Beer Pong Anyone?

[Zoom-boing]

Yet another example of government stupidity:

Outrage brewing over proposed 1,900% beer tax hike
Lawmakers say tax will help budget; brewers warn of lost jobs

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Five Oregon state lawmakers want to impose a hefty tax on beer and have introduced a bill that brewers say would cripple them.

Four Portland legislators joined a Springfield senator to introduce Oregon House Bill 2461, which would impose a $49.61 tax on each barrel of beer produced by Oregon brewers.

The tax would raise revenue for the state at a time when budgets are running in the red. Specifically, the bill says it would fund prevention, treatment and recovery programs for those addicted to alcohol and other substances.

The bill's language defends the tax by arguing alcoholism and “untreated substance abuse” costs the state $4.15 billion in lost earnings as well as more than $8 million for health care and nearly $1 billion in law enforcement-related expenditures.

Outrage brewing over proposed 1,900% beer tax hike | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington


Sooo, they want to raise the tax on beer by 1,900% to pay for . . . . treatment for alcoholics? And when the beer companies go bellyup? Do these guys ever think? This is just like the tax on cigarettes paying for schip increase . . . . but then they turn around and include $75 million in the porkulous package for smoking cessation plans.

Where's that island they're stuck on, on Lost? I want to go to there.

 

[dilloduck]

Apparently there is no shortage of "stupid" in America. Let's export it.

 

[WillowTree]

Apparently there is no shortage of "stupid" in America. Let's export it.

but where do libwals wanna go?

 

[catzmeow]

This is fucking retarded. Do most alcoholics even DRINK BEER? Because, frankly, it takes a hellalot of beer to keep a buzz. It's kind of a bad cost/benefit analysis, when you think about it.

 

[tigerbob]

Yet another example of government stupidity:

Outrage brewing over proposed 1,900% beer tax hike
Lawmakers say tax will help budget; brewers warn of lost jobs

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Five Oregon state lawmakers want to impose a hefty tax on beer and have introduced a bill that brewers say would cripple them.

Four Portland legislators joined a Springfield senator to introduce Oregon House Bill 2461, which would impose a $49.61 tax on each barrel of beer produced by Oregon brewers.

The tax would raise revenue for the state at a time when budgets are running in the red. Specifically, the bill says it would fund prevention, treatment and recovery programs for those addicted to alcohol and other substances.

The bill's language defends the tax by arguing alcoholism and “untreated substance abuse” costs the state $4.15 billion in lost earnings as well as more than $8 million for health care and nearly $1 billion in law enforcement-related expenditures.

Outrage brewing over proposed 1,900% beer tax hike | Local News | kgw.com | News for Portland Oregon and SW Washington


Sooo, they want to raise the tax on beer by 1,900% to pay for . . . . treatment for alcoholics? And when the beer companies go bellyup? Do these guys ever think? This is just like the tax on cigarettes paying for schip increase . . . . but then they turn around and include $75 million in the porkulous package for smoking cessation plans.

Where's that island they're stuck on, on Lost? I want to go to there.

Next will be a tax on firearms manufacturers to pay for all the gunshot wounds / deaths, as well as the police time taken in investigating gun crimes.

 

[michiganFats]

Does Oregon have a bunch of third graders running the legislature? I don't think the tax increase is the worst part of this.

Page 1 of the Bill takes some liberties with certain "facts" and "definitions" in order to justify their money grab.

This Bill is only 3 pages long, yet they also managed to contradict themselves regarding the disposition of the tax money. At least in my State the legislators make an effort to hide their money-grubbing.

Once again, politicians attempting to hide their greed and conceal their earlier failure to properly manage public money by using the old "for the good of the public" song and dance.

 

[editec]

Well, all they'll be doing is encouraging home brewers if they do that.

Sin taxes are a sin.

And yes, I recognize that my LIBERAL CHUMS are big supporters of those.

That's one of the reasons no truly liberal organization is ever truly happy when I walk through their door.

If you think my sarcasim in harsh in print, you ought to feel the effects of it when I deliver it to you in person.

 

[catzmeow]

This is the part of me that is libertarian. I don't believe in sin taxes (though I don't have huge issues with taxes on cigarettes--that's my one exception).

