 | 2:09 AM

What big business is influencing our politicians?

No I didn't relize that alcohol was not taxed but it dosen't suprise me either.

Either way taxed or not I don't think those who drink will stop drinking if they do add a tax, so I think the alcohol companies are just throwing their money to greedy politicians.
Chip read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 5:49 AM

Because it is a tax on sin, does not give IT a free pass either.....spoken by a guy in recovery for darned close to 21 years now...
NorthernObserver read my blog
May 16, 2008 | 9:38 AM

Can you guarantee that the tax money collected will actually go toward rehab? I for one do not want to see Massachusetts cops sitting in NH liquor store parking lots writing down Mass. plate numbers again.
Chip read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 10:01 AM

Of course that guarantee will never be given, because that is the lie they are using. The money will go t public employees unions and park benches in their constituencies...and the drunks will just be poorer drunks.
drewinmass read my blog
May 16, 2008 | 10:27 AM

Of *course* this tax money will go to fund rehab programs. Just like the excise tax and the gas tax pays for our bridges and roads. Oops, our bridges and roads are falling apart and we're 20 billion in the hole. Well just look at the cigarette taxes and the big tobacco settelment money -- we're going to that for smoking prevention programs -- Oops, that money was needed in other areas.
NEVER MIND!
FisherCat read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 11:34 AM

drewinmass thats right Drew, thats exactly what they didn't do! an just like Mike Dukakis raiding the WILD LIFE AN FISHERIES monies...its so typical of these hypocrites who are hooked like heroin on taxes...taxes...taxes....so we can pay for their FREE GAS an STATE Vehicles....why should they care how we suffer when we fill up at the pump.....Just like Jay Rockefeller holding his banned assault weapon an saying on camera I GOT MINE before the ban thats all i care about! he was shooting it in his back yard an AK-47 i believe....Any idiot who votes for a Prop 2 an half overide is stupid! look at the vehicles an gas their town officials an workers get for free! Police Chiefs are o.k. with me...but anyone else NO!
wendywoods
May 16, 2008 | 3:32 PM

All I can say is you guys are so on the money it hurts!! Our state and federal government is so corrupt and a** backwards you got to wonder what it will take for it to stop. Here's a good example of how our federal government is screwing up--we are sending aid to Myanmar, a country that doesn't want our help, and we still haven't finished rebuilding since Katrina. And how many tornadoes have we had in the last few months. Like the saying goes "take care of home before you go trying to fix the world". It's sad when you can't trust the people you elected into office.
lynnd3
May 16, 2008 | 4:01 PM

If you have a drinking problem that is your fault! You fix it! When I buy beer or wine why should I have to pay extra because someone might need help for being a fool and making a mess out of thier life. I did not make you a drunk and the store you buy from did not make you a drunk so why would the public be asked to pay for your own stupidity?
Turnbull24 read my blog
May 16, 2008 | 8:04 PM

Exactly lynnd3. It's not my fauld peopel are raging alcholics. Like you said if you did this to yourself you can undo it. But I shouldn't have to pay for people to get rehab, just like I souldn't have to pay for people who are using"state insurance." It's not my fault your a drunk, if you can't sober up. Walk in the street, someone will take care of ya, it's MASS.
drewinmass read my blog
May 16, 2008 | 9:50 PM

The reason, sadly, in this state, Lynnd3, to your inquiry is so we taxoayers can pick up the dime for nice state-funded programs like giving a convicted murderer (who decided he wanted to be a woman AFTER he was convicted and imprisoned for killing his wife) for his sex change operation and all associated "treatment" thereafter. Only in this state ...
"Together we can".
bostoncowboy read my blog
May 19, 2008 | 10:22 PM

mass taxs the heck out of smokers but no tax for drunks have you ever heard of a smokeing driver
tinkerbell322
May 19, 2008 | 10:58 PM

Yippee! Fianlly!! Thay should tax alcohol even half as much as they do cigarettes. By the way, why don't they tax cigars? I digress. Alcohol is socially acceptable, smoking isn't. Hmm. Tax the daylights out of alcohol. When was the last accident on the highway caused by a lit cigarette? I don't do either, but I'm tired of it being acceptable to be drunk but people gasp at the mention of the word smoke. What kind of twisted society is this??? You really can enjoy New Year's Eve without getting drunk. Tax the BLEEP out of booze like we do butts and gas!! But then, those that make those decisions drink like fish themselves.
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Mike_Beaudet

I am FOX25's investigative reporter.

Member Since: 10/17/2006


 

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