Taxing ‘Poor People’

Why do Republicans hate poor people?

It’s all a plot, I tell you. The tobacco companies started putting carcinogens into the cigarettes fifty years ago, then the government turned about and decided smoking was bad. It’s all a plot to get us to quit smoking!Why?? Because tobacco contains the natural philotic blocking agents that keep the Shadow Government(tm) Black Helicopter (R) Mind-Control Technology out of your brain!!Yes, it’s the cigarettes or the tinfoil hat, I tell you…

Matthew,Black Helicopter, CHECKBIG BROTHER, CHECKSmoking until I die from coal miners lung, CHECKPaying for 9 million American children’s healthcare, PRICELESS”If you want to help babies have healthcare you can help.” “Go to local gas station.com”

Why do Democrats want to create more poor people?

Nice gig…Everyone acknowledges our country was built on tobacco roads…The gubment promotes smoking (free smokes during the WWars, anyone?) & fights like hell to defend the industry that has been proven to be outright evil in it’s corruption and duplicity.After suppressing years of documentation, only in the last decade or two have the ugly facts of the incredibly addictive nature of nicotine and manipulated nicotine levels become common knowledge.The fact remains that if tobacco had not existed until today, and it were to be ‘discovered’, and ‘introduced’ as a new medicine, ‘drug’, recreational outlet, or export product, it would be banned, and would be as black market as heroin. Which is funny, because recent research tells us that riding the the Marlboro “Camel” is just as -or more- addictive than riding the White “Horse”…Gubment helped with addiction problem, and now they tax the suckers who are a product of the environment??–Good gig.Maybe we could also increase the tax the Coffee and Tea addicts have to pay …–Tea Tax???Now there’s a novel idea!!

Thank you! I’m so sick of the whining about this – and I’m a smoker.And if it causes people to quit, good.I remember a while back Pat Buchanan saying it was unfair to minorities. Because, you know, he just loves them all so much.I think it’s pretty hilarious that all of a sudden they’re so concerned about the poor.

I quit smoking more than 10 years ago. I did it cold turkey and never ever cheated, although it took about two years to get over the nicotine cravings. What kept me going was the rising prices of cigarettes, my promise to myself, or (when the cravings became too strong) remembering how I coughed and nearly suffocated from breathing cigarette smoke in confined rooms.

I’ve had a friend that had to quit smoking because he simply couldnt afford it anymore. Thats a good thing, no?

I’ve been a smoker for over 20 years.I wouldn’t fit into the Republican’s 10% tax catagory, but between kids and college tuition I’m not exactly rolling in it.I’m not sure I agree with Bob’s view on addiction. I’m not sure that “Some people can quit, therefore all people could quit.” is logically supportable.But if my $150/mo smoking habit is about to turn into a $220/mo habit, I may need to think harder about how I might quit.And although I’m not happy about the price increase, knowing that the extra $$ is going to children’s healthcare takes some of the sting out.I know some ex-smokers had a relatively easy time quitting. It’s not that way for everyone. Right around election time last year, I managed to kick a pretty serious Oxycontin addiction.I’ve also tried to quit smoking.Matthew

MatthewN,Nah, you don’t have to quit. Just buy them from your local mafia, like I do. I won’t pay any taxes, but I’ll bet certain Democrats will blubber that buying cigarettes illegally isn’t “fair”.”No fair! You can’t avoid our tax! That’s naughty!”Bob, the only thing this new tax will accomplish is job security for certain Italian Americans, and other groups of individuals who live on the other side of the law. You know it, I know it, why bother denying it? The tax was poorly considered.Congratulations, you just gave a contribution to organized crime. Anything else we can do for you today?

Congratulations, you just gave a contribution to organized crime. Anything else we can do for you today?

Pooper, that’s got to be the single stupidest thing you’ve ever said on this site. Usually you’re pretty low key and make a good argument, but that comment is Red State crazy.But let’s play your game. Your comment was also a little racist. God knows, only the Italian mafia deals in black market cigarettes, right? And if smokers are that hard up to resort to illegal contraband to get their nicotine fix, then they’ll eventually be paying a lot more in legal fees than an added tax to supplement children’s health care.

