Page 5
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tobacco puffers smoking mad, as Oregon
aims to collect cigarette tax avoided online
By CURRY COASTAL
PILOT, BROOKINGS
A few years ago, Joyce
Miller, 60, a smoker since
age 16, began buying ciga-
rettes on the Internet after
seeing an advertisement for
tax-free smokes.
Now the state of Ore-
gon wants to collect those
back taxes.
Miller; her friend,
Delma Olsen, and a number
of other Oregonians this
month received mailed no-
tices informing them that
they owe the state quite a bit
in back taxes. The notices
caught them off guard and
have most smoking mad.
The notices of tax delin-
quency received by Miller,
Olsen and the rest originated
in Salem.
Rosemary Hardin, pub-
lic information officer with
the state Dept. of Revenue,
said that the department was
directed by the Legislature
to collect the estimated mil-
lions in taxes that Internet
purchases have subverted.
She said that a public notifi-
cation effort began last year.
Hardin said that the
state collects approximately
$235 million in cigarette tax
each year, placing it fourth
in revenue behind income
tax, property tax and corpo-
rate tax.
She also said that the
state estimates 3 percent, or
15,000 people, in Oregon
are buying cigarettes online.
What quantities they are
buying is still unknown,
Hardin said.
Also unknown is how
some smokers notified by
the state will pay those
taxes. Miller said that she
orders about three cartons
every 30 to 45 days. When
she places orders, she also
orders for friends.
“The thing is, I ordered
for a lot of people because I
had Internet,” Miller said.
She’s not alone, she
said. Miller rattled off the
names of approximately six
Fund-raising Raffle Monday, Dec. 5
(winners will be notified )
Donation $1 each or 6/$5
Seven Feathers Casino -
Overnight stay/breakfast for 2
$50 Gift Certificates from:
Taylors Sausage
Shop Smart Food Warehouse
Dillon’s Nursery
Wild River Brewing & Pizza Co.
Treehouse Florist & Gifts
Rogue River Florist
Carlos Restaurante - Dinner for Two
Hand-painted China Plate
Contact Members for tickets:
Kathy Young 592-2420
Virginia Gilliam 592-2293
Jean McHie 592-6915
Dorothy Stohlman 592-4893
Kathy Simmons 592-6009
7iÊ
ÛiÀÊÞÕÀÊ
iÞ
>ÊÌÌi
VÃiÀ°
Pre-Christmas grinches
spoil holiday happiness
By ZINA BOOTH
IVN Staff Writer
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is a popular Christmas
special -- but not so fun when it happens to you.
On Monday, Nov. 28, the day after finishing most of my
Christmas shopping, I came home for lunch to find that some-
one else had saved themselves the expense and bother of
shopping -- by stealing my presents!
Despite finding my front door jimmied open, and the
back sliding door wide open, I disregarded all advice and pro-
ceeded through my house, screaming at whoever might have
been so unlucky as to still be inside.
Two DVD players were gone, with VCRs lying discon-
nected on the floor, apparently awaiting the next moving load.
Jewelry boxes lay empty on the floor.
Cabinets were open, food missing. Even my garbage can,
laundry baskets and blankets were stolen.
I hope those blankets keep the thieves warm and dry until
they get arrested and have their “three hots and a cot” pro-
vided by the county jail.
The part that made me physically ill was the missing
Christmas presents that I had purchased for my grandchildren
-- I sure hope the thieves’ children enjoy the “effort” their
parent put forth to acquire these presents.
Heaven forbid that the thieves get their gifts the way I did,
by working for the money and shopping to choose just the
right item.
By phoning the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office I.V.
Substation, and speaking with Cpl. Sean Rarey, I found that
this is a common occurrence. Between Thanksgiving and
Christmas, Rarey said they get “dozens” of these calls a day.
Rarey said that food is a biggie this time of year, citing
the recent break-in at Giant Burger, where thieves made off
with their whole food inventory.
Rarey offered suggestions on how to protect my home.
He said the best bet is to purchase an alarm system from Ra-
dio Shack. Unlike alarms systems monitored by security com-
panies, the shrill siren of an alarm is much more apt to dis-
courage would-be robbers.
Rarey said that another way home owners can protect
themselves is to be sure to have serial numbers on electronic
devices, and as detailed descriptions as possible on jewelry
and other stolen items. This information is then placed into a
databank, allowing thieves fencing items in a Portland pawn
shop to still be traced.
Dead bolts also help, although the loser who broke into
my house settled for prying open the metal door with my own
pruning tool. Motion detector lights might also discourage
would-be thieves.
Wooden dowels in sliding doors, and window locks also
help. But if a thief really wants to get in, he will.
Rarey stated that it is not uncommon for these thieves to
break into a house and make themselves a sandwich as the
rest of the household sleep peacefully.
All-in-all, says Rarey, there is no substitute for getting to
know your neighbors, and watching out for each other.
And a final “Bah, Humbug” to the derelict who stole my
children’s Christmas: Just remember the saying, “What goes
around, comes around.”
I sincerely hope the thieves get the Christmas they de-
serve.
Laureate Beta Beta Sorority
bacco products aren’t sub-
ject to local and state laws,.
