smokers tax
 

I guess congress is wanting a 156% tax increase on cigarettes.

I say go for it. The more they tax cigarettes, the fewer people there will be to smoke them.

Here's a link for it to call your legislator to overturn it:
[url=http://www.stopthefetincrease.com/]Welcome to the Philip Morris Legislative Action Center![/url]

Re: smokers tax
 

A tax increase probably won't stop people from smoking IMO.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=saden1;337367]A tax increase probably won't stop people from smoking IMO.[/quote]

Agreed, the outrageous price of gasoling shows that people are willing to adapt their spending to fit their lifestyle. It may help curb teenage smoking, though. Or it may boost convenience store robberies committed by teenagers.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=saden1;337367]A tax increase probably won't stop people from smoking IMO.[/quote]

Definitely won't stop it, not at all. But it will put more coin in the government's coffers, reducing the likelihood of them asking me to pay higher wage taxes in the future.

Works for me, I hate cigarrette smoke anyway.

Re: smokers tax
 

hopefully this will atleast slightly impact those sucking on deathsticks and make a few realize how much money they r wasting on that crap.

Re: smokers tax
 

tax um to death, maybe then they will quit that naste habit.

If they keep raising the tax some folks might just have to quit...let's see...? Food for family or Cigs @ 10 bucks a pack....?

Re: smokers tax
 

See, I don't get cigarette smokers.
If the government made Kung Pao Chicken way over taxed, guess what, I would no longer eat it.
The fact that cigarette smokers think this is a travesty is laughable.

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=skinsfan_nn;337403]tax um to death, maybe then they will quit that naste habit.

If they keep raising the tax some folks might just have to quit...let's see...? Food for family or Cigs @ 10 bucks a pack....?[/QUOTE]

sadly that would actually be a tough choice for some people hooked on em and even sadder is that a small amount would still buy the cigs

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=jsarno;337405]See, I don't get cigarette smokers.
If the government made Kung Pao Chicken way over taxed, guess what, I would no longer eat it.
The fact that cigarette smokers think this is a travesty is laughable.[/quote]
So how would you feel if this were an alcohol tax instead of a cigarette tax?

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=Lady Brave;337415]So how would you feel if this were an alcohol tax instead of a cigarette tax?[/QUOTE]

I would welcome it.
I'm not much of a drinker at all. If they did tax it, I would drop my intake over the course of a year significantly. (not that it's a lot now)

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=jsarno;337421]I would welcome it.
I'm not much of a drinker at all. If they did tax it, I would drop my intake over the course of a year significantly. (not that it's a lot now)[/QUOTE]

I am not sure how I feel about the tax. What's next, taxing fast food or non-organic produce? Or how about taxing people who fail to exercise or are obese and therefore and shifting tax burdens onto the general public?

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;337429]I am not sure how I feel about the tax. What's next, taxing fast food or non-organic produce? Or how about taxing people who fail to exercise or are obese and therefore and shifting tax burdens onto the general public?[/QUOTE]

Well, I think you have a point, but I do feel like cigarette are by far the worse of those evils.
You actually NEED to eat. Granted it's not all good food, but there is nutritional value in it, and it will keep you alive. Cigarettes and smoke, you don't need to survive.

Re: smokers tax
 

What about the prospect of taxing diapers, you know, for population control? It could lead to people having less kids thus reducing the number of poor and uninsured children.

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=saden1;337583]What about the prospect of taxing diapers, you know, for population control? It could lead to people having less kids thus reducing the number of poor and uninsured children.[/QUOTE]


LOL...that's absurd.
ps- back in the day they used cloth diapers and washed them...ie reused them. Just food for thought.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;337429]I am not sure how I feel about the tax. What's next, taxing fast food or non-organic produce? Or how about taxing people who fail to exercise or are obese and therefore and shifting tax burdens onto the general public?[/quote]

Taxing fast food is actually an excellent idea (as long as you're taxing the high-fat stuff and not the apples & oranges). I never even thought of that.

Non-Organic produce is going too far, of course. Because non-organic produce is good for you, unlike smoking and fast food.

Here in PA there already is an alcohol tax, and there should be.

Re: smokers tax
 

tax everything, what he f***? i could care less, because I'm a non smoker. but sheriff raises an excellent point. a subtle way of controlling certain things

Re: smokers tax
 

I'm really torn on this also. While I'm not worried about the tax because I rarely smoke (occasional cigar or hookah), but it comes down to what's next. To me, it all depends on how much farther this goes, if it just goes to Cigarettes, I'm fine with that.

