Smokers face a hit as tobacco taxes spike

Also, just think......smokers will be the ones bailing out Obama's bailouts.

 

Tell ya what, I'd leave this country if there were anywhere else to go but it seems all nations are pretty much crap now. This is only the beginning! I think we should fly our flags at half staff because America is no more.

 

Yes sir, it's going down the $hitte® at a fast pace. Makes me wonder who votes them in, cause it sure wasn't me.

 

Just think, Obama is one of the smokers who will be paying the piper.

 

i havent smoked since they where 1.70 a pack but i still dont agree with this.
ITs targeting a select part and bashin them.Same as it would be to tax fat guys who drink diet drinks,Blind folks that where glasses,Drunks because they need booze etc.

I think they should make pot legal and stick that in there pocket and stop trashing the rest of us and No before you ask I am not a Blind smoking fat drunk lol

 

Can you tell me why my CAR insurance is more than a non-smoker? Does this make any sense? It's just another way to make smokers pay through the nose. By the way, if insured through an employer you don't pay more being a smoker, so the analogy of smokers costing everyone so much more in healthcare is bunk. On an individual basis they can stick it to you though. Why? Because they can.

You don't see where this is leading, do you? It's called "control". They want you to quit smoking and since they raised the tax on the state level, it didn't cause the effect they wanted.....which was to FORCE you to do what they wanted you to do which was quit. So now they attack from the federal level. Can we say nazi-state?

So when they force everyone to quit and no smokers left to pay the taxes on tobacco, who do you think they'll come after next to generate tax revenue? I'm guessing overweight people. If they put the same level of tax on alcohol that they are putting on tobacco, they would have a surplus of revenue. Why don't they? Because it would alienate their base. And it would affect masses of people..."don't want to piss off all the people".

Do you realize that drinking alcohol (and you should know this being a medic) costs the taxpayers much much more than any smoker, who, by the way, is a minority? There are more ailments that plague people who drink than anyone who smokes and if you disagree you are being either dishonest or misinformed.

I can predict they are going to start forcing people to get on some sort of program to lose those extra pounds or put a "fat tax" on you. Just being overweight can cause certain health problems. They are already taking certain fats out of commercial foods that we eat. I don't need the government to invade my privacy, I want them out of my face. I don't need or want them telling me what I can and can't do or eat or whatever. Mark my words, there will be a revolution going on by the end of this President's term.

I do have a plan about getting around the tobacco tax. I can grow my own tobacco. And I won't have to pay a dime for any tax. It's cheap to grow and easy. The curing is the tricky part, but I can be very innovative when it comes to the principle of the thing. This is my version of thumbing my nose at my representatives, who, by the way, DON'T REPRESENT ME. I've been rolling my own for a couple months now, bought the additive free tobacco. I have been paying $18.00 per carton, which as of Tuesday will cost me double. Do you honestly think it's fair to double the taxes on tobacco? Do you honestly think it's fair for the government to force people to quit something just because some people don't like it? I hope you don't do anything that another would deem unacceptable, because someday they might be gunning for you.

 

The first question. Why car insurance is higher. This is because a smoker may be distracted by the cigarette while driving. Apparently, maybe they need to check and see who has cell phones now.

As far as employer paying more. When I sold insurance, we used to sell to employers under the group plans. The employer was given a survey to complete. It was a list of questions such as:
Number of employees
Ages
Sex
Number of smokers

This is just to list a few. As far as cost between the two, google it and you will find several studies that do in fact show the comparisons.

I have no clue as to the cost of the cigarettes. It is not a concern of mine. I do remember seeing some signs in the stores about the increased taxes while I was waiting. Just no idea about it. It would make someone wonder why not quit.

It is your choice.

As far as alcohol. Our state raised the costs of these purchase drastically many years ago. It did not bother me at all. I do not drink, since I am on call 24 hours a day when I am home.

You fail to realize one thing. I do not care if you smoke as long as I am not affected. I do not care if you drink, as long as I am not affected.

If there are other taxes enacted, such as your fat tax, it could affect me. Life goes on. If I do not want the fat tax so to speak, I have a choice. Pay it or do something like lose weight.

 

The government just needs to stop taxing everything they can think of and raising taxes already in existence. They need to learn how to spend wisely like the rest of us need to, instead of looking at the american people and business as a unlimited source of funds for their every little whim.

 

The point is that the cost of smokes was already mostly tax. They should have reallocated the existing taxes into healthcare rather than adding more. You can't treat it like it's the first new tax EVERY time they add one. The argument for the tax was a good one the FIRST time they did it. Now it's beyond reason and dipping into taxation areas that every citizen should be concerned about.