Enough is enough!

To the editor:
We are among the nearly 1,700 retailers across Maine that sell cigarettes. As you know, Governor Baldacci has proposed increasing the tax on cigarettes by $1 per pack in an effort to balance a budget that represents a 12 percent growth in state spending. If approved, this will give Maine the largest cigarette tax in the country.
    In what has become a relentless pursuit to raise revenue, some members of the legislature feel justified in going back, year after year, into the wallets of smokers. What some fail to realize is that these tax increases ultimately hurt us, the retailers who sell these products. With a carton of cigarettes $25 less expensive in neighboring New Hampshire and as much as $45 per carton cheaper through the Internet, we stand to lose a good many customers if this increase is approved.
We join in urging members of the legislature to oppose the governor’s proposed tax increase. Presque Isle’s own Rep. Jeremy Fischer, as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, is in a unique position to help us defeat this new tax. Many of us supported Rep. Fischer in his campaign for public office. It would be a welcome display of support for local business owners to have him now publicly oppose the governor’s most recent attempt to balance the budget on the backs of our customers.     Isn’t it time for our legislators to look for ways to control spending instead of constantly seeking ways to generate more tax revenue? Together we say, “Enough is enough!”