Be Careful What You Wish For

[TheBrutalTruth]

February 5, 2009
Federal Cigarette Tax Increase Signed Into Law; Raises Taxes on Families Earning Under $250,000

by Joseph Henchman
President Obama yesterday signed into law H.R. 2, a 4-1/2 year reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (formerly State Children's Health Insurance Program). The bill is estimated to fund health insurance for the existing 7 million beneficiaries, and expand it to a net further 4 million at 300% of the poverty level with the most favorable federal matching funds. (I say "net" because it takes into account children who currently have private insurance, and a smaller number who have Medicaid, who will be induced to drop it and enter the more generous government program.) It had passed the House by a vote of 290-135 and the Senate by a vote of 66-32.
The "pay for" for the reauthorization is a hike in the federal cigarette tax from 39 cents per 20-cigarette pack to $1.0066 per 20-cigarette pack, effective March 31, 2009. As my colleague Gerald Prante and I noted, a politically popular and expensive program should never be funded by a small, low-income, politically unpopular minority like cigarette smokers. Just because the government needs revenue to fund some general spending program that has broad benefits doesn't mean that an arbitrarily selected group of people should pay the tax. Popular, expensive, broadly available public programs should be paid for with broad-based taxes on income or consumption. In our paper, we run through many of the non-revenue reasons for raising cigarette taxes for S-CHIP and find them wanting.
As some have noted, this law breaks President Obama's campaign pledge that "no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase...not any of your taxes." According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 95.8% of tobacco expenditures are made by consumer units (people spending together) who earn under $150,000 a year. Essentially all of this tax increase will be paid by families earning less than $250,000, and probably those earning substantially less than that.
Here's the video of the President's campaign pledge:

I'm a smoker. Not pot, tobacco. As such, I can only ask everyone that favors legalization if they are sure that that is what they truly wish for?

Do they really want to become another minority group that sees themselves getting trampled on by batshiat crazy liberal health nazis?

Do they really want to see Federal Taxes of $10/lb or $1/oz?

Do they want to see State Taxes of $15/lb or $1.50/oz?

It would become another issue like Tobacco, with politicians continuously arguing that it should be taxed more, because Pot Smokers cost society money.

But there's more, unlike with Tobacco, there's a massive amount of misinformation floating around about Marijuana. Misinformation such as that it makes you lazy, or unable to hold a job. (The truth is that stupid Federal and State laws make it difficult for you to get decent jobs.)

Do you really want to see yourselves getting bent over and fiscally raped everytime some one has a batshiat crazy idea to expand the role of government?

Do you really want to see yourselves having to pay more, when some batshiat crazy legislator says, "I know, we can tax the smokers?"

Perhaps, Tobacco Users should envy Pot Users. Yes, the federal government's policies regarding Marijuana are Draconian, but at least as long as its illegal, it's outside a system subject to having special interest groups single out other unpopular, unloved minorities for hateful tax increases.

Of course, this also does serve to prove that the left's chants of "Tolerance" are all a crock of bullshit. They want to be tolerated, but they will not tolerate those that dissent, or disagree with them. They will not tolerate those that they do not like for one reason or another.

 

[Microdizzey]

Wow that a big jump in tax. I hate ciggarettes with a passion, but most of my friends smoke them. It'll be sad to see them forking out more cash to pay for their sickness. Plus... you'll have to pay like 10 bucks now? For 1 pack? That's horrible. At that point, you really need to stop. lol


They also came out with a new cigarette commercial. It shows a cute girl smoking a cig for her first time, she drops the cig, then this spider arm thing breaks out of her neck and picks the cig back up and puts it in her mouth. Then it shows this freaky crap moving around in your blood system like creatures living in your body. Then it says "Your first time smoking a cigarette... blah blah blah"... it's a disturbing video but it's giving a message that cigarettes are bad, which they never admit on TV.

Maybe they're trying to get people to stop? Yea right. lol
This isn't the last shocking tax you're going to have to deal with. Just wait, Obama has a big surprise for all of us.

 

[ProPlayer420]

Lets see taxes or jail which is better? I think i'd rather pay taxes on it then having to deal with looking over my shoulders and paying the cost of the consequences once your caught, fines, jail time, lawyers, fees, probation costs..etc etc

 

[undertheice]

i'm sure that there are plenty of folks here who are jumping for joy over this latest attempt to punish others for their filthy habits. after all, such fools deserve to be severely chastised for abusing themselves and those around them and just think of the good it does for the children. for those of you who can't hear the sarcasm dripping from those words, i guess there is no help for you. for those of you not yet totally indoctrinated by the wiles of the nanny state, take heed of this further instance of governmental control creeping into our daily lives.

we are all members of some minority that can be singled out for derision. whether you smoke weed or cigarettes, drink a bit too much on the week-ends, drive a little too fast, make a little too much money, wear your hair too long or just see the world a bit differently from your neighbors, you might very well be the next enemy of the state. government might merely tax you into oblivion or it might imprison you for partaking of your favorite past time, but you may find yourself on the wrong side of public opinion at any moment.

one of the surest methods of subjugating a population is to divide that population against itself, rendering them harmless to their would-be masters as they squabble amongst themselves. choosing first one minority then another, government has curtailed more and more of our freedoms and stolen more and more of the fruits of our labors with each passing year. each time we sit idly by while someone else is punished for nonconformity, our own rights become more endangered. every time we allow some law to be passed limiting the rights of the few, the rights of all are imperiled.

i know i'm just pointing out the obvious and i know it will do no good to rail against the self-centered will of the masses. the illusory dictatorship of the proletariat seems now to be our goal and the desires of the individual must be subjugated to the good of the many. once again, take note of the sarcasm. i'm sorry to tell you this, but marx was wrong. the power of the people, once invested in the state, is never returned except by force.

