One of the fun things the NC state police got to do was pull over semi trailers loaded stem to stern with cartons of NC-priced, NC-made cigarettes, bound for the Nawth and bootleg prices. It was a booming business for a very long time, as long as you didn't get caught. The demand is less these days because of the decrease in smoking, and the increase in taxes that bring NC prices in line with the rest of the country make the profit margin much smaller, so smuggling isn't the big thing it used to be.
Unless somebody can get hold of a truckful of untaxed cartons, of course.
People used to smuggle cigarettes down from Canada all the time -- very big business. Just like smuggling hooch in from Canada during Prohibition.
I once heard economics professors arguing over what point sales taxes generated massive evasion. One claimed that anything over 10% tended to generation major smuggling ; the other said that the break point was more like 50%. I wonder if there have been any empirical studies. I suspect it would not be as simple as a percentage. Legal sources that are less highly taxed such as reservations or N.Carolina probably make a difference - since you can buy them legally, you just are not supposed to sell them.
If Firefly were still an operating universe, I'd be tempted to write an essay on what the fact that it paid to smuggle horses via spaceship showed about the economics of it.
People used to smuggle cigarettes out of virginia to the nawth all of the time.
And there was beer being smuggled (Coors? Bud?) the other direction in the cannoball run. Also a lot people buy cars in Oregon (no sales tax) to use in Washington State (big sales) tax. The buyer is supposed to report their purchase to the department of revenue, but that gets neglected a lot.
Good grief. We're talking about tobacco smuggling in the Tim thread and no-one has yet mentioned Sharon and Totem Mole. :)
Everybody have fun at the Expo this weekend?
I went to a film festival and was one of the judges. There was cake, it was great.
Also a lot people buy cars in Oregon (no sales tax) to use in Washington State (big sales) tax. The buyer is supposed to report their purchase to the department of revenue, but that gets neglected a lot.
I know people will go to New Hampshire from Mass (and I assume from Maine) for major purchases (new computers, for instance).
Does Virginia still have that personal property tax? I'm thinking of eventually moving back there, but that tax on every expensive thing you own sucked.
Tim's class was wonderful. We met Jackal, and Jackal's grandfather, and Tim was interviewed by Men's Health and Fitness magazine (!), and then we had pancakes.
I'm a complete loon and felt weirdly overprotective the whole time, coming close to throwing a temper tantrum when his A/V setup didn't make it into the room until a half hour after his class started. Oy. Chaotic weekend. There was a point where people were angrily standing in a very long line for a Pixar talk, and a few volunteers and I kept feeding them apples, cookies, chips, and passing out lots of water to keep them from cracking and ripping our throats out. Organization could have been way better.
Outside IHOP
Tim: I can't accept Standoff pitches from people.
Allyson: Can *I* give you a Standoff pitch? (emotional neediness implied)
Tim: Of course you can. (hairpat implied)
Allyson: I AM YOUR FAVORITE FAN!
Tim: eyes roll out of head and down street
