States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes

[Zoom-boing]

Just a year after smokers were slapped with the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever, public health advocates are urging states to follow up with their own cigarette tax hikes to offset declining revenues lost in the recession and to press more people into giving up smoking.

A new report by a coalition of public health organizations says states could raise more than $9 billion in new annual revenue by increasing cigarette taxes by $1 per pack.

The report, "Tobacco Taxes: A Win-Win-Win for Cash-Strapped States," argues that the taxes also would cause more than 1.2 million adult smokers to quit, prevent more than 2.3 million kids from becoming smokers and save $52.8 billion in health care costs.

FOXNews.com - States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes

Here we go again. Eeeeevil smokers are once again targeted.

 

[chanel]

You can't increase revenue when people quit. What a bunch of dishonest a-holes. Pick a goal and stick with it morons.

NJ lost millions the last time they raised the tobacco tax. Hellooooo...

 

[Gadawg73]

Just a year after smokers were slapped with the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever, public health advocates are urging states to follow up with their own cigarette tax hikes to offset declining revenues lost in the recession and to press more people into giving up smoking.

A new report by a coalition of public health organizations says states could raise more than $9 billion in new annual revenue by increasing cigarette taxes by $1 per pack.

The report, "Tobacco Taxes: A Win-Win-Win for Cash-Strapped States," argues that the taxes also would cause more than 1.2 million adult smokers to quit, prevent more than 2.3 million kids from becoming smokers and save $52.8 billion in health care costs.

FOXNews.com - States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes

Here we go again. Eeeeevil smokers are once again targeted.

And beer drinkers.

Legalize reefer and taxit at 15K a pound.

I have some great advice. A tax time tid bit. There is a secret way to avoid tobacco taxes. Quit smoking.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Just a year after smokers were slapped with the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever, public health advocates are urging states to follow up with their own cigarette tax hikes to offset declining revenues lost in the recession and to press more people into giving up smoking.

A new report by a coalition of public health organizations says states could raise more than $9 billion in new annual revenue by increasing cigarette taxes by $1 per pack.

The report, "Tobacco Taxes: A Win-Win-Win for Cash-Strapped States," argues that the taxes also would cause more than 1.2 million adult smokers to quit, prevent more than 2.3 million kids from becoming smokers and save $52.8 billion in health care costs.

FOXNews.com - States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes

Here we go again. Eeeeevil smokers are once again targeted.

And beer drinkers.

Legalize reefer and taxit at 15K a pound.

I have some great advice. A tax time tid bit. There is a secret way to avoid tobacco taxes. Quit smoking.

That's exactly what many will do, which will reduce the revenue uncle was going to get from the tax. Why do you hate those poor kids on SCHIP? Don't be a hater be a smoker so all the children sing.

 

[Harry Dresden]

And beer drinkers.

Legalize reefer and taxit at 15K a pound.

15 thou a pound??....thats WAY more than what a pound even costs.....

 

[Xenophon]

I have some great advice. A tax time tid bit. There is a secret way to avoid tobacco taxes. Quit smoking.

Is the goal to get people to quit or to raise badly needed money?

 

[Oddball]

How do you raise more revenue by forcing people out of the taxed activity?

 

[Zoom-boing]

I have some great advice. A tax time tid bit. There is a secret way to avoid tobacco taxes. Quit smoking.

Is the goal to get people to quit or to raise badly needed money?

Yes.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

Like one trick ponies.

 

[Polk]

That's exactly what many will do, which will reduce the revenue uncle was going to get from the tax.

Yeah, they say that then never actually do.

 

[Againsheila]

Just a year after smokers were slapped with the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever, public health advocates are urging states to follow up with their own cigarette tax hikes to offset declining revenues lost in the recession and to press more people into giving up smoking.

A new report by a coalition of public health organizations says states could raise more than $9 billion in new annual revenue by increasing cigarette taxes by $1 per pack.

The report, "Tobacco Taxes: A Win-Win-Win for Cash-Strapped States," argues that the taxes also would cause more than 1.2 million adult smokers to quit, prevent more than 2.3 million kids from becoming smokers and save $52.8 billion in health care costs.

FOXNews.com - States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes

Here we go again. Eeeeevil smokers are once again targeted.

Cigarettes are not a necessity...I have no problem taxing them, or alcohol. BTW, it was a raise in the cigarette taxes that caused my parents to quit smoking. It was wonderful visiting them those last 13 years they were alive.....I still lost my mom to lung cancer.

My father in law smoked most of his life and is now paying for it with emphysema.

I'm also okay with taxing yachts....highpriced cars, etc. In short, I have no problem with "luxury taxes".

 

[Oddball]

Cigarettes are not a necessity...I have no problem taxing them, or alcohol. BTW, it was a raise in the cigarette taxes that caused my parents to quit smoking. It was wonderful visiting them those last 13 years they were alive.....I still lost my mom to lung cancer.

My father in law smoked most of his life and is now paying for it with emphysema.

I'm also okay with taxing yachts....highpriced cars, etc. In short, I have no problem with "luxury taxes".

Completely irrelevant to the dynamic at play.

If one of the alleged reasons to raise taxes on smokes is to motivate some to quit, that doesn't jibe with the other reputed reason with the tax increase of raising more revenue.

Likewise, it has also been conclusively proven that luxury taxes harm the working class people who produce those items, more so than any supposed offset realized increase in tax receipts.

 

[chanel]

Not only stupid policy but those dang unintended consequences again...

To fully appreciate the impact that declining cigarette sales have on New Jersey's convenience stores, it is important to know that cigarette sales account for 47 percent of in-store sales. So, when smokers stop patronizing convenience stores, the stores loose other purchases too.