 

[mindphuk]

Lets see taxes or jail which is better? I think i'd rather pay taxes on it then having to deal with looking over my shoulders and paying the cost of the consequences once your caught, fines, jail time, lawyers, fees, probation costs..etc etc

Not just the risk of going to jail but the jails and prison systems themselves along with the ever expanding DEA and other war on drugs expenditures. All of this wasted money is a tax on the people. This is a hidden tax, but a tax nonetheless.

 

[mindphuk]

i'm sure that there are plenty of folks here who are jumping for joy over this latest attempt to punish others for their filthy habits. after all, such fools deserve to be severely chastised for abusing themselves and those around them and just think of the good it does for the children. for those of you who can't hear the sarcasm dripping from those words, i guess there is no help for you. for those of you not yet totally indoctrinated by the wiles of the nanny state, take heed of this further instance of governmental control creeping into our daily lives.

we are all members of some minority that can be singled out for derision. whether you smoke weed or cigarettes, drink a bit too much on the week-ends, drive a little too fast, make a little too much money, wear your hair too long or just see the world a bit differently from your neighbors, you might very well be the next enemy of the state. government might merely tax you into oblivion or it might imprison you for partaking of your favorite past time, but you may find yourself on the wrong side of public opinion at any moment.

one of the surest methods of subjugating a population is to divide that population against itself, rendering them harmless to their would-be masters as they squabble amongst themselves. choosing first one minority then another, government has curtailed more and more of our freedoms and stolen more and more of the fruits of our labors with each passing year. each time we sit idly by while someone else is punished for nonconformity, our own rights become more endangered. every time we allow some law to be passed limiting the rights of the few, the rights of all are imperiled.

i know i'm just pointing out the obvious and i know it will do no good to rail against the self-centered will of the masses. the illusory dictatorship of the proletariat seems now to be our goal and the desires of the individual must be subjugated to the good of the many. once again, take note of the sarcasm. i'm sorry to tell you this, but marx was wrong. the power of the people, once invested in the state, is never returned except by force.

I hate cigarettes. Ignoring the fact of how dangerous they are. They stink and bother my eyes. The people that smoke them stink. However, it is none of my business what others put into their bodies, and it sure isn't up to me or any other citizen to tell a business that they cannot allow customers to use a legal product within their establishment. And more specifically to this topic, I abhor taxes for the sole purpose of punishment. Taxes should be to create revenue for vital services needed to run the government and provide vital infrastructure. Now, taxes are used to redistribute wealth and provide for social programs with the effect of decreasing the value of personal responsibility.

 

[ilkhan]

I smoke and I have kids. I smoke outside even when its -20 degrees outside. I have respect for other people. I agree it is singling out a minority its unfair but who cares I'm in the minority.

 

[mexiblunt]

I think that's great that you smoke outside to keep your kids safer. I just read a story the other day about a man in ontario. I don't think this law is in effect in all of canada but in some provinces you can be fined for smoking in a car with a minor present. There is some good points to it but this guy was sitting in the police car getting his fine while his 16 year old duaghter was having a smoke. ????

 

[NoDrama]

I smoked for 20 years. My kids pleaded with me to stop, I quit cold turkey jan 1, 2007. Haven't looked back since, although I am ever reminded of how much i still want one everyday. It takes some discipline to say no to yourself.

 

[natmoon]

I would be happy to pay a lil bit of tax if i could just walk into a store and buy what i wanted,many variety's and not have to worry about being arrested.
Imagine if you had to sneak around with a few bottles of lager and a packet of baccy.
15 years for swiggin ale and smoking a cigar

 

[GrowTech]

i'm sure that there are plenty of folks here who are jumping for joy over this latest attempt to punish others for their filthy habits. after all, such fools deserve to be severely chastised for abusing themselves and those around them and just think of the good it does for the children. for those of you who can't hear the sarcasm dripping from those words, i guess there is no help for you. for those of you not yet totally indoctrinated by the wiles of the nanny state, take heed of this further instance of governmental control creeping into our daily lives.

we are all members of some minority that can be singled out for derision. whether you smoke weed or cigarettes, drink a bit too much on the week-ends, drive a little too fast, make a little too much money, wear your hair too long or just see the world a bit differently from your neighbors, you might very well be the next enemy of the state. government might merely tax you into oblivion or it might imprison you for partaking of your favorite past time, but you may find yourself on the wrong side of public opinion at any moment.

