Here it comes Pennsylvania:

[ColdWaterConch]

HARRISBURG -- Gov. Ed Rendell did something today that governors almost never do: He proposed a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that, in terms of state funding, is lower than the current state budget.

His fiscal 2009-10 proposal is for $26.6 billion, which is less than the original $28.26 billion budget for fiscal 2008-09 and is also less than the revised 2008-09 budget of $27.7 billion.

-- snip --

While there is no general tax increase, Mr. Rendell, as expected, is calling for a 10-cent per pack increase in the $1.35 cigarette tax, and wants to levy a first-time tax on cigars and smokeless tobacco. The higher cigarette tax is expected to raise just over $1 billion, up from the current $782 million. The tax increase would take effect Aug. 1.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09035/946785-100.stm
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To his credit, he is cutting 100 programs and reducing 300 more programs...but given the dire condition of PA right now, it is very likely that his new "sin" tax increases will push through without much of a fight.

Between this and SCHIP, cigar smoking is gonna get really expensive. Might as well just switch exclusively to Cubans...