Jump to full article: MyCentralJersey.com (Bridgewater Courier News/East Brunswick Home News Tribune), 2010-03-12
Author: PaperG
Intro: Which makes it puzzling why the Somerset County Park Commission wants to start selling cigars at its five courses.
Even more bewildering is that the decision to start selling cigars comes after the park commission was criticized in a 2007 independent report for not collecting sales tax on cigars. That caused the park commission to stop selling cigars.
"I think it's a terrible development," Freeholder Director Jack Ciattarelli said about selling cigars at the golf courses. "And the notion of government being in the business of selling tobacco on recreational grounds is awful."
Ciattarelli said he will ask County Counsel Thomas Miller to determine whether it's legally permissible for a governmental agency to sell tobacco products on county-owned property.
But even if it's legal, is it proper? . . .
The park commission has the admirable goal of improving the quality of life for Somerset County residents and it does a very good job working toward that goal. But selling tobacco products is directly contrary to that goal.
Let's hope the park commission scrambles from the rough and gets back on the fairway by rejecting this proposal.
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