Obama wants to raise tobacco taxes - again...

[American_Jihad]

obama intends to make illegal cigarette sales profitable.

I pay 20.90 a carton camel lights, no tax and delivered by us mail...

I also use Electronic Cigarettes, E-Liquids & eCig Accessories | Awesome Vapor

...

 

[Lovebears65]

This highly pisses me off - again. Not one penny of tobacco taxes goes toward smokers' healthcare - so why in the hell should smokers (tobacco users) be taxed to pay for children's healthcare and schooling?

On this - I say **** you, Obama!

What your dear leader does something you dont like .. Well he has been doing something I dont like since day 1 . Get used to it. Wait to Obama care fully kicks in LOL

 

[Lovebears65]

The people got what they voted for.

Everyone knew he wouldn't stop taxes.

It isn't that simple. He's taxing the wrong ******* people - again.

Elections have consequences .. You voted for him .. This is what you get

 

[Katzndogz]

obama intends to make illegal cigarette sales profitable.

I pay 20.90 a carton camel lights, no tax and delivered by us mail...

I also use Electronic Cigarettes, E-Liquids & eCig Accessories | Awesome Vapor

...

I love e cigarrttes. I have not had tobacco in over a year. Those who just know better are turning their attention to e cigarettes because it isn't about the danger of cigarettes. It never was. They don't like smoking behavior.

 

[Lovebears65]

The Daily Beast poses a good question. Obamacare considers smoking a pre-existing condition. So then, how can you justify taxing it (taxing cigarettes)? That would be like putting a tax on a birth defect or an inherited heart condition. Oh, wait, I better not give them any ideas.

 

[Lakhota]

The people got what they voted for.

Everyone knew he wouldn't stop taxes.

It isn't that simple. He's taxing the wrong ******* people - again.

Elections have consequences .. You voted for him .. This is what you get

We're discussing tobacco taxes - not all the wingnut conspiracy theories.

 

[Papageorgio]

The people got what they voted for.

Everyone knew he wouldn't stop taxes.

It isn't that simple. He's taxing the wrong ******* people - again.

Well, path of least resistance. Non-smokers won't stand up for smokers, and smokers themselves really detest their habit.

Personally, I think tobacco taxes are well intentioned (they are meant to encourage smokers to quit), but regressive. Working folks bear the brunt of them.

A fairer system would be no taxes on tobacco, but regulate it like a drug. You can only buy them with a doctor's note, with the understanding he's helping you try to quit, and he cuts you off if you get lung cancer or some such.

I don't think they are meant for anything other than producing revenue. As long as Uncle gets his take, then no problem. Just like the gas taxes which will be changing soon to accommodate the electric cars. It's called the greedy government.

 

[Lakhota]

My two favorite posts so far...

This highly pisses me off - again. Not one penny of tobacco taxes goes toward smokers' healthcare - so why in the hell should smokers (tobacco users) be taxed to pay for children's healthcare and schooling?

On this - I say **** you, Obama!

Mark this down, I agree with you. If you are going to levy taxes that serve as a punishment for undesirable behavior, at least use the money to offset some of the damage resulting from that behavior.

Turn a vice into something nice. The promise is often that new revenues generated from the vice will go towards saving children and puppy dogs. The promises are designed to give people that warm fuzzy feeling but never deliver on the full extent of the promise. Gambling and the Florida lottery are one such example. Sold to reluctant voters as a means of supplementing educational spending in Florida, 20 years later it has supplanted (replaced) state spending on education, allowing legislators to redirect spending to non-education areas. Florida has in fact dropped in spending per student and ranks near the bottom when compared to other states.

Enjoy that warm fuzzy feeling as long as you can.

 

[Jroc]

What other group or product is getting raped like this?

middle class white males???

Why, have their taxes DOUBLED?

Cigarette taxes 'disproportionately burden' the poor

-- New research finds that high cigarette taxes take a heavy toll on low-income smokers, compared to those who are wealthier.

In a study, researchers at RTI International found that poor smokers in New York state -- which has the country's highest state cigarette tax at $4.35 a pack -- spent about 25 percent of their household income on cigarettes. Nationally, the average spending was about 14 percent.

