‘Occupation’ tax a step too far

The Governor of Nebraska, Dave Heineman, has said that it would be unfair for the smokers ofOmahacity to be asked to pay an ‘occupation’ tax on cigarettes to help fund a new cancer unit at theUniversityofNebraska’sMedicalCenter.

Heineman said if he were a resident of the city, he’d consider passage of a smokers’ tax as “double taxation”.

Smokers were already contributing to the project via sales and income taxes paid to the state, he said.

Heineman had previously been at odds with the university over its fund-raising campaign for its planned $370 million cancer treatment and research center.

But he said that he had no plans to ask the Nebraska Legislature to rescind $50 million in funding approved earlier this year for the research tower portion of the project.