Duarte USD Junior Olympics Track Meet
Senior Helpers® of San Gabriel Valley Receives 2017 Best of Home Care® – Provider of Choice Award
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Thursday, APRIL 6, 2017 - april 12, 2017 - Volume 21, No.14
Increase in Taxes on Tobacco, Nicotine Products Now in Effect
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alifornia voters approved Proposition 56, which increased the excise tax rate on cigarettes and expanded the definition of “tobacco products” to include any type of tobacco, nicotine, little cigars, and electronic cigarettes sold in combination with nicotine. On April 1, the cigarette tax rate will increase from $0.87 to $2.87 per pack of 20 cigarettes. In addition, the distribution of nicotine delivery devices – including, but not limited to, electronic cigarettes, e-cigars, e-pipes, vape
pens, and e-hookahs – sold in combination with substances containing nicotine will be subject to the current tobacco products tax rate of 27.30 percent of the wholesale cost of the product. Nicotine delivery devices sold independently and not in combination with any liquid or substance containing nicotine are not subject to excise tax. This includes any battery, battery charger, carrying case, or any other accessory used in the operation of a nicotine delivery device. Any product approved
by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration as a tobacco cessation product or other therapeutic purpose when that product is marketed and sold for such approved use (for instance, nicotine patches) will also not be subject to the excise tax. Additional information regarding the provisions of Proposition 56 is available online. You may also view the BOE’s online Cigarette and Tobacco Products Tax Guide, or watch our video, How new laws affect cigarette and tobacco products.
– Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News
Make Music Pasadena Festival Cancelled Indefinitely After nine years of bringing free music to the streets of our city with Make Music Pasadena, Old Pasadena Management District and the Playhouse District Association, coproducers of the festival, have made the decision to put the event on hiatus for 2017 and to evaluate its future viability. Current funding sources are not sufficient to finance an event that is entirely free to the public. Due to exponentially
rising costs in conjunction with a significant lack of funding from sponsorships and donations, Make Music Pasadena faced a $150,000 budget deficit, making it impossible to produce the festival for 2017. A proliferation of local and national music festivals has also made it a challenge to secure both talent and local media attention within a limited budget. The producing organiza-
tions remain hopeful that sufficient sponsorship might be achieved for a 2018 event, and altruistically-inclined white knights are encouraged to contact either organization to discuss details. That’s not to say that Pasadena will be without live music this summer: We are delighted that the Arroyo Seco Weekend Festival will join in the tradition of bringing local, regional, and national acts to the people of Pasadena.