Krugerrand
02-11-2010, 08:25 AM
Adding a $1 per pack tax to cigarettes could raise more than $9 billion a year for states, health advocates said on Wednesday, and a poll released with the study shows Americans would support such a tax.
The poll, conducted by International Communications Research, found 60 percent of voters would support the tax to help struggling states and would prefer it over other tax increases or budget cuts.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100211/pl_nm/us_tobacco_tax;_ylt=Apiw6s2fAKviucmxTGfLwa2s0NUE;_ ylu=X3oDMTNpcXNpNXE3BGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTAwMjExL3VzX3 RvYmFjY29fdGF4BGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDNwRw b3MDNARwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3 QEc2xrA3Vzd291bGRyZWFwYg--
People just don't get it. I'm not a smoker ... but I see no rationale as to why the smokers of the world should shoulder a higher percentage of the tax burden.
I blame our acceptance of tax deductions, credits and rebates ... It's perfectly acceptable to push the tax burden onto somebody else.
Of course, there is no discussion on the negative consequences of these "reaped billions." How would people have otherwise spent their money? Is that less restaurant business? It it less home improvements? Even if the projections are correct ... that $9 billion would now not go somewhere else.
And, my favorite gem of the whole cigarette tax:
"We have irrefutable evidence that raising the tobacco tax lowers smoking rates among adults and deters millions of children from picking up their first cigarette," Seffrin said in a statement.
How are we going to get this promised revenue if people quit smoking???
Oh, how I wish election day were April 15th.
The poll, conducted by International Communications Research, found 60 percent of voters would support the tax to help struggling states and would prefer it over other tax increases or budget cuts.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100211/pl_nm/us_tobacco_tax;_ylt=Apiw6s2fAKviucmxTGfLwa2s0NUE;_ ylu=X3oDMTNpcXNpNXE3BGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTAwMjExL3VzX3 RvYmFjY29fdGF4BGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDNwRw b3MDNARwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3 QEc2xrA3Vzd291bGRyZWFwYg--
People just don't get it. I'm not a smoker ... but I see no rationale as to why the smokers of the world should shoulder a higher percentage of the tax burden.
I blame our acceptance of tax deductions, credits and rebates ... It's perfectly acceptable to push the tax burden onto somebody else.
Of course, there is no discussion on the negative consequences of these "reaped billions." How would people have otherwise spent their money? Is that less restaurant business? It it less home improvements? Even if the projections are correct ... that $9 billion would now not go somewhere else.
And, my favorite gem of the whole cigarette tax:
"We have irrefutable evidence that raising the tobacco tax lowers smoking rates among adults and deters millions of children from picking up their first cigarette," Seffrin said in a statement.
How are we going to get this promised revenue if people quit smoking???
Oh, how I wish election day were April 15th.