2007-07-18 07:59:46 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
The feds and states already impose heavy sin taxes on tobacco -- to the point that gov't makes more money from the sale of each pack of cigarettes sold than the tobacco companies do. It would be the same for a Big Mac tax.
2007-07-18 08:07:46 · answer #1 · answered by nileslad 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think helping people quit smoking is a good thing.
But this is a bad way to go about it.
This naively assumes that cigarettes have a very elastic demand and it will go down as prices go up.
Not true. Addiction itself is a disease. Addiction reduces the elasticity of the product.
Heroine is really expensive, after all, but does that matter to the addicted?
Now, fat taxes are different, but if a double cheeseburger on the dollar menu were to be as expensive as a Subway sandwich, what are the poor going to do for cheap food?
People eat cheap, greasy foods because they are cheap, so by raising the prices artificially, you're just keeping people from eating (in a sense).
Demographically, the people who smoke and the people who eat fast food are the working poor. These taxes are an insult to them, and do little to help them, either with their finances or with their problems.
2007-07-18 15:05:42 · answer #2 · answered by 1848 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. While I oppose all taxes, sin taxes are just a slap in the face. I hate the way our nanny state decides to punish our bad behavior by taxing specific products we consume. What are we, children? I should be able to make my own decisions regarding what I put inside my body.
2007-07-18 15:04:35 · answer #3 · answered by TheOrange Evil 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
absolutely not. this is fascism under the guise of "taxes for health care and prevention".
it's envirowhacos and others telling people how to live and taxing habits they don't agree with to create a bureacracy to give themselves jobs and make them feeeeeeeeeeel good about what they're doing. so then they can slap each other on the back proud of their fascism.
2007-07-18 15:03:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
They should have a stink tax. Every time you F@rt, you'll be charged according to how bad it smells. Maybe they could put a meter in everone's butt.
2007-07-18 15:04:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
no way. We should do away with the Federal income tax and the inflation tax also.
2007-07-18 15:03:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely not.
The state has no right to decide what is "good" or "bad" for me. I can do that myself. As long as I'm not infringing on anyone else's rights I should be left to my own devices.
2007-07-18 15:02:41 · answer #7 · answered by macDBH 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sure, as soon as they impose taxes on people like you, who ask idiotic questions.
2007-07-18 15:06:58 · answer #8 · answered by Not Me!! 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The government should not--*must* not--force people to be healthy if they choose not to be.
We must always be free to make our own choices in life, whether those choices are good or bad.
2007-07-18 15:22:39 · answer #9 · answered by Mathsorcerer 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Republicans have been doing it for decades, so why change now?
Isn't health care costs a sin tax too?
2007-07-18 15:03:07 · answer #10 · answered by Darth Vader 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