Sunday, November 16, 2014

Cigarette burglary - I blame the government

The following appeared on the front of our local rag:


Dear Editor

It is not surprising that cigarettes were the sole target of a recent Four Square burglary. Due to an aggressive taxation policy cigarettes are now a valuable commodity beyond the means of many nicotine addicts. While the thief bears first responsibility for the increasing incidence of tobacco theft,  the government can bear second.

Smoking is legal. The level of taxation has long since surpassed what is needed to treat smoking-related disease and, yet, further hefty tax increases are planned for 2015 and 2016.

Political interventions always come with unintended consequences. The higher the price goes, the greater the incidence of associated crime will be.

Ironically, in an attempt to curb crime associated with heroin addiction the state dishes out free methadone. The approach to tobacco is a nonsensical opposite.

The village doesn't need security cameras. It needs a nationally consistent approach to addictive substances administered by a less rapacious state.


End

7 comments:

Jamie said...

First they came for the smokers...

And Lindsay spoke out
That's my girl!!!
Get sum!!!

And all the wowsers sat up on their moral high horses and judged and tut-tut-tutted.

And passed more laws and increased taxes till smokes were so expensive they were a high-value-target for broke armed robbers...

Good one team...
{Sarc}

Jamie said...

I'd like to report a robbery Lindsay

https://r1016132.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/crimes-act-1961-235-aggravated-robbery-ancestors-of-mine-would-not-be-impressed/

And you are one of the few people who care

Jamie said...

"The Customs and Excise (Tobacco Products—Budget Measures) Amendment Bill has passed through all its stages under urgency.

Ayes 109 (National 59, Labour 32, Greens 14, Maori Party 2, ACT 1, United Future 1)

Noes 12 (NZ First 12)

This bill amends the Customs and Excise Act 1996 to make four cumulative 10% increases to the duties on all tobacco products."

***Source***
http://parliamenttoday.co.nz/2016/05/tobacco-tax-bill-passes-under-urgency/

Your boi David 'the thieving c**t' Seymour snuck in and mugged me the other night Lindsay. Here is a song appropriate for you Dave you thief, I should of known it was only gonna be a matter of time before you're stealing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yCIDkFI7ew

No point complaining, no one would listen anyways (except NZ First maybe)
Don't get angry, get even I always heard said
Time to grow your own kid (til the gummit no doubt changes the law and makes a criminal outta me....again:-)

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Seymour is bound by confidence and supply legislation to support budget measures and explains why. It frustrates the hell out of me too. But at least he says the right things and gets reported in the media doing so. Watch his budget speech in which he attacked the tobacco tax hikes:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-HRTYBtKz7w

Jamie said...

It's alright Lindsay, I understand.

In this life you gotta go along to get along.

I mean how else is David gonna get 'A mans house is his castle' passed into law?

Jamie said...

Black market for cigarettes fuels robberies in Canterbury

***Source***
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/83723820/black-market-for-cigarettes-fuels-robberies-in-canterbury

"In the last seven weeks, robbers have targeted at least 17 Christchurch businesses

A lucrative black market for cigarettes is fuelling an increase in armed robberies, with criminals targeting dairies and stealing tobacco products to order.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Ford said he believed many of the robbers were stealing to order rather than for personal use.

"There appears to be a strong black market for tobacco. It is a very valuable commodity. They [the robbers] are taking as much as they can."

Ford said police were making arrests, but "other people are filling the void and continuing on with it".

___________________________________________________________________________________

https://r1016132.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/strung-up-strung-out-i-just-cant-go-without-they-wanna-get-my-gold-on-the-ceiling-i-aint-blind-just-a-matter-of-time-before-ya-stealing/

Well done National, Labour, Greens, Maori Party, ACT, United Future.
Well done all you greedy bloody wowsers

Jamie said...

Where's your boi in all of this???

"Liquor store adopts siege tactics to beat robbers" http://www.nzherald.co.nz/crime/news/article.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=11702397

Almost like Black Hawk Down Mogadishu out there, a dam warzone.

I understand supply and confidence - that doesn't mean a bloke can't rock the boat and make waves.

Now do us a favour please Lindsay and go rark his ass up