Smoking in Maine (Lincoln, Liberty: unemployment, theater, taxation)

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

I used to spend an average of $250 a week eating and drinking out, now I don't. .

I don't think half the people in Maine make that much!

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I don't think half the people in Maine make that much!

Oh, no, that wasn't me! Somehow the quotes got mixed up. Although, some years ago when I worked as a server, I easily spent that much in a week going out--and was matched dollar for dollar by getting hooked-up--the service industry takes care of it's own kind

[whinesomemore]

It really discust me to think that people are more concerned about the cigarettes being taxed than alcohol. When did the statistics show millions are killed yearly from cigarettes. Yet people NEVER consider the tax to be raised on liquoir. Drunks kill and injure more people yearly than that horrible pack of cigarettes. yet legislators (problably alcoholics) continue to tax one and not the other. Raise the alcohol tax and see how many slow down when the tab is past their normal intake. Make the bars/clubs responsible (more) than they are for allowing this to occur. I am an ex smoker 14 yrs and still believe this is my right to chose. I have an occasional wine or mixed drink too. If you inbibe you should pay.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by whinesomemore

It really discust me to think that people are more concerned about the cigarettes being taxed than alcohol. When did the statistics show millions are killed yearly from cigarettes. Yet people NEVER consider the tax to be raised on liquoir. Drunks kill and injure more people yearly than that horrible pack of cigarettes. yet legislators (problably alcoholics) continue to tax one and not the other. Raise the alcohol tax and see how many slow down when the tab is past their normal intake. Make the bars/clubs responsible (more) than they are for allowing this to occur. I am an ex smoker 14 yrs and still believe this is my right to chose. I have an occasional wine or mixed drink too. If you inbibe you should pay.

The apples and oranges aspect of the differences between alcohol and tobacco have always been the second hand smoke problem of smoking. I can have a beer sitting beside you at a bar while you have a soda. No harm no foul. If you smoke a cigarrette beside me I have little choice but to inhale some of that smoke while I try to breathe. Your smoking infringes my right to breathe non toxic air while my having a beer will have no effect on you what so ever.

[Bydand]

I owe you a rep for your post Maineah. Tried to give you one and got the message I have to spread it around some first.

Nicely stated.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by whinesomemore

It really discust me to think that people are more concerned about the cigarettes being taxed than alcohol. When did the statistics show millions are killed yearly from cigarettes. Yet people NEVER consider the tax to be raised on liquoir. Drunks kill and injure more people yearly than that horrible pack of cigarettes. yet legislators (problably alcoholics) continue to tax one and not the other. Raise the alcohol tax and see how many slow down when the tab is past their normal intake. Make the bars/clubs responsible (more) than they are for allowing this to occur. I am an ex smoker 14 yrs and still believe this is my right to chose. I have an occasional wine or mixed drink too. If you inbibe you should pay.

Your disgust at what you perceive to be "...people are more concerned about the cigarettes being taxed than alcohol..." is a self-inflicted wound. Evidently, you fail to grasp the concept of "thread topics". I realize that this concept is quite advanced and requires a great deal of intelligence and education to assimilate, and not all of us are as gifted as others in this area, so please allow me to clarify for your edification.

The "Topic" of this thread is "smoking", in other words a discussion of [mostly] tobacco related issues. Alcohol is only peripherally related to smoking in that smokers who drink (or drinkers who smoke) enjoy both together and the elimination of the one affects the other, and is therefore appropriate to the discussion.

Taxes on alcohol however, are an entirely different discussion and therefore would more appropriately be discussed in a seperate thread. What you perceive as a lack of concern is, in actuality, the forum participants observing the rules of the forum and refraining from discussing a subject which would redirect the conversation from the topic.

In addition to "smoking" being the topic rather than "taxes on alcohol", and realizing that it takes an extreme amount of cognitive ability available only to those more gifted than Koko the gorilla to type the words "federal", "tax" and "alcohol" and "maine", "tax" and "alcohol" into Google, I have taken the liberty of going to great lengths to perform this feat and can safely say that your fears are groundless. Alcohol is indeed taxed, at both state and federal levels.

