While I disagree with a lot of Obama's fiscal policies, including most of his tax policies, I have to agree with him on this one. Cigarettes cost the health care system such a disproportionate amount of money that they should be taxed at a higher rate. The article is correct in stating that the poor are more likely to smoke and be affected by this tax....they are also more likely to be on public air or have no insurance thereby costing taxpayers more money directly or indirectly (by higher healthcare costs passed on to those with insurance) because of this vile habit and the many diseases caused by it. Tax the hell out of cigarrettes and put this toward the healthcare "fund" that he's creating. Besideds I can't tell you how many times I hear a pack per day smoker bitch about the cost of something else (perhaps medication, food, etc), yet they have endless resources for their $4-5 a day habit.
Posted by sofatater (Member # 4209) on :
I've been waiting for someone to bring this up. Seems everyone forgot when George Bush (DubYuh's Daddy) said "Read my lips, no new taxes" and did it anyway. It's politics!
But lambskin and Footgirl are right. I'm a former smoker and I know first hand about the effects of smoking and the things I did without just so I could afford a pack of smokes. The money that the tobacco companies paid out when the law suit was settled was supposed to help states with the burden of health care from the effects of smoking. Unfortunately the crooked f___ing lawyers got most of it. So, if were going to overhaul health care, I believe the funding should come from those that are using the resources the most. It's pretty basic thinking.
Posted by Andy-Laa (Member # 31511) on :
Yeah - it's a b;urry line as to whether I smoke or not, but it does make sense I have to say... HOWEVER, he's an IDIOT to anger a large portion of his electorate. This will cost him votes.
Posted by Toetapper (Member # 6473) on :
It is to laugh that people believe a word that comes out of Obama's teleprompter. As far as taxes:
Do you smoke? Your taxes are going up. Do you pay utility bills? Your taxes are going up. Do you drive? Your taxes are going up. Do you use a cell-phone? Your taxes are going WAY up.
As a smoker, you'll get no argument from me that it is a very unhealthy thing. A number of advisers to our Beneficent Leader were opposed to taxing unhealthy things that Americans do because the citizens would eventually quit these things and become healthier which would lead to a population that lived longer which would create a burden that our Nationalized Health Care (a crock in itself) could not afford; we need more people dying faster!
Posted by sofatater (Member # 4209) on :
It makes no difference who's in office. If you're living in the United States at any time in in your life, your taxes will increase. Period. That's how governments get money to spend on whatever programs the current administration sees fit to spend it on. Bitching about who is raising the taxes for this and that at this time is moot. It doesn't matter who's in charge. Taxes will go up. (gotta have a way to fund all those programs here and abroad.)
How did a politician get into office in the first place? He/She sure as hell didn't pay his/her own campaign debts. They "raised" the money. They solicited it from others. Granted those "contributions" were voluntary. But in reality, they were just taxes being paid by the concerned parties that wanted their particular candidate to win.
There are people from all over the world on this board. Anybody out there got things any better? How many years has it been since you've seen any kind of tax increase?