Native Americans Sue State After Smoke Shop Raid

[Guest Nevermortal]

http://www.turnto10.com/news/2333182/detail.html

 

I saw the raid on the news yesterday at about 1. It was total chaos. Check out the video. Its hard to believe that this was all over tax-free cigarettes. It looked as if they were seizing pounds of cocaine or marijuana.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

This doesn't surprise me, seeing how low-cost smokes also help fund terrorist operations...

[Guest Ripper]

Well, it was necessary. The state could lose HUNDREDS of dollars if non-indians aren't taxed. BTW, can you really do that. Charge people different amounts of money because of their race. And what about me, my grandmother was Seminole Indian...can I get some smokes tax free or like pay 1/4 the tax...I don't get the law.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

It's the white man's way of saying "sorry," when a more befitting apology would be to finally treat them equal.

[Guest Ripper]

Or give them the west coast back.

[Guest Cancer Marney]

Well, it was necessary. The state could lose HUNDREDS of dollars if non-indians aren't taxed.

Was this sarcasm?

 

BTW, can you really do that.  Charge people different amounts of money because of their race.

No.

 

And what about me, my grandmother was Seminole Indian...can I get some smokes tax free or like pay 1/4 the tax...I don't get the law.

The law is simple. Certain Red Indian tribes are recognised by the United States as sovereign nations and their land is considered sovereign territory. They are not subject to state laws or state taxes (although federal law remains binding), and if this raid was conducted on sovereign Narragansett territory, then this raid was illegal.

 

A tax on sales is paid by shop owners, not by customers. Shop owners usually pass on the cost of the tax through increased prices. However, since state sales taxes do not apply on Red Indian territory, they can afford to sell cigarettes at significantly lower prices than shops on state-owned land. The only way a state could legally gain any income from goods sold on Red Indian territory would be to impose a duty tax, which would be impracticable unless they want to seal off the territories somehow - which would violate more accords with the territories than I can count.

 

The race of any customer is completely irrelevant, and the article's contention that federal agents have ever attempted to determine this is ridiculous and false.

[Guest Ripper]

Oh, okay, because that sounded weird to me. I was trying to see how could they enforce the "non-indian" part.

 

And yes, that first part was sarcasm. they had $900 freakin dollars so far. Take away the man power and other cost to perform the raid, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that it wasn't necessary at all.

Edited July 15, 2003 by Ripper