State legislators across
the nation, watching ciga-
rette tax revenue affected by
on-line sales, have taken
action. Some, like Oregon,
have decided to collect the
tax from consumers.
That has caused some
tribes to quit shipping to
Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan,
New York, Washington and
Oregon. Others no longer
accept credit cards.
The Dept. of Revenue
in Oregon has received ap-
proximately 25,000 invoices
from distributors so far, Har-
din said. Approximately
4,000 have been processed,
and the first notices were
sent earlier this month.
friends who do the same
thing. Hardin said that Miler
and others in similar situa-
tions would be responsible
for paying additional taxes.
The discounts offered
by Internet distributors are
substantial. Cigarettes pur-
chased over the counter in
Oregon cost approximately
$30 a carton. Costs drop to
$10 to $25 a carton online.
Most of the online sites
that offer tax-free cigarettes
are based on Indian reserva-
tions, such as the Seneca
Nation in western New
York. Many tribes offer pre-
mium, generic and tribal
brands.
As with most goods and
services offered by Native
American tribes, their to-
/
iÊ *ÀiÃ`iÌ>Ê Õ>À>ÌiiÊ VVÕÌ IÊ ÃÊ >Ê ÌiÀiÃÌÊ i>À}Ê
V
iV}Ê>VVÕÌÊ}Õ>À>Ìii`Ê iÛiÀÊÌÊ«>ÞÊLiÜÊίÊΰä{¯ÊÕ>Ê
*iÀViÌ>}iÊ9i`® °Ê`]ÊÌ
iÀiÊÃÊ "Ê "1 /Ê t
iÌÊÌ
iÊ ÊvÊ>Ê>VVÕÌÃ
/
iÊ*ÀiÃ`iÌ>ÊÕ>À>ÌiiÊVVÕÌ
>`ÊÜiÊÜÊiÌiÀÊÞÕÊÊÕÀÊ`À>Ü}ÊÌÊÜ
>Ê
iV>ÌiÊ
iÃÃÊ-iÌÊ ,iÌ>ÊÛ>ÕiÊvÊf{]äää°ää®°
"Ê`ë>ÞÊ>ÌÊÕÀÊ{Ì
ÊEʺ»Ê-ÌÀiiÌÊvwÊVi°
ÕÀÀÞ]ÊÌi`Ê/i
"vviÀÊi`ÃÊiV°Ê£{]ÊÓääx
̽ÃÊ9ÕÀÊÛi°
GP murder suspect arrested
Burns resident Brian
Scott Kanuch, 40, has been
arrested and charged with the
2004 murder of a rural Grants
Pass resident, said Maj. Brian
Anderson of Josephine
County Sheriff’s Office.
Kanuch is charged with
three counts of aggravated
murder, murder, first-degree
burglary, first-degree rob-
bery, and three counts of
being a felon in possession
of a firearm, said Anderson,
who is undersheriff.
The body of Charles
Krugle, of Shadow Hills
Drive, was discovered May
12 last year.
“In spite of high case
loads and extremely short
staffing, sheriff’s investiga-
tors have arrested Kanuch for
the murder,” said Anderson.
He added that numerous
citizens provided information
during the past 18 months
“that proved invaluable.”
I"«i}ÊL>>ViÊÀiµÕÀi`ÊÃÊfÓ]xää°ää°Ê9ÕÊÕÃÌÊ>Ì>Ê>ÊfÓxä°ääÊL>>ViÊÌÊLÌ>ÊÌ
iÊ*9ÊÊÌ
ÃÊ>VVÕÌ°ÊÊÃ>ÀÊ>VVÕÌÊÃÊ>Û>>LiÊ
vÀÊÃiÊ«À«ÀiÌÀÃ°Ê >ÊÕÃÊvÀÊ>VVÕÌÊ`iÌ>ðÊ7iÊÕÃiÊÌ
iÊ`>ÞÊL>>ViÊiÌ
`ÊÌÊV>VÕ>ÌiÊÌiÀiÃÌÊÊÌ
ÃÊ>VVÕÌ°Ê/
ÃÊiÌ
`Ê>««iÃÊ>Ê`>ÞÊ
«iÀ`VÊÀ>ÌiÊÌÊÌ
iÊ«ÀV«>ÊÊÌ
iÊ>VVÕÌÊi>V
Ê`>Þ°ÊÀ>Ü}ÊvÀÊ
iV>ÌiÊ
iÃÃÊ-iÌÆÊ9ÕÊ>ÀiÊ>ÕÌ>ÌV>ÞÊiÌiÀi`ÊÜ
iÊÞÕÊ`i«ÃÌÊÞÕÀÊÌ>Ê
fÓ]xää°ää°ÊÊ>``Ì>ÊiÌÀÞÊÜÊLiÊ>`iÊvÀÊiÛiÀÞÊfx]äää°ääÊÞÕÊ`i«ÃÌ]Ê>vÌiÀÊÞÕÀÊÌ>Ê`i«ÃÌ°ÊÀ>Ü}ÊÌÊLiÊ
i`ÊiViLiÀÊ£ÈÌ
]ÊÓääx°