Maybe we could take a look at the 3 biggest social health cost issues that are driving this crazy train here (and make up the main reasons people end up running up costs, and landing in hospitals).Alcohol, tobacco, and obesity.At any given point, 90% of the population in any hospital in the USA are there because of ailments related directly to or co-morbidly with alcohol, tobacco, &/or obesity issues; Issues that cost a lot of cash to address while they also diminish the possibility of favorable short and long term treatment outcomes.So?Tax the Big Mac.Take some Wampum out of the Whopper and also Tax KFC. The governemnt should take a daily chunk of cash from Coke and Pepsi (and all of them) to help offset the fact that diabetes is directly correlated to our national passion for sugar’d soda’s….That’s an expensive drink, guys.Derive a tax base from these fast-feeders (and unhealthy and over-sized potions, portions and servings) based on their unhealthy overdose of fat and calories and sugar per meal.Why don’t we address the real monster in the room, and not just the least PC (or least popular segment of acceptable) public addict -the smoker).Why should smokers be the only addict to be taxed for their (non-criminal) addiction? Alcohol and obesity are just as (or more) dangerous and bad for the nation.The ramifications of alcohol -and it’s addiction and it’s effects on society- are actually much worse than tobacco or obesity because there are usually multiple victims (and almost always more than 1 victim) in it’s abuse.But, we can’t tax alcohol because too many people would vote out of office anyone who tries to penalize them for their hobby or habit while knowingly adding to this countries escalating (strangling) healthcare costs…But the smokers, well, not so much.-That’s pretty fucked up.

“Your comment was also a little racist. God knows, only the Italian mafia deals in black market cigarettes, right?”Racist? Did I say that only Italian Americans engage in black market tobacco? No, I think I didn’t.Keep in mind that the purchasers of black market, or “illegal” cigarettes won’t be the ones paying huge legal bills. Rather, the sellers will pay.Carl, you know as well as I do that tobacco products are over-taxed, and that the black market will benefit from this tax increase. But, I suppose logic makes no sense to you, which is why my comment is stupid in your view.Tell me, why do you hate cigarette smokers so much?This is a case of elected officials singling out one sector of people, because it’s the popular thing to do.Let’s see how you like it when they put that kind of a tax on coffee, or on anything containing saturated fats. If we can single out tobacco, why can’t we also single out gambling proceeds, or litigation awards for an extra tax? How would you like to be in an accident, be awarded a $100,000 settlement, and have to pay Uncle Sam 60% of it because it’s popular to hate people who sue frivolously?Further to the point, why not accept a special tax for cell phone usage, which is rapidly becoming a killer on our nations roads? How would you like to pay over 50% of your cell phone bills to Uncle Sam?This isn’t about just the tobacco tax. It’s about our government’s willingness and precedence to single out one group of people for excessive taxation on purchases. If they can do it with cigarettes, they will do it on other things as well.

PPP -My comment regarding the stupidity of your comment was your assumption that a smoker’s first recourse would be to just go out and find black market cigarettes because the new tax would be too expensive for them to handle. Aren’t they already expensive? Cigarettes in NYC are $8 per pack. I don’t see any slowdown of legal cigarette sales.Do I hate smokers? No, I hate smoking.Cell phone usage? It’s illegal to operate a cell phone while driving unless you’re using a hands free device. You get caught and you pay a fine. So dopes who are stupid enough to do so already are paying a “tax” when they get caught.Is a slippery slope argument all you have? Well, hell why should I have to pay a gas tax when non drivers don’t? Why should I pay a local school tax if I don’t have any children?Nah, you don’t have to quit. Just buy them from your local mafia, like I do.

That’s great advice. Do you give that kind of financial advice as well?Here’s an idea: quit smoking. No tax, healthier lifestyle and you don’t have to worry about paying that discriminating smokers tax. Oh wait, you don’t. You get your cigs from Frankie the Squirrel off the back of a van. Have fun.

dswagz -Alcoholic beverages ARE heavily taxed.

Actually, quitting’s not even hard. I finally did it after thirty-three years of smoking 4-5 packs per day, and after probably twenty failed attempts. The only thing it took was understanding how easy it is. It’s the idea that quitting is hard that makes it hard. Once you learn to dismiss that notion, there is literally nothing to it.If anybody wants to quit, let me recommend the book “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking,” by Allen Carr. (No, I get nothing from this plug, it’s just that the book works.)Everyone I know who has read this book quit immediately after reading it. No substitutes, no patches, no weight gain, no nicotine fits, no nothing. Just quit.