Team Bredesen: Arresting Tennesseans for the children!
UPDATE: TOM HUMPHREY’S STORY MAKES DRUDGE REPORT HEADLINE!
Buford T. Justice hasn’t got anything on Reagan Farr!
If I’m a state legislator who voted for the cigarette tax increase and I see the heavy handed tactics that Reagan Farr is using on Tennesseans, I would be embarrassed today. Congratulations, Tennessee legislators. Look at the goodwill you’ve created for the kiddies! And Bredesen, you look foolish.
This is outrageous!
From Tom Humphrey:
Starting today, state Department of Revenue agents will begin stopping Tennessee motorists spotted buying large quantities of cigarettes in border states, then charging them with a crime and, in some cases, seizing their cars.
Critics say the new “cigarette surveillance program” amounts to the use of “police state” tactics and wrongfully interferes with interstate commerce. But state Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr says his department is simply doing its job, enforcing a valid state law while protecting Tennessee retailers who properly pay state taxes.
and this:
Rep. Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, said he sees inconsistency in the enforcement program.
“This administration has been very willing to turn a blind eye to illegal aliens pouring into our state, yet, when a natural Tennessean brings a couple of cartons of smokes across the state line, they want to arrest them,” Campfield said.He and Johnson both said the program appears to involve the state in interstate commerce, an area where the federal government is granted sole authority by the U.S. Constitution. Johnson said he hopes an arrested motorist will file a lawsuit against the program, and further predicted the state would lose.
Farr said the program does not run afoul of federal restrictions on state interference with interstate commerce.
“We’re not regulating the purchase of anything in another state,” he said. “We’re regulating the possession of contraband in Tennessee.”
Any lawyer out there wanting to work on a good case? This is it.
Reagan Farr channels Smokey and the Bandit’s Sheriff Buford T. Justice!
Team Bredesen’s favorite movie?
Forget Rocky Top. Here’s Tennessee’s new theme song–courtesy of the Revenue Boys down in Nashville!tennessee-bandit.mp3
And note, this was NOT a problem when our taxes were low. But now all border states have taxes lower than ours. Raising the tax may not have created these problems if we are Hawaii, but we’re not the heart of the transportation network of America for nothing!
From Humphrey:
Tennessee’s cigarette tax went from 20 cents per pack to 62 cents per pack effective July 1. All eight states that border Tennessee have lower tax rates, meaning smokers can save up to 45 cents per pack — $4.50 for a 10-pack carton — by purchasing out of state.
6 Comments so far
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If it’s illegal to cross state lines to purchase Cigarettes, what law applies to out of stators coming into TN on “Tennessee’s Sales Tax Holidays” Do they perform a search & seize on clothing, computers, etc & seize their automobiles when they enter back into their prospective states? Will they have roadblocks set up to catch these people? Do they come into TN & sit at J C Penney’s, Best Buy, etc?
By TN Slave on 09.27.07 6:19 am
[...] ALSO: Terry Frank Stacey Campfield Michael Silence Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites [...]
By Volunteer Voters » The Cigarette Tax Man Starts Smoking Border Crossing Tennesseans Today on 09.27.07 8:13 am
“In cases where three to 24 cartons are involved, he said vehicle seizure is “at the officer’s discretion.”
So uhhh, exactly how does that “discretion” work?
Got a license plate partially obscured with your “get-out-of jail-free” FOP sticker?
Made campaign donations to the right democrat candidate?
Drive a pink car and willing to perform sexual acts on the officer?
I’m sure the regime of ethics reform can shed some light…
By Eric Holcombe on 09.27.07 11:46 am
The seizure of a vehicle can occur for a revenue infraction of LEGAL SUBSTANCES while at the same the Tennessee courts have said that for misdemeanor amounts of drugs a vehicle seizure CANNOT occur. Is that not “bass ackwards” or what? I guess it goes to show that a citizen and their money will soon be parted. I look for the state to all but announce that it will stop this once our beloved state gets enough bad press from stopping the wrong car. I can see CNN and Fox news with those headlines of how “three pack a day” Granny was stopped, muscled out of her car and traumatized all for Bredesen’s almighty pennies. Watch it folks, the income tax is next!!
By BCB on 09.28.07 5:13 pm
Smokers are already forced to go outside in sweltering heat, pouring rain and below freezing temperatures and now we have to pay for the Govenors pet projects. Crossing the border for cigarettes? Have a buddy follow you but not cross the state line. Buy 2 cartons from 3 or 4 different stores, cross the border, drop them off with your buddy 4 or 5 miles away then repeat as many times as necessary. If you are not comfortable with that just buy 2 cartons at a time and cross the border, then go to a different store each time. The law says you can’t bring more than 2 cartons across at a time and that is what you are doing. Maybe it’s time to start ordering cigarettes from the indian reservations. Even with shipping it s cheaper than Tennessees prices and they can’t take your car by buying online. How about all of the smokers get together and clean house in the next elections? The next time someone calls you or sends you a letter wanting donations, tell them the cigarette tax has taken all of your extra money. The more non smokers the tax affects, the more pressure will be put on legislators to do something about lowering it. If you have a business and the increased cigarette tax has affected your business, just post a sign in your window, TENNESSEE STATE LEGISLATORS NOT WELCOME HERE! Anybody got any other ideas to share?
By Harold on 10.01.07 11:57 pm
[...] en masse, you’d better do it in Montana Terry Frank pulls together several sources in her post regarding the new “cigarette surveillance program.” Here are a couple of money [...]
By September, 2007 Archive « Right Minded Online on 08.08.08 7:10 pm
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