I’m so proud. I already live in the state with the highest gasoline taxes in the nation and the highest toll rates in the nation. Now I find out my state of PA collects the most sin taxes in the nation. And my new governor doesn’t think we’re taxed nearly enough. He wants to double my income tax rates. Not to be outdone, the new communist mayor of Philly wants to inflict a sugar tax on the masses which will double the price of every beverage with sugar sold in Philly.
Don’t you love how these left wing politicians roll out gambling and taxes that inordinately hurt the poorest people the most. Poor people are much more likely to gamble, smoke and drink soda than rich people because they are dumb. Then they vote for the very same politicians who are screwing them. So it goes.
In total, states collected more than $32 billion by taxing tobacco-related purchases, alcohol consumption and gambling in 2014.
“As political pressure mounts to keep income and property taxes low, state legislatures have often turned to sin taxes to generate more revenue,” writes HowMuch.net’s Rebecca Lawrence. She said states have raised taxes on tobacco products 111 times between 2000 to 2015.
Wyoming registered the lowest 2014 tax tally at $26 million, with almost all of it from tobacco. As a result, you can barely see it on the map.
When it comes to alcohol, Texas is the only state to generate more than $1 billion in taxes. In fact, that number dwarfs the $452 million reaped by Florida in the second spot.