one of the surest methods of subjugating a population is to divide that population against itself, rendering them harmless to their would-be masters as they squabble amongst themselves. choosing first one minority then another, government has curtailed more and more of our freedoms and stolen more and more of the fruits of our labors with each passing year. each time we sit idly by while someone else is punished for nonconformity, our own rights become more endangered. every time we allow some law to be passed limiting the rights of the few, the rights of all are imperiled.

i know i'm just pointing out the obvious and i know it will do no good to rail against the self-centered will of the masses. the illusory dictatorship of the proletariat seems now to be our goal and the desires of the individual must be subjugated to the good of the many. once again, take note of the sarcasm. i'm sorry to tell you this, but marx was wrong. the power of the people, once invested in the state, is never returned except by force.

dude it's an addiction, you act like the sole objective of smoking is to introduce our bodies to cancer, emphysema, etc. don't you think we know it's bad? but guess what bud, you're just as prone to addiction as any other human being, so get off your high horse.

 

[Farooq87]

I would also like to add that the current price of marijuana is inflated because of it's prohibition, so it is very likely that the price of marijuana would drop significantly if sold legally in a regulated establishment. The main reason for taxes on tobacco , at least in Canada is because of the strain smokers put on our health care system so any deterrent is welcome from a politicians point of view. I would also like to add, if it was legalized and one would not like to pay taxes, why not grow your own? They would probably give out licenses to those who wish to grow their own and thus eliminate taxes all together, however I am sure there would be a fee like all licenses that you would have to pay.

 

[ViRedd]

So now what ... we have to worry about cigarette addicts breaking into our houses to steal our VCRs?

Vi

 

[Kenbud]

I won't bother buying the shit when they make it legal anyway. As long as I can grow it. fuck em.

 

[ViRedd]

I won't bother buying the shit when they make it legal anyway. As long as I can grow it. fuck em.

I'm with you on this, believe me. But ... let's not forget the point that once pot is taxed, to grow your own will be viewed a stealing government money. Right now, the penalty for possessing less than an ounce in California for non-med users, is a maximum $100 fine. Once its deemed stealing the government's money, the penalty will go way up ... like five to ten in the Grey Bar Hotel.

Vi

 

[mexiblunt]

I think your right Viredd. Up here in manitoba canada it is illegal to grow tobbaco? I don't know the penalty for doing so tho. probably not jail. I got 3 month unsupervised probation for one ounce and that was 10 years ago now they would probably just take it away and smoke it.lol. they barely throw murderers in jail around here. And to any viewers... no that's not an invitation. lol.

 

[natmoon]

More rubbish.
They sell home brew kits and wine making,spirit making kits all over the world,you just need a license to sell it

 

[******]

it's all taxes fees fines all goes into the same place

 

[ViRedd]

More rubbish.
They sell home brew kits and wine making,spirit making kits all over the world,you just need a license to sell it

Rubbish, huh? The government dictates to the home brewers and vintners how much they can make. There is a limit.

Is freedom rubbish? Why is it government's business what a citizen smokes, drinks, snorts or injects as long as the rights of another aren't violated in the process?

Why should the government extract fees, taxes and fines from what we produce for our own use and enjoyment? I mean, what the hell ... if you make a nice table in your home garage work shop to be used in your dining room, do you want the government to tax that?

Gotta tell you ... I'm always in opposition to any pothead who says he/she want's legalization and let the government tax it. I want legalization without the tax.

Let me ask you a question: Would you have been one of those citizens standing on the dock in bewilderment, wondering what all the fuss was about, in Boston Harbor while the patriots were tossing the tea in the ocean? Would you have said: "What the hell ... I want my imported tea ... and I'll take it WITH THE TAX!"



Vi

 

[Farooq87]

Rubbish, huh? The government dictates to the home brewers and vintners how much they can make. There is a limit.

Is freedom rubbish? Why is it government's business what a citizen smokes, drinks, snorts or injects as long as the rights of another aren't violated in the process?

Why should the government extract fees, taxes and fines from what we produce for our own use and enjoyment? I mean, what the hell ... if you make a nice table in your home garage work shop to be used in your dining room, do you want the government to tax that?

Gotta tell you ... I'm always in opposition to any pothead who says he/she want's legalization and let the government tax it. I want legalization without the tax.

Let me ask you a question: Would you have been one of those citizens standing on the dock in bewilderment, wondering what all the fuss was about, in Boston Harbor while the patriots were tossing the tea in the ocean? Would you have said: "What the hell ... I want my imported tea ... and I'll take it WITH THE TAX!"



Vi

If marijuana was legalized, it would only make sense that you have to have a license to grow it. Why? Because I would think growing would be a privilege not a right. Also you would have to establish that the grower had the sufficient equipment to grow in his home that are up to code and not cutting corners which could lead an individual to be at risk of house fires. Not to mention, I don't think they will allow you to grow marijuana if there are children in the vicinity, for various reasons, but the main reason being safety. Second, taxes are on everything you buy (at least in Canada), if you were to purchase marijuana in a regulated establishment, you are going to have to pay taxes, we pay taxes on tobacco, we pay taxes on alcohol, we pay on milk, we pay taxes on eggs. All I can say is get over it.