 

[michiganFats]

Sin taxes tend to go too far. Cigarette taxes are a perfect example. I haven't paid retail price for cigarettes in over two years. The taxes got to be so ridiculous that we now have a black market. I actually have to call my dealer Instead of paying $55 for a carton at the store, I pay $30. And the packs have tax stamps on them. All our tax has done is make some dirty bureaucrat(s) rich. And if the beer tax goes up much more here, rest assured there will be a black market in beer. And why is this happening? Because the politicians believe in picking on unpopular sub-groups of society.

 

[catzmeow]

It's not our fault that smoking is a nasty habit.

And what's with the flipping of your butts all over the planet? Gah-ross.

You people should have to pay out the wang to support your gross behaviors.

 

[michiganFats]

It's not our fault that smoking is a nasty habit.

And what's with the flipping of your butts all over the planet? Gah-ross.

You people should have to pay out the wang to support your gross behaviors.

Doesn't really matter. If a tax goes high enough, it will be evaded, whether you think the habit is gross or not. As far as the littering goes, I agree. I've seen guys who were standing right next to a butt can throw them on the ground.

 

[catzmeow]

Doesn't really matter. If a tax goes high enough, it will be evaded, whether you think the habit is gross or not. As far as the littering goes, I agree. I've seen guys who were standing right next to a butt can throw them on the ground.

NOt that I'm violent or anything, but when I see a person butt litter, I want to pick that smouldering butt up and grind it into his liver.

 

[tigerbob]

Sin taxes tend to go too far. Cigarette taxes are a perfect example. I haven't paid retail price for cigarettes in over two years. The taxes got to be so ridiculous that we now have a black market. I actually have to call my dealer Instead of paying $55 for a carton at the store, I pay $30. And the packs have tax stamps on them. All our tax has done is make some dirty bureaucrat(s) rich. And if the beer tax goes up much more here, rest assured there will be a black market in beer. And why is this happening? Because the politicians believe in picking on unpopular sub-groups of society.

Do you have any idea how badly counterfeit cigarettes are fucking you up compared to legal ones? It's like night and day. Plus of course the people the money eventually goes to are the scum of the earth - no different to the Coke cartels in Columbia (except the cigarette ones are in China).

 

[catzmeow]

Do you have any idea how badly counterfeit cigarettes are fucking you up compared to legal ones? It's like night and day. Plus of course the people the money eventually goes to are the scum of the earth - no different to the Coke cartels in Columbia (except the cigarette ones are in China).

And people say social darwinism doesn't work.

 

[tigerbob]

Do you have any idea how badly counterfeit cigarettes are fucking you up compared to legal ones? It's like night and day. Plus of course the people the money eventually goes to are the scum of the earth - no different to the Coke cartels in Columbia (except the cigarette ones are in China).

And people say social darwinism doesn't work.

Harsh but funny...

 

[catzmeow]

Harsh but funny...

I should probably get that on my tombstone.

 

[michiganFats]

Tigerbob, they're not counterfeits. They're Marlboros. With a real tax stamp. That "fell off of a truck".

 

[auditor0007]

Well, all they'll be doing is encouraging home brewers if they do that.

Sin taxes are a sin.

And yes, I recognize that my LIBERAL CHUMS are big supporters of those.

That's one of the reasons no truly liberal organization is ever truly happy when I walk through their door.

If you think my sarcasim in harsh in print, you ought to feel the effects of it when I deliver it to you in person.

Sin taxes are regressive in nature. The poorer you are, the larger the percentage of your budget is taken up by liquor and cigarettes. The percentage of tax increase to the poor is much higher than it is to those making more money.

 

[tigerbob]

Tigerbob, they're not counterfeits. They're Marlboros. With a real tax stamp. That "fell off of a truck".

You are aware that counterfeiters are really good at faking things like tax stamps, right?

But if you've inspected them and are satisfied, maybe they are contraband rather than counterfeit, in which case they're just fucking you up a normal amount.

But the money still basically goes to organized crime. If you're comfortable with that....

 

[catzmeow]

Sin taxes are regressive in nature. The poorer you are, the larger the percentage of your budget is taken up by liquor and cigarettes. The percentage of tax increase to the poor is much higher than it is to those making more money.

So? I don't have any issues with making it more difficult for poor people to smoke given that I am probably paying for their healthcare costs.