By contrast, the richest smokers nationwide and in New York spent about 2 percent of their household income on cigarettes.

"Excise taxes are effective in changing smokers' behavior," study author Matthew Farrelly, chief scientist and senior director of RTI's public health policy research program, said in an RTI statement. "But not all smokers are able to quit, and low-income smokers are disproportionately burdened by these taxes

Cigarette taxes 'disproportionately burden' the poor - New York News | NYC Breaking News

Oops...Caught in another lie.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8erePM8V5U]President Obama's Pledge Never to Raise Taxes on Anyone Making Less Than $250,000 a Year - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JoeB131]

It isn't that simple. He's taxing the wrong ******* people - again.

Well, path of least resistance. Non-smokers won't stand up for smokers, and smokers themselves really detest their habit.

Personally, I think tobacco taxes are well intentioned (they are meant to encourage smokers to quit), but regressive. Working folks bear the brunt of them.

A fairer system would be no taxes on tobacco, but regulate it like a drug. You can only buy them with a doctor's note, with the understanding he's helping you try to quit, and he cuts you off if you get lung cancer or some such.

I don't think they are meant for anything other than producing revenue. As long as Uncle gets his take, then no problem. Just like the gas taxes which will be changing soon to accommodate the electric cars. It's called the greedy government.

You mean the government that does what we ask it to do.

Here's the reality. We want government to do stuff, we don't want to pay for it.

Oh, we'd all like to cut the program we don't personally benefit from, just like we are all for the tax someone else pays.

"We have met the enemy, and he is us"- Pogo. (The comic strip character, not the poster.)

 

[Agit8r]

edit; clicked on wrong link m'bad

 

[American_Jihad]

Yanno.......................I chew tobacco (Copenhagen Long Cut in the red topped can is my favorite) and, if paying a bit more for my bad habit is going to help fund education, go ahead.

Matter of fact, you can increase it from the current price I pay at 3.50/can to 4.50/can.

I'd really like to see our kids educated.

And you know..........................if it's for the children to be educated, I don't really have a problem. If it gets too expensive, I'll quit.

But, if it's to educate kids, that may mean I won't quit until it's over 10.00/can and only after we're turning out at least one Einstein type child per school per year.

That's your choice, but not all tobacco users can afford that. First, Obama hit them with a 156% increase in 2009 and now he's planning to DOUBLE that again. I can also afford the increase - but that's not the point. It isn't right. It isn't fair.

I have a gift for you, enjoy...

 

[American_Jihad]

Lakihola save yo money...

...


It looks even more scandalous the deeper you dig. Obamacare mandates annual tobacco use penalties of up to $10,000 for a family of four purchasing health insurance through the new insurance exchanges. These penalties are not subject to any credit offsets, meaning that a family earning as little as $33,000 (138 percent of poverty) could face this $10,000 surcharge out of pocket, even if their base-level health insurance coverage were fully subsidized.

If the family contests this $10,000 smoking premium surcharge, they may trigger an IRS audit. When the IRS tests them for tobacco it will need to accurately weed out smokers from those who are exposed to second-hand smoke. At that point the ever-popular IRS audit may have to include taking samples of hair, urine or blood. In order to implement Obamacare, health plan income tax audits will become the next growth industry. Who is better positioned for this new line of business than H&R Block?

...

A 'scandal' that keeps | health, obamacare, insurance - Opinion - The Orange County Register

 

[jan]

The current federal tax on cigarettes is about $1 a pack, and President Obama’s proposal would increase that by an additional 94 cents.

Oh what would everyone do without the money we smokers pay into the Federal tax coffers?

Ya know...we should garner much more respect than we get seeing as we're propping up the government the way we do, keeping it out of bankrupcy! No respect, I tell you...no respect!

 

[Lakhota]

The current federal tax on cigarettes is about $1 a pack, and President Obama’s proposal would increase that by an additional 94 cents.

Oh what would everyone do without the money we smokers pay into the Federal tax coffers?

Ya know...we should garner much more respect than we get seeing as we're propping up the government the way we do, keeping it out of bankrupcy! No respect, I tell you...no respect!