In a study of 1.2 million recent customer transactions, BALVOR found that a typical cigarette purchase was accompanied by $3.06 of other purchases. Combining this analysis with the expected decrease in cigarette sales caused by the tax hike, BALVOR concluded that convenience stores would lose $185 million in total sales next year. That loss translates into a $3.3 million sales tax revenue loss. So, in fact, the cigarette tax increase will result in a $15 million total revenue loss.

Organized crime and street gangs have benefited too. Seeing the value in trafficking cheap cigarettes, these criminals started a cigarette black market. It's an easy way to finance their other nefarious activities, such as buying guns. As a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives official recently told The Philadelphia Inquirer, " Do it right and it's like free money. It's the best thing since Prohibition."

Stupid Tax Policy | Gregg Edwards - NJ.com

 

[Missourian]

As an aside...

The states that are kicking ass balancing their budgets?

Montana - Deficit 0

North Dakota - Deficit 0

Wyoming - Deficit 0

South Dakota - Deficit 32 Million

​

States sucking hind teat?

New Jersey - Deficit 7 Billion

Illinois - Deficit 7 Billion

New York - Deficit 17.9 Billion

California - Deficit 33.9 Billion​

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How is your state doing?

Check it out here - - Many Eyes: State Budget Deficit Map (2010 Estimates)

 

[Againsheila]

Cigarettes are not a necessity...I have no problem taxing them, or alcohol. BTW, it was a raise in the cigarette taxes that caused my parents to quit smoking. It was wonderful visiting them those last 13 years they were alive.....I still lost my mom to lung cancer.

My father in law smoked most of his life and is now paying for it with emphysema.

I'm also okay with taxing yachts....highpriced cars, etc. In short, I have no problem with "luxury taxes".

Completely irrelevant to the dynamic at play.

If one of the alleged reasons to raise taxes on smokes is to motivate some to quit, that doesn't jibe with the other reputed reason with the tax increase of raising more revenue.

Likewise, it has also been conclusively proven that luxury taxes harm the working class people who produce those items, more so than any supposed offset realized increase in tax receipts.

Let's face it, our lawmakers don't know what the heck they are doing, nor do they care. I have no problems with higher taxes that cause people to quit smoking. IMO that's a win for us even if it's a loss for our representatives.

As for your "conclusive" prove...I'd like to dispute it, but that would take another thread, and quite frankly, I don't have the energy. We've had no "luxury" taxes in play long enough to determine any long term outcome, at least, not in this state.

 

[mudwhistle]

Just a year after smokers were slapped with the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever, public health advocates are urging states to follow up with their own cigarette tax hikes to offset declining revenues lost in the recession and to press more people into giving up smoking.

A new report by a coalition of public health organizations says states could raise more than $9 billion in new annual revenue by increasing cigarette taxes by $1 per pack.

The report, "Tobacco Taxes: A Win-Win-Win for Cash-Strapped States," argues that the taxes also would cause more than 1.2 million adult smokers to quit, prevent more than 2.3 million kids from becoming smokers and save $52.8 billion in health care costs.

FOXNews.com - States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes

Here we go again. Eeeeevil smokers are once again targeted.

But...but...Obama said he would never raise our taxes one single dime.

 

[Oddball]

As for your "conclusive" prove...I'd like to dispute it, but that would take another thread, and quite frankly, I don't have the energy. We've had no "luxury" taxes in play long enough to determine any long term outcome, at least, not in this state.

New Luxury Tax Trimming Boat Sales - NYTimes.com

Falling Tax Would Lift All Yachts - NYTimes.com

Why did the government repeal the luxury tax on expensive yachts in 1993?

 

[Againsheila]

Just a year after smokers were slapped with the single largest federal tobacco tax increase ever, public health advocates are urging states to follow up with their own cigarette tax hikes to offset declining revenues lost in the recession and to press more people into giving up smoking.

A new report by a coalition of public health organizations says states could raise more than $9 billion in new annual revenue by increasing cigarette taxes by $1 per pack.

The report, "Tobacco Taxes: A Win-Win-Win for Cash-Strapped States," argues that the taxes also would cause more than 1.2 million adult smokers to quit, prevent more than 2.3 million kids from becoming smokers and save $52.8 billion in health care costs.

FOXNews.com - States' Budget Woes Ignites Debate Over Raising Tobacco Taxes

Here we go again. Eeeeevil smokers are once again targeted.

But...but...Obama said he would never raise our taxes one single dime.

and you believed him????

 

[Againsheila]

As for your "conclusive" prove...I'd like to dispute it, but that would take another thread, and quite frankly, I don't have the energy. We've had no "luxury" taxes in play long enough to determine any long term outcome, at least, not in this state.

New Luxury Tax Trimming Boat Sales - NYTimes.com

Falling Tax Would Lift All Yachts - NYTimes.com

Why did the government repeal the luxury tax on expensive yachts in 1993?

None of your cites is a study, only opinions. Again, it wasn't in effect long enough to determine if it was a failure or not. As for buying their boats overseas, that could easily be solved, if our government wanted to solve it. Just like they could bring our jobs home, if they wanted to bring them home, and stop illegal immigration if they wanted to stop it.

 

[Zoom-boing]

That's exactly what many will do, which will reduce the revenue uncle was going to get from the tax.

Yeah, they say that then never actually do.

Yes, they do.

Cigarettes are not a necessity...I have no problem taxing them, or alcohol. BTW, it was a raise in the cigarette taxes that caused my parents to quit smoking. It was wonderful visiting them those last 13 years they were alive.....I still lost my mom to lung cancer.

My father in law smoked most of his life and is now paying for it with emphysema.

I'm also okay with taxing yachts....highpriced cars, etc. In short, I have no problem with "luxury taxes".