This image was lost some time after publication.

This is not a good day for wealthy New Yorkers who smoke and who also happen to rely exclusively on taxis to get around town. Gov. David Paterson is proposing temporarily raising tax rates on the state's highest earners, part of a plan to fill in a $18 billion budget gap; the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever goes into effect today, raising the price of a pack to $10 in some places; and now state lawmakers are weighing a 50-cent surcharge on cab rides to prevent the MTA from having to raise fares. Enjoy! [NYP, Newsday, WSJ]