To whoever suggested the tax on alcohol, while it would slow drinking a lot, it would also hurt economies. There are so many restaurants and bars that rely on alcohol to make their living.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Daseal;337599]I'm really torn on this also. While I'm not worried about the tax because I rarely smoke (occasional cigar or hookah), but it comes down to what's next. To me, it all depends on how much farther this goes, if it just goes to Cigarettes, I'm fine with that.

To whoever suggested the tax on alcohol, while it would slow drinking a lot, it would also hurt economies. There are so many restaurants and bars that rely on alcohol to make their living.[/quote]

Alcohol is taxed here in PA, and trust me, those businesses are doing fine.

People, increasing taxes on things like Smoking and Drinking are not going to change people's behavior, and the legislators know this. People are still going to smoke and still going to drink. The point isn't to get them to stop, the point is to subsidize government programs by taxing the people who cause a bigger financial burden on society (smoking leads to emphysema and heart disease which generally strike in old age, which affects how much the Federal Government pays out in the form of Medicare benefits).

Re: smokers tax
 

I must say that I find it interesting that many conservatives support cigarette taxes. Allowing the government to impose vice taxes is pretty "un-conservative."

Re: smokers tax
 

It's high time to start tossing the tea in the harbor!

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;337613]I must say that I find it interesting that many conservatives support cigarette taxes. Allowing the government to impose vice taxes is pretty "un-conservative."[/quote]
i agree. it seems like anytime someone talks about raising taxes, it must be the democrats.

Re: smokers tax
 

I am conservative and I support a cigarette tax absolutely. It is not a question of the government impinging on our rights...it is a public health issue. There is not even an iota of positive that comes from smoking. It is unquestionably bad for the smoker, probably bad for those around him/her and is a blight on our healthcare system. All the other things mentioned have some potential positives to them so to me they would require way more nuance. But cigs ought to be taxed out of existence if it were up to me.

Re: smokers tax
 

[B][I]Alcohol is taxed here in PA, and trust me, those businesses are doing fine.[/I][/B]

Isn't alcohol taxed in every state???

Re: smokers tax
 

If smokers are such a burden on the healthcare system, then you can say the same thing about overweight and obese people. Let's tax the crap out of high fat and fast food as well.

Re: smokers tax
 

I have a better idea, why don't we tax everything I rarely if ever buy? Tax guns, baseball gear, diapers & baby food, carrots, any shirt smaller than XL, contact lenses, and all things I don't buy.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;337613]I must say that I find it interesting that many conservatives support cigarette taxes. Allowing the government to impose vice taxes is pretty "un-conservative."[/quote]

So?

Can't somebody be conservative on some issues and liberal on others? Or has partisan politics become so deeply rooted in this country that people feel that you can't split from your party's consensus on anything?

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Lady Brave;337624]If smokers are such a burden on the healthcare system, then you can say the same thing about overweight and obese people. Let's tax the crap out of high fat and fast food as well.[/quote]

Amen, sister.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=mredskins;337622][B][I]Alcohol is taxed here in PA, and trust me, those businesses are doing fine.[/I][/B]

Isn't alcohol taxed in every state???[/quote]

More so here in PA. A case of beer typically costs $2-4 more than it would in VA. That's mainly attributable to tax differences.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Schneed10;337607]Alcohol is taxed here in PA, and trust me, those businesses are doing fine.

People, increasing taxes on things like Smoking and Drinking are not going to change people's behavior, and the legislators know this. People are still going to smoke and still going to drink. The point isn't to get them to stop, the point is to subsidize government programs by taxing the people who cause a bigger financial burden on society (smoking leads to emphysema and heart disease which generally strike in old age, which affects how much the Federal Government pays out in the form of Medicare benefits).[/quote]
We could list a ton of stuff that people do which they could stop that throws a burden onto society. So if want to tax people for this rweason then don't stop with cigs.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Schneed10;337629]More so here in PA. A case of beer typically costs $2-4 more than it would in VA. That's mainly attributable to tax differences.[/quote]

Hmmm...A six pack of coors Light in MD. is like $4.99. How much in PA?

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;337613]I must say that I find it interesting that many conservatives support cigarette taxes. Allowing the government to impose vice taxes is pretty "un-conservative."[/quote]
Which conservatives support the tax?

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=firstdown;337633]Which conservatives support the tax?[/quote]
My guess would be christian conservatives mostly.

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=Schneed10;337607]Alcohol is taxed here in PA, and trust me, those businesses are doing fine.

