States and Towns Lean on Taxpayers.

The article reports that some state and municipal governments in the U.S., which are struggling with declining revenue, rely on taxpayers to raise money. A cigarette fee of 20 cents a pack that will take effect in October 2009 has been approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in California. The New York state has been accused by five retailing groups alleging that a new tobacco-registration fee was unconstitutional. The decision of California to revise its tax code to clarify the definition of what it means to do business in the state is cited.