Who profits the most from cigarettes?
Government Tommy J. Payne October 23, 2002 While corporate accounting scandals are currently grabbing the headlines, we need to remember who perfected cooking the books: state and federal government. Their seemingly limitless lust for revenue makes their corporate brethren look like a bunch of choir boys. All levels of government have been known to engage in “creative accounting” to try to make the numbers add up. Most often, we associate this practice with Washington. But this year’s state deficits have been so big and so rampant that they’ve caused state legislators to elbow their federal colleagues aside in the dash for cash. Where can they go to get more money to cover the red ink that won’t go away? To cigarettes, of course. The golden goose of government – including the Golden State’s government. State and federal governments have a virtual monopoly on the profits from the sale of cigarettes. They make more money on each pack of cigarettes sold than anyone in the business – inclu