People, increasing taxes on things like Smoking and Drinking are not going to change people's behavior, and the legislators know this. People are still going to smoke and still going to drink. The point isn't to get them to stop, the point is to subsidize government programs by taxing the people who cause a bigger financial burden on society (smoking leads to emphysema and heart disease which generally strike in old age, which affects how much the Federal Government pays out in the form of Medicare benefits).[/QUOTE]

Yeah, earlier in the summer I visited TN and they tax the hell out of alcohol. For me, being broke made me seriously curb my alcohol consumption while I was there, but I saw tons of people in the hotel tossing them back and not thinking twice about it. It was a little crazy, we were paying NY prices.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=mredskins;337631]Hmmm...A six pack of coors Light in MD. is like $4.99. How much in PA?[/quote]
10.00 easy. maybe alittle less in some spots, maybe alittle more

Re: smokers tax
 

Dont add more taxes, cut the government waste.

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=firstdown;337633]Which conservatives support the tax?[/QUOTE]

All of those on this board.

Schneed, people should be independent minded and not stick to their "liberal" or "conservative" friends on every issue. My only point was that conservatives rarely walk the walk. Conservatives often talk about "small government" and "states rights," yet they are so often proponents of growing a larger and more powerful federal government.

Smoking is NOT just a public health issue. Cigarette taxes ARE also about big government and whether the government ought to try to influence individual behavior through taxes.

And there is something redeeming about cigarettes...people like them. Cigarettes are perfectly analogous to harmful fast food - both are totally unhealthy, no one HAS to consume fast food or cigarettes, but they are redeeming because people like them despite their ill health effects.

Re: smokers tax
 

The one difference is that cigarettes don't sustain you (some could argue that they do ;)) but fast food, as bad as it is for you, keeps you alive.

Re: smokers tax
 

[quote=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;337651]All of those on this board.

Schneed, people should be independent minded and not stick to their "liberal" or "conservative" friends on every issue. My only point was that conservatives rarely walk the walk. Conservatives often talk about "small government" and "states rights," yet they are so often proponents of growing a larger and more powerful federal government.

Smoking is NOT just a public health issue. Cigarette taxes ARE also about big government and whether the government ought to try to influence individual behavior through taxes.

And there is something redeeming about cigarettes...people like them. Cigarettes are perfectly analogous to harmful fast food - both are totally unhealthy, no one HAS to consume fast food or cigarettes, but they are redeeming because people like them despite their ill health effects.[/quote]
I'm pretty conservative and do not support this or any other new taxes. I do not have a problem paying taxes but do have a problem with the wast in local, state, and the federal goverment which needs to be addressed first. These new taxes will do nothing and will never make it to the progames which smoking burdens. Remember tha large law suit against the tobaco companies and how the states said they needed the funds to pay for the burden on their system from smokers? Little to none of that money ever made it to the programs which the states said it would go to. It just became more money that our goverment could wast on pork barrell stuff.

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=Lady Brave;337624]If smokers are such a burden on the healthcare system, then you can say the same thing about overweight and obese people. Let's tax the crap out of high fat and fast food as well.[/QUOTE]

My point is that the people who are over weight can be for many reasons. Some out of their control. Even the "bad foods" that some of them eat to become overweight are inherently bad for you. A "bad food" is only so when consumed in indulgent quantities. The problem of overweightness(not a word I know) is not one directly attributed to the food being bad as much as it is to genes and behavior. The bahavior is one of necessity too. We all have to eat. Some of us simply are able to control our behaviors moreso than others. I don't see how taxation is fair in this case.

As for cigartettes, they ARE inherently bad. They offer no reasonably positive attributes. They are not part of some necessary behavior. There isn't even a glint of positiveness associated with them. Ridding society of them is only positive(economic issues aside). I see no good reason not to tax the hell out of them. I see plenty of reason not to tax overweight people.

Re: smokers tax
 

[QUOTE=Sheriff Gonna Getcha;337651]Cigarettes are perfectly analogous to harmful fast food - both are totally unhealthy, no one HAS to consume fast food or cigarettes, but they are redeeming because people like them despite their ill health effects.[/QUOTE]

I really have to diagree. That "totally unhealthy" fast food is not inherently totally unhealthy. It contains nothing that other healthy foods don't also contain they simply have more of certain things that CAN BE unhealthy in great enough quantities. Fat is not bad for you in proper amounts. I simply cannot associate any real food with cigarettes. There isn't one redeeming quality about them. And "people like them" is not a redeeming quality. By that logic murder has redeeming qualities because some people like to kill other people.