Metro

Bloomberg to Paterson: Time to tax Indian smokes

Mayor Bloomberg wants to turn the New York State Thruway into the Wild West.

On his weekly radio show this morning Bloomberg advised Gov. Paterson to put up a good fight against cigarette retailers on Indian reservations who peddle tobacco tax-free.

“I said to David Paterson, I said, ‘You know, get yourself a cowboy hat and a shotgun. If there’s ever a great video it’s you standing in the middle of the New York State Thruway saying you know read my lips, the law of the land is this and we’re going to enforce the law,’” hizzoner said.

He was referring to the ongoing court battle between the Seneca Indian Nation and the federal government. A federal judge in Buffalo yesterday ruled against allowing the Senecas to continuing mailing cigarettes to customers while they appeal an earlier ruling.

The Senecas in 1997 set up burning tires on the Thruway to protest the state collection of sales tax on what they viewed as their land.