Federal taxes on alcohol amount to $18 per barrel of beer, $1.07 to $3.40 per gallon of wine (depending on type and alcohol content) and $13.50 per proof gallon for distilled spirits (which amounts to about $2.14 for a 750ml bottle of 80 proof liquor).

Maine adds its own taxes on top of those in the amounts of $4.56 per gallon of spirits, $.60 per gallon of wine and $.35 per gallon of beer.

As you can now plainly see, alcohol is indeed taxed at a significant rate already.

If you are still interested in displaying your immeasureable knowledge of the subject, permit me to suggest that you open a new thread on the topic of "Alcohol taxes in Maine" where you can continue to dazzle us with the brilliance of your insight into this "problem".

[msina]

I have to spread it around some Zymer!

[jenkaye]

Originally Posted by Maineah

The apples and oranges aspect of the differences between alcohol and tobacco have always been the second hand smoke problem of smoking. I can have a beer sitting beside you at a bar while you have a soda. No harm no foul. If you smoke a cigarrette beside me I have little choice but to inhale some of that smoke while I try to breathe. Your smoking infringes my right to breathe non toxic air while my having a beer will have no effect on you what so ever.

Great Post! Have to spread it around-

[amacop]

OK I guess I will be the only smoker to post on this but here goes. First off I lost two sisters to cancer and no they did not smoke neither did my parents so this was not the case for them. I took up smoking in the service as I found that in basic training if you smoke you got longer breaks as the instructor was a smoker and if you didnt you had more work to do. I think out of all my company only 3 did not smoke by the end of basic training. Now with that said lets look at this Nanny Law. It starts in some town in California home of most of these idiot Nanny Laws. They make it sound great just like recycling and smog and pollution control and yes even now with the GOD NO Law you know the law that you cant pledge to the flag or do anything that pertains to GOD in school anymore because you might offend someone. These are the same folks that introduced us to that wonderful phone message "Please Press One For English" and every other number for a different language. Sad part is they forgot my ethnic background on this law but thats another blog and not this one. In my eyes any state that starts to implement laws like this and take pride in the opening day warning ratio makes one sad statement for that state. What ever happened to LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS did we forget these words. Is this not what our founding fathers fought for so we could be free to do what we want and worship the way we want within certain boundaries without the Government telling us we are wrong and how about taxation without representation another great phrase we seem to have forgot. With all the hype about smoking you never see anyone attack the alcohol industry this hard because we accept it hell we even reward folks for being alcoholics we give them disability for it saying it was not their fault but let a cancer patient that they can prove was smoking related ask for disability and we say NO WAY YOU MADE THE CHOICE YOU KNEW IT WAS BAD FOR YOU. Like the drunk did not know he was going to get like that by drinking a case a day..........DUH......or the drug addict who is in the same catagory like he did not know he would get hooked..........DUH.
I say if folks want to smoke fine and if you dont like it thats fine too but do not force your ideas on the rest of the world unless you want to impose the same laws to every other habit that people have like over eating, being a health nut, watching to much TV, not tipping the waiter/waitress, talking when in a movie theater, cell phones in public places when your in a store or out eating or driving down the road (now that one does **** me off when I am in a store and someone is on their phone talking and tying up the line), or LOUD RADIOS IN CARS ( I think we need a law for this reward drivers for shooting out radios that are playing to loud in other cars) I think you get my drift here one stupid law after another and all you do is dictate every move people make and every thing that they do........I think this is what we called COMMUNISSIM when I went to school many moons ago.

[kklng]

I am currently from Lincoln, NE, and we have a smoking ban in all public indoor places. This includes all bars and restaurants. I love this! I never went to bars before the smoking ban and I actually enjoy it now! I don't have to come home and immediately throw my clothes in the washing machine. After becoming a mother two years ago, I notice more when I see another mother or father smoking with their innocent children in the car. These children have no choice in the manner. My husband grew up with a smoking mother and he will never forgive her for smoking in front of him and his sister in an enclosed car. I have always thought of moving to Maine, and have just recently started researching the area. I think this is a great law! If it is to get passed, it will strengthen my urge to move to the east coast, especially Maine! I will keep myself up on this information, so that I know if it gets passed! Way to go Maine in being progressive in protecting America's youth!