Massachusetts will very likely raise its tax on cigarettes by another dollar/pack.  Given that New Hampshire has a problem with its budget balancing act, will the NH Democrat majority see this as an opportunity to  pull the trigger on another increase in our state cigarette tax?

I bet they have itchy fingers.

Leaving things as they are will probably attract a significant number of patrons to the border towns even with the price of gas being what it is.  That increased revenue on the existing tax could be a windfall of it’s own, but Democrats as a rule are bad economists.  Can Gov. Lynch and the lynch mob resist the urge to up the tax just enough to try and pull in even more tax dollars?

We’ll have to keep an eye on it.

[Updated]

Recent figures are available (this courtesy of The Nashua Telegraph) on revenu from New Hampshires last tax increase on smokes…

A 24-cents per pack increase last July 1 didn’t bring in the desired revenue. The tax fell $18 million or 10 percent short of its target