smokers tax

[dmek25]

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

[Lady Brave]

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.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

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.

Amen, sister.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Lady Brave

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.

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.

[Daseal]

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.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Daseal

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.

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).

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

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).

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.

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

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).

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.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

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."

[dmek25]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

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."

i agree. it seems like anytime someone talks about raising taxes, it must be the democrats.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

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."

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?

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

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."

Which conservatives support the tax?

[Lady Brave]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Which conservatives support the tax?

My guess would be christian conservatives mostly.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Which conservatives support the tax?

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.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

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.

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.