Oliver Wallen (3/26, Letters, “The soaring price of smoking”) wonders where all the taxes will come from when we all quit smoking.
I would suggest that the government is raising taxes on tobacco because it knows that you smokers will not quit. If the quit option were chosen by most, the lost tax revenue might be offset in time by reduced spending on smoking-related medical care.
Tom Reintjes
Cleveland, Mo.
The recent cigarette price increase was by the tobacco companies, not a tax increase. (A national 62-cent-a-pack increase begins April 1.) Maybe if smokers and their families would quit filing lawsuits against the cigarette companies, the prices would be less.
As a nonsmoker who hates cigarette smoke, I would gladly pay more in taxes if enough people quit that the revenue needs to be replaