Tag: Business too

Detroit News

People in Michigan trying to return out-of-state cans and bottles for a dime per container refund could face jail time under legislation debated in a house committee.

The bills were taken up by the House Regulatory Reform Committee on Tuesday. If passed, someone who tries to return between 100 and 10,000 non-returnable containers could face a maximum fine of $1,000 or up to 93 days in jail. Current law sets penalties only for people who have returned fraudulent containers.

All this time, and money wasted on lawyers, and congresscritters haggling over subjecting folks to ongoing harassment on a damn borrowed dime.  Puuuure Michigan.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy today released its latest estimates for cigarette smuggling rates in 47 of the 48 contiguous states, including Michigan, which saw its overall rate increase 12.7 percent -- from just over 26 percent to almost 29.3 percent. Michigan has the 10th highest smuggling rate in the nation.

"People don't realize the degree to which government induces illegal and dangerous activity with bad policy," said Michael LaFaive, director of the Mackinac Center's Morey Fiscal Policy Initiative. "In this case, individuals cross borders for personal smokes and an organized, criminal class brings in contraband cigarettes by the van full."
...

"With high taxes on cigarettes, states are creating a 'prohibition by price,' and with all of the same consequences of real Prohibition," said LaFaive.

MORE

A federal appeals court struck down a Michigan law that forces beverage companies to put a special identifying mark on returnable cans and bottles sold in the state.

The court ruled Thursday that Michigan is illegally affecting interstate commerce by dictating where cans and bottles can be distributed.

That's because the law says containers with a special Michigan mark can be sold only in Michigan and states that also require deposits. Failure to comply is a crime.

Rest

Yeaaah!  Michigan, being only 1 of 10 Liberal states to have bottle deposits that's plagued with fraud, and stifling business, is now a deemed illegal, ripe for the pickings, lawyer fee boondoggle too.  But Scales, we need the bottle deposits tax to keep the Great Lakes clean.  Ya, right.  Go tell that EcoTerrorist crap to Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, who don't have bottle deposits.  It's ridiculous to keep revisiting this container deposit Law (beer, soft drinks, wine coolers) when juice pouches have exemptions, and everyone with their bazillions of 20 oz. water bottles never ever were included in the 10¢ shakedown.  Get with the times, Lansing.  The human chattel have been conditioned into recycling at their dwellings.  They pay for recycling bins with their rubbish pickup in their property taxes.  Repeal this outdated law, throw the damn beverage containers in recycling bins, and get the Hell out of businesses way.

OR, I'm calling Newman.