Everyday there are fewer and fewer SMOKERS,they quit or they die.
Does it make good sense to pass anything to be funded only by a tax on SMOKERS?
Everyday there will be less money to support the program and they'll end up taxing everybody .
2007-11-04 04:08:32 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
smokers are bad people...they are pariahs...and it is okay to tax them....
we...(yes i am a smoker), feel guilty for doing this filthy habit and so we ALLOW ourselves to be taxed into oblivion...we don't unite...we don't talk back....
we put up with whatever trash society/government wants to throw at us...
we truly are second class citizens....
well okay...so i am a militant smoker...and can get rather nasty if someone "offends" me by commenting on a habit i choose to do... but my main point is this...
the government can tax the bejesus out of smokers because when all is said and done... nobody cares....they do it because they can....
i love your observation about the fewer smokers...that is indeed insightful...and just where will they turn when there are too few smokers to support the programs?
my theory? the obese are the next target... food bad for us will become the new cigarettes... mickeyD's will become a salad shop with $10 burgers.... hersheys chocolate will have to charge a bundle for it's fare... and regular potato chips... better take out a loan for those puppies...
yes..the obese, like smokers are ashamed of their "habit"...and are easy marks as well... they will not put up a fight... and will tolerate the same kind of taxation smokers have been enduring... because well...
it is unhealthy to be obese you know... and they will be the "new" drag on our medical services....
2007-11-04 04:53:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Honestly, I think there will always be smokers. I have friends who smoke. Their children see them smoke, and we largely learn what we live.
There may be fewer smokers, but there will always be smokers.
Is your question really a smoke screen (couldn't resist the pun) to attack some mysterious "they" out there who is going to raise your taxes as evidenced by the words in the question "they'll end up taxing everybody"?
2007-11-04 04:22:02 · answer #2 · answered by Arby 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Democrats wanted to fund the socialist expansion of s-chip
with a huge smokers tax per pack!
Funny how they want to help the poor, but place a hardship
on poor people who smoke!
Take from one hand and give with the other thru a huge
bureaucracy!
2007-11-04 22:33:05 · answer #3 · answered by realitycheck 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The current "addiction tax" structure where alcohol and tobacco are hit hardest is probably the only government revenue article that is readily accepted by tax-payers. From my experience it hasn't affected very many smokers or drinkers for that matter. My fellow teachers, counsellors and deans are heavy smokers and don't seem to care what price they pay for the priveledge. I don't think there is a strong enough lobby to form a counter-tax group.
2007-11-04 06:37:57 · answer #4 · answered by ugandanprince 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You may need to question your basic assumption that there are fewer smokers. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) 20.9% of American adults are smokers. However, 28.5% of American high school students are smokers (and, though I found no data on this, I am willing to bet that most high school drop-outs are smokers). So, the younger generation has a higher percentage of smokers than older aged Americans.
Additionally, I suspect most cigarette related tax programs are aimed at preventing, treating, or reducing the effects of smoking - so it is appropriate for smokers to 'pay' for these programs.
Lastly, the higher price of cigarettes may help to reduce the incidence and amount of cigarette smoking.
Best wishes.
2007-11-04 04:23:04 · answer #5 · answered by Doctor J 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Non-smokers think about this:
The government publically promotes stop smoking campaigns and yet the government collect hundreds of millions of dollars yearly in tobacco tax. Say they are successfull and smoking is eliminated or nearly eliminated. Where do you think they will go to make up those hundreds of millions in tobacco taxes? The government (both state and federal) surely will not just do without it, they will look towards other sources such as increases in property taxes, increases in fuel taxes, sales taxes, alcohol taxes, or they may just create some other user tax to offset the loss.
2007-11-04 04:33:10 · answer #6 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The amount of additional tax revenue is about 3 times the cost of the schip increase, which more than makes up for the declining number of smokers.
2007-11-04 04:36:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
At present, when a country like the UK wants more revenue, they tax the smoker, drinkers and car drivers.
Who will pay the taxes when the oil runs out, the smokers quit and the drinkers stay sober?
You and me - that's who!
2007-11-04 04:21:53 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Sure it makes sense.
If you kept up on what our government does, much more, you would realize that something only needs funded one way temporarily until something else is finished being paid, and then the budget changes once again.
So you see, we have 100 billion a month going to help people in Iraq, and once that is done, that 100 billion a month can go on something for Americans once again.
banning it would have huge consequences on the economy. They are only following Con views on the situation.
2007-11-04 04:22:07 · answer #9 · answered by avail_skillz 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I smoke, but don't mind paying my fair share of the tax to help fund health programs.
BUT...if they keep raising the cigarette taxes, a black market will emerge. It happened in Canada. Something to think about.
2007-11-04 04:10:53 · answer #10 · answered by Villain 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