Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
PER
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Bloomberg
On Monday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg called for a further rise in the city's portion of the cigarette tax during testimony in which he scoffed at parts of the governor's proposed budget as deeply flawed and unfair to New York City. In comments to reporters after his testimony at the Legislative Office Building here on Monday afternoon, Mr. Bloomberg indicated that he believed a rise of 50 cents a pack was possible as there's a correlation that if cigarette taxes are raised, fewer children would go and smoke. Mr. Bloomberg said the extra revenues would go toward new public health initiatives to reduce smoking. Michael R. Bloomberg was the mayor, and he was called called for a further rise in the city's portion of the cigarette tax during testimony in which he skewered parts of Gov. George E. Pataki's proposed budget. Mr. Bloomberg said he would lay out his ideas for a higher cigarette tax in his State of the City and make a more detailed proposal when he unveils his own budget plans a few weeks later. Mr. Bloomberg indicated that he believed a rise of 50 cents a pack was possible after checking his testimony at the Legislative Office Building he commented to reporters.