Question by Consul of Rome: Are you ready for this stupidity?
The increase in federal tobacco taxes that congressional Democrats are proposing to fund their new healthcare initiative is being praised by anti-smoking advocates as an effective way to discourage tobacco .
“We are strongly in favor of the SCHIP proposal,” Erika Sward, director of National Advocacy for the American Lung Association, told Cybercast News Service. “We see it as a win-win for children’s health.”
“The first win is that the cigarette tax will be increased by 61 cents, which will have a significant impact on youth smoking rates,” she said. “And the other win is that millions of children, including those with lung disease, will be able to have health insurance as a result.”
The tax hikes would include raising the federal cigarette tax from 39 cents to one dollar. Additionally, the tax cap on cigars would be raised from five cents to three dollars, a 6,000 percent increase.
So if they do this, and everyone stops smoking, where is the money going to come from to pay for the health care? I am so glad I offshore half my income before taxes these days.
Best answer:
Answer by mrstarware
People won’t need as much health care if lung cancer goes down from people not smoking.
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8 Comments until now
I’m so glad to find out that I’m not the only one against this one-sided TAX scheme claiming to bring health care.
I honestly do not like Bush, but this is the one issue I was glad to see him VETO…..
secondly, I’ve never seen the Federal Government actually use tax money the way they claim they are going to…..
>So if they do this, and everyone stops smoking, where is the money going to come from to pay for the health care?
The idea is that if everyone stops smoking, the government won’t need as much money to pay for health care.
If they really wanted people to quit smoking why not just close done the manufactures, we cant smoke if they don’t make them.
Apparently, those who support this bill don’t realize that the prices of cigarettes have gone up expotnetially over the years and the tobacco industry still has millions of loyal nicotine addicted customers.
Exactly. For the higher tax rate on tobacco to generate extra revenue to fund healthcare expansion, the same number of people must continue to smoke.
Look what happened in UK this year: smoking was not banned, merely made inconvenient, because the government now depends on tax revenue from smokers. The State has become the true addict.
exactly. and what’s to stop them from taxing other “unhealthy” activities?? before we know it we’ll be paying 8 dollars for a Big Mac, 300 bucks for a porno, 25 for a 6-pack of beer, and 600 per month for internet service… i have a HUGE problem with the government taxing the crap out of me to make me not do what they deem as unhealthy… where does it stop?? you wanna keep me from smoking in public places, fine.. but, you wanna do crap like this??? ridiculous… ESPECIALLY when it will be going to a bogus program like SCHIP.
HYPOCRITES! They are on both side of the issue…Some maniacs are talking about doing the same thing with Alcohol, coffee, tea and other legal substances because the attack on Smokers went so well. Why? they are calling them addictive drugs just like Illicit drugs and it’s coming from the Religious Zealots that are in need of psychotherapy and drugs to calm them down…If that’s the Case just make Gambling, smoking, alcohol, coffee, tea, soda drinks with caffeine in them and the rest Illegal, just like MaryJane!
What happened to No Taxation without Representation?
I like it, for one, it can help addicts get off nicotine, hence the word addict, which means they have no self control when it comes to smoking a cigar. Also, it keeps my damn air less polluted than what is already freaking is, I don’t need a bunch of fools polluting my air, especially in my damn face.
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