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State tobacco taxes blocked on Yakama reservation

Saturday, September 13, 2008 11:49 AM PDT

By The Associated Press

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YAKIMA, Wash. — A federal judge has blocked Washington state from taxing cigarette sales at Yakama tribal smokes shops.

The ruling was issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Lonny R. Suko in a lawsuit brought by the Yakama Indians and some tribal business owners.

In July the state terminated a cigarette tax agreement with the tribe, claiming widespread sales of untaxed cigarettes to nontribal members. State officials also attempted to impose cigarette taxes on tribal smoke shops and told wholesalers not to accept the tribe's cigarette stamps — a move that halted shipments to smoke shops.

In their lawsuit, the Yakamas argue that they should not be required to have a cigarette tax agreement with the state. The tribe's tax is $16.20 a carton, compared with $20.25 a carton by the state.

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northender wrote on Sep 13, 2008 4:41 PM:

" I think it is time that each Indian tribe should open a fuel station!! Think of that tax and spenders?? You know who you are.... "

Rosey Glasses wrote on Sep 13, 2008 10:14 PM:

" That means that almost (or about) half of what is spent on a pack/carton of cigarettes is going to the government. The taxes on fuel/gasoline on top of that, property taxes, sales taxes... and why do they always want more? we must be their fat lamb! Anyone else sick of it? "

DUH wrote on Sep 13, 2008 11:29 PM:

" That's why I buy bag tobacco and tubes and make my own cigarettes. Roughly $15.00 a carton as compared to $50.00 "

viper wrote on Sep 14, 2008 8:56 AM:

" just our goverment wanting more money to give away for there dream projects that makes them money it's a win win situation with them everytime they have a fart they want more money for it except most of the Goverment Officals are some how exempt from these taxes they don't complain about them as it does not effect them they won't be happy until they have a perminate catheter in our butts so they can just take what ever they want when they want.kind of like the one the IRS has in our butts there moto (is you can have anything you want if you can figure out how to tax the pesants to pay for) :Viper "

viper wrote on Sep 14, 2008 9:04 AM:

" Either pay your taxes or we take everything you own and you go to jail! now the real question is, are we really free? Is this the freedom that our founding fathers really had in mind or just Goverment gone bad :Viper "

DW wrote on Sep 14, 2008 9:25 AM:

" Rosey, if you added ALL of the taxes that you pay, right down to the tax you pay on your phone bill, the average, American pays 48.7% of what they make in taxes. The higher income brakets pay more. The way to get people's attention is to stop ALL payroll deduction of income, state and FICA. Make the people write the check every quarter for the taxes they owe. This won't happen of course, because that would mean that the people have the power, not the government. Remember, governmant for the people, by the people is no more. We have devolved into government that comes at the people. Just ask the Yakama Indians. "

Kelso, WA wrote on Sep 14, 2008 4:01 PM:

" It's time for us to get rid of Reservations. They do natives absolutely no good. Just look at them. "

CHENEY119 wrote on Sep 14, 2008 5:26 PM:

" Great comments, half racist the other half borderline psychotic. Indian reservations are considered legally soverign nations, they have a completely different tax status. I don't expect the commenters to understand this fact or much of anything else. "

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