The Human Cost of Taxation

The human cost of high taxation reared its ugly head yesterday as Lucky's Convenience Stores closed for good yesterday. Cause of death, according to owners? High cigarette taxes:

Judy Lynch, who owns the convenience store operation with her former husband, Charles A. "Bucky" Lynch, confirmed the closing in a brief telephone interview yesterday from the company's Pasadena headquarters. She blamed Maryland's $1-a-pack tax on cigarettes for taking a toll on the business, driving some buyers to other states such as Virginia, where the cigarette tax is 30 cents. About one-third of convenience store sales come from cigarettes, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.

"It's sent our customers out of state," said Lynch, adding that she was too distressed to say much more. "It was a crushing blow for us. Right now, I just want to go home."

I remember going to Lucky's since I was a kid. It is a shame that another local business has been forced to close because of the cost of doing business. If local businesses cannot survive because of high cigarette taxes, perhaps we should reconsider those taxes.