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I agree. I smoke occasionally too. (when I'm out on the weekends).
But if you're going to make the unhealthy foods more expensive (which I have no problem) they have to have a way of making the foods that are actually good for you cheaper.
It seems that our government is quick to tax tobacco because of its associated health issues and their costs. The tax is supposed to fund health insurance for the nation's children.
Just think of the amount of taxes that would be available if every order of french fries, every burger, every type of chip, every candy, every packaged snack were taxed. Raise the taxes on alcohol and video games and the tax revenues would be overwhelming.
America could also begin growing its own fruits and vegetables instead of importing them from overseas. That might just stimulate employment and make for some more jobs.
I agree. I smoke occasionally too. (when I'm out on the weekends).
But if you're going to make the unhealthy foods more expensive (which I have no problem) they have to have a way of making the foods that are actually good for you cheaper.
You all are unreal,stick it to em,but low and behold someone stick it to you about something you enjoy,then you wave around the Bill of Rights and ball about oppression.
Look just get it over with,call for a end to the Constitution,write your new declaration of whatever,build more jails and start a "final solution" for all smoking,junk food eating,drug using,drinking undesirables.Come take me away on a rail car.......if you can
Maybe it's time to put a sin tax on the second greatest health problem facing Americans. Obesity.
puhlease, not a chance most of our food is processed many other countries do not process their foods.
look at all the chemicals put into the food we consume, to me this is a greater danger than smoking. but no one cares nor is it an issue, the second part of obesity is consumption. how your(not you actually) gonna blame a fast food chain for something you keep buying because you got fat? blame yourself, have self control.
people who sue or try to sue fast food or anything similar need a reality check go out and exercise
It seems that our government is quick to tax tobacco because of its associated health issues and their costs. The tax is supposed to fund health insurance for the nation's children.
Just think of the amount of taxes that would be available if every order of french fries, every burger, every type of chip, every candy, every packaged snack were taxed. Raise the taxes on alcohol and video games and the tax revenues would be overwhelming.
America could also begin growing its own fruits and vegetables instead of importing them from overseas. That might just stimulate employment and make for some more jobs.
we do grow our own fruits etc where you been, its also cheaper to import crappy foods thanto use our own i think?
Hey, I would much rather be able to go to the store, buy a chicken breast, some tomatoes, green peppers, onions and make kabobs for cheaper than an oven bake pizza or or a #5 at Wendy's.
Single motherhood is a far greater cost to this nation than smokers. We should heavily tax single parents (those who chose to become single by choice, not single as a result of divorce) instead of subsidizing them. Remember, if you tax something you will discourge it and decrease the numbers of it. If you subsidize it you will get mroe of it.
I agree...the government actually promotes single parenting by offering the Earned Income Credit. I prepare individual income taxes and quite frequently encounter customers who admit they won't get married because they would lose their $4800 free money every year. (Not saying that married individuals can't get the EIC, but when you are married, you combine the incomes, so usually together a couple makes too much to qualify)
Now with the new American Recovery Act, they are increasing the EIC amounts and also allowing the credit for 3 children instead of 2.
I agree...the government actually promotes single parenting by offering the Earned Income Credit. I prepare individual income taxes and quite frequently encounter customers who admit they won't get married because they would lose their $4800 free money every year. (Not saying that married individuals can't get the EIC, but when you are married, you combine the incomes, so usually together a couple makes too much to qualify)
Now with the new American Recovery Act, they are increasing the EIC amounts and also allowing the credit for 3 children instead of 2.
Wow. Lot of strange folks. Does the Government promote smoking in a similar way that controls the population?
The tax on loose (your "bulk") tobacco increased over TWO THOUSAND PERCENT.
The SCHIP bill includes the two largest tax increases in United States history.
Yeah, a wee bit more than "double"...
These taxes were also thrown in in a last minute rewrite of the bill, on page 273 (of 285 pages). It was rushed to the floor after only one hour for comments. I'll bet you were incensed about congress passing the PATRIOT act without bothering to read it. Where's your outrage now?
You do realize that your beloved government will soon be looking to tax your Internet connection, right? How does a penny-per-meg sound to you? When that day comes, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be right here, digging up all the threads and all the posts where non-smokers were advocating draconian tax increases on cigarettes and throwing them right back in their faces in their threads proclaiming that the new Internet tax is "unfair"...
This statement is very, very scary. Thank goodness that the vast majority of Americans don't agree with this type of thinking and value their FREEDOM.
First of all, "tongue-in-cheek" doesn't carry through the keyboard, but I think you must admit that both the tobacco tax, and an obesity tax are in the same league. The tax increase that hits hardest is the raise in taxes on cigarettes because therein lies the major use, but the smokeless tobacco and bulk tobacco are the hardest hit. You are correct.
Secondly, I smoked for over 30 years and quit many years ago. I'm not one of those "rabid quitters" who want to impose their smokelessness on others, but quite the opposite. I oppose any tax that singles out a segment of our society for taxation, with the ultimate goal of discouraging an activity. That's using the government tax whip to achieve an agenda, and government has no right in that respect. Seat belts are another example. Simply none of the federal government's business, since the government has no constitutional ground for behavior modification.
My view of government is similar to Ronald Reagan:
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Yes, I was incensed about the Patriot Act, and the 787 billion spending bill which nobody read. I'm incensed about much of what government does on the sly.
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