Amen! Also, it would be nice if the government spent even one penny of tobacco taxes on smokers' healthcare - but it doesn't. Not one penny...

 

[American_Jihad]

The current federal tax on cigarettes is about $1 a pack, and President Obama’s proposal would increase that by an additional 94 cents.

Oh what would everyone do without the money we smokers pay into the Federal tax coffers?

Ya know...we should garner much more respect than we get seeing as we're propping up the government the way we do, keeping it out of bankrupcy! No respect, I tell you...no respect!

Amen! Also, it would be nice if the government spent even one penny of tobacco taxes on smokers' healthcare - but it doesn't. Not one penny...

Penalties of up to $10,000, better invest in electronic cigs...

Electronic Cigarettes, E-Liquids & eCig Accessories | Awesome Vapor

...

 

[auditor0007]

This highly pisses me off - again. Not one penny of tobacco taxes goes toward smokers' healthcare - so why in the hell should smokers (tobacco users) be taxed to pay for children's healthcare and schooling?

On this - I say **** you, Obama!

As an ex-smoker, I think we should tax the shit out of cigarettes, and I will tell you why. While it is unfair to those who are already addicted, the key to reducing smoking is to keep young people from starting. The more cigarettes cost, the more difficult it is for young teenagers and young adults to afford in the first place. That means a lot less young people start smoking and a lot less people become lifelong smokers.

The excuse that "it is my right to smoke" is all horseshit. Smokers who say that are just too afraid to quit because it's not easy, even though they know they should. Smoking doesn't add one positive thing to the smoker's life. Not one thing at all.

After smoking for 30 years and finally quitting, I have seen so many benefits to now being a non-smoker. I feel so much better. I was actually able to lose weight because I can now exercise and run. When I smoked, I used to get headaches a couple of times per week. Now I get a headache once every three months. My blood pressure is down to 110/65. My resting heart rate is down under 45. My cholesterol is down under 160. I can go on and on. My clothes don't smell like shit anymore. My hair doesn't smell like shit anymore. I've made a lot of new friends who are non-smokers. I probably will live much longer than if I continued to smoke, but the real benefit is that I will live those years well, and I will enjoy living them.

Yes, cigarette taxes are unfair, but I support raising them 100%.

 

[Lakhota]

This highly pisses me off - again. Not one penny of tobacco taxes goes toward smokers' healthcare - so why in the hell should smokers (tobacco users) be taxed to pay for children's healthcare and schooling?

On this - I say **** you, Obama!

As an ex-smoker, I think we should tax the shit out of cigarettes, and I will tell you why. While it is unfair to those who are already addicted, the key to reducing smoking is to keep young people from starting. The more cigarettes cost, the more difficult it is for young teenagers and young adults to afford in the first place. That means a lot less young people start smoking and a lot less people become lifelong smokers.

The excuse that "it is my right to smoke" is all horseshit. Smokers who say that are just too afraid to quit because it's not easy, even though they know they should. Smoking doesn't add one positive thing to the smoker's life. Not one thing at all.

After smoking for 30 years and finally quitting, I have seen so many benefits to now being a non-smoker. I feel so much better. I was actually able to lose weight because I can now exercise and run. When I smoked, I used to get headaches a couple of times per week. Now I get a headache once every three months. My blood pressure is down to 110/65. My resting heart rate is down under 45. My cholesterol is down under 160. I can go on and on. My clothes don't smell like shit anymore. My hair doesn't smell like shit anymore. I've made a lot of new friends who are non-smokers. I probably will live much longer than if I continued to smoke, but the real benefit is that I will live those years well, and I will enjoy living them.

Yes, cigarette taxes are unfair, but I support raising them 100%.

Good for you - but keep your anti-smoking fanaticism to yourself. I'm tired of smokers' rights being tied to children. Let the schools and parents educate children on tobacco. Tobacco, used in moderation, brings pleasure to many. Sure, it's a bad habit, but so are many things.

Using tobacco is a legal choice. Using pot is becoming a legal choice. Do you feel the same way about smoking pot? BTW, pot stinks worse than tobacco.

