Do you see the irony in Smokers paying for Healthcare?

Question

Proposing higher taxes on cigarettes to pay for healthcare, has got to be the most stupid idea or the biggest scam I have ever heard. Forcing the proposed tax discourages the consumer to smoke in the first place because cigarettes are so costly, smokers are being forced to quit. Secondly the Clintons were the very ones who instigated lawsuits against the tobacco industry in the first place, calling it a drug and a big conspiracy by the cigarette manufacturers to sell more cigarettes. That forced the sale of cigarettes down. They helped put the bad name on cigarette smokers we see today. The whole country is banning smokers from public and I hear NY is trying to ban smoking in private apartments. Last but not least we have smokers who WANT to quit for health reasons and if the government has their way smoking will be banned altogether. I ask you, how is cigarette tax going to pay for healthcare?

Even though smokers might pay the extra tax. Lets face facts. Less people are starting smoking in the first place and the ones that smike now won't live much longer. So where is the money going to come from?

I do see some of your points here about driving the cost of healthcare down but this creates a short term solution only. Its a scam anyone with eyes can see it.

Gypsy Gal; I'm glad you brought that up. What about the cost drunk drivers cause this country. There's not many smokers sitting in prison costing taxpayers room and board. You don't hear about smokers causing traffic fatalities.

Answer 1

Taadaaaaaahhhhhhhhh....

Taxinging something that we are attempting to "ban" is like not taxing a bloody thing!

How about a tax on rubbers, or.. cell phones. Or perhaps a tax on the Internet??? ...Now there is a money maker!

Place a tax on SPAM... we'll make billions!

Answer 2

I think it's a cruel political trick that the democrats are playing on the whole country. First of all smokers need help quitting. If you think quitting smoking is easy then take up the habit for about a year and then try to quit. There is a chance you might not be able to for the rest of your life. That's how powerful the addiction is. Now here come the democrats wanting to promote nationalized healthcare to children of families who make too much money to qualify for medicare. I personally haven't seen any branch of the government operate efficiently enough, with the exception being the military, to justify why they think they could do a better job than the private sector. They just want power over it. That's all they want!!! Power! In the form of your taxes. I smoke, I don't have kids, and don't really feel like paying for anyone elses healthcare. Call me a cruel person for neglecting the children but if the democrats were doing this for any reason other than politics they would have chosen a more diverse and stable tax base to fund this program. You can't blame Bush for vetoeing it either. If the government can't pull it's head out of it's *** any further than that I don't feel to secure in putting them in charge of my healthcare. Look at the fine job they have done in other current government healthcare programs in this country. THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO LET YOU KNOW THAT LETTING THE GOVERNMENT CONTROL THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS A REALLY REALLY BAD IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

What's even more ironic is that they want smokers to fund this healthcare proposal...but they also want to drive smoking out of existence. I have never smoked and never will...but come on now. Leave people's private decisions alone! They even want a FEDERAL ban on smoking in public places...but this doesn't jive well with the whole smokers-funding-our-healthcare-plans thing...

Confused.

This is a clip of the Dems at the debate talking about wanting the federal ban.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qNMBSwoIGw

Answer 4

Sure tax the smokers they are mainly the poor.

Also I like to know what someone making 83K can't afford healthcare for thier children.

Plus you up the taxes what is going to happen when people stop smoking.

The will tax gas at 50 cents a gallon.

I like to see more of the scam the democrats to be outed now because in 08 it will be good bye for them.

When a democrats say it is for the children grap your wallet and say good bye to your money.

Answer 5

And here's the truth about this proposed shenanigan:


'SMOKERS IN US TO PAY FOR MIDDLE-CLASS WELFARE'

That's the way Rep. Mike Pence as he describes Congress' decision to fund the expansion of the S-CHIP by increasing the federal cigarette tax by 156%.

Democrats suddenly do not care about the concept of "regressive taxes," seeing as the average smoker is proven to earn a lower income than the average non-smoker. One-third of adults living in poverty are smokers. This is really no surprise, since research also shows that smokers are, on the average, dumber than non-smokers. Goes with the territory.

Rep. Jack Kingston, a Republican from Georgia, points out the fiscal irresponsibility of trying to fund a program entirely on a taxation of a declining revenue source. Kingston says that adequate funds needed for this program would require 22 million new smokers.

The truth here is that the Democrats know full well that they aren't going to be able to finance their massive expansion of this health insurance program with money from smokers. They're conning us, and we should be bright enough to understand that. (But then there's that government school thing).

Here's what is going to happen. Revenues from cigarette taxes will go down as the spending on the expanded S-CHIP program goes up. Democrats will then step forward and say that we just must have another tax increase – but only, of course, on the rich – to pay for the program. After all, nobody wants these children to lose their health care.

The expanded program will cause perhaps millions of households to drop their private health care plans in favor of S-CHIP. Then, when they're on the hook for the government

Answer 6

Why do they keep raising the cigarette tax? To compensate for all the smokers who quit which has significantly lessened... ALL THE MONEY THEY'VE COME TO LOVE!

Answer 7

There are studies which say the cost of cigarettes is about $2 a pack (increased health costs, fires started, 2nd hand smoke illnesses, lost work time ect). If true, then the tax on cigarettes is still too low.

Answer 8

The really funny thing is, to produce the revenues that Congress needs to fund SCHIP expansion through such a tax would require 22.4 million new smokers by 2017............

Answer 9

What????

It drives down smoking, you cite this yourself, but as fewer and fewer people smoke overall medical costs will go down since we don't have to pick up the costs for lung disease, cancer, heart failure etc....

At some point when the last smokers buyer dies and no longer buys their $5,000 pack of cigs we will need to figure something else out, what a great way to fund health care and discourage a habit I don't want to pay for with my taxes.

Answer 10

The entire thing is bogus and a ploy by the Democrats to trick Americans into socialized medicine.