 

[auditor0007]

Maine will also be increasing taxes again (they just did a few months ago) by another 30 cents.

So it looks like the ciggies I buy will soon cost about $9.50 a pack.

FWIW when I started smoking as a kid they cost about 30 cents a pack and I made about 85 cents an hour washing dishes.

Wonder how many dishwashers are making $9.50 x 2.5 = $23.75 per hour these days?

Your example hits the nail on the head. When I started smoking, they were about $.75 per pack and I was earning $3.35 per hour. So I could buy at least four packs for working one hour. Today, kids making minimum wage will have to work one hour just to buy a pack of smokes. The great thing about this is that it has been and will continue to be effective at reducing the number of new smokers. Most smokers start smoking in high school or shortly after. If a person doesn't start smoking by the time they are 22 to 25, they are very unlikely to ever start.

As an ex-smoker who is now an advocate to get everyone to quit and to stop our young kids from starting, I can honestly say I'm pissed off at the tobacco industry and everyone for not doing more to get people to quit. When I look back at all the money I wasted on cigarettes and how much they cost me, not just monetarily but also in the loss of being able to do so many things I would have enjoyed, I just get sick to my stomach. I realize that in the end it was my choice and I am to blame, but God Dammit, the tobacco companies flat out lied to us for years.

Anyway, if you still are smoking, quit for God's sake. The positive changes start happening within a couple of weeks and it just gets better from there. I now run 15 to 20 miles every week, something I could not have done while I was smoking. Life is so much better without needing to go for that smoke once or twice per hour.

 

[auditor0007]

This highly pisses me off - again. Not one penny of tobacco taxes goes toward smokers' healthcare - so why in the hell should smokers (tobacco users) be taxed to pay for children's healthcare and schooling?

On this - I say **** you, Obama!

As an ex-smoker, I think we should tax the shit out of cigarettes, and I will tell you why. While it is unfair to those who are already addicted, the key to reducing smoking is to keep young people from starting. The more cigarettes cost, the more difficult it is for young teenagers and young adults to afford in the first place. That means a lot less young people start smoking and a lot less people become lifelong smokers.

The excuse that "it is my right to smoke" is all horseshit. Smokers who say that are just too afraid to quit because it's not easy, even though they know they should. Smoking doesn't add one positive thing to the smoker's life. Not one thing at all.

After smoking for 30 years and finally quitting, I have seen so many benefits to now being a non-smoker. I feel so much better. I was actually able to lose weight because I can now exercise and run. When I smoked, I used to get headaches a couple of times per week. Now I get a headache once every three months. My blood pressure is down to 110/65. My resting heart rate is down under 45. My cholesterol is down under 160. I can go on and on. My clothes don't smell like shit anymore. My hair doesn't smell like shit anymore. I've made a lot of new friends who are non-smokers. I probably will live much longer than if I continued to smoke, but the real benefit is that I will live those years well, and I will enjoy living them.

Yes, cigarette taxes are unfair, but I support raising them 100%.

Good for you - but keep your anti-smoking fanaticsim to yourself. I'm tired of smokers' rights being tied to children. Let the schools and parents educate children on tobacco. Tobacco, used in moderation, brings pleasure to many. Sure, it's a bad habit, but so are many things.

Using tobacco is a legal choice. Using pot is becoming a legal choice. Do you feel the same way about smoking pot?

Sorry, but very few people use tobacco in moderation because they become addicted to the nicotine. Here's the thing. I did what all smokers do. I told myself how much I enjoyed it, and I told myself that it was my choice and my right. The problem with all of that is that it was just the need to fulfill my addiction talking. In other words, I was lying to myself, just as you are doing. Most smokers will "claim" that smoking relaxes them. Of course it does. Getting your fix when you're going through withdrawal tends to relax all junkies. What you find out once you quit is that you will be relaxed all the time if you are no longer going through withdrawal.

As for pot, in limited amounts, it does much less damage to the lungs, and it is not addictive in any way. While I am not a big supporter of smoking it, I would rather see it legal than tobacco, because it is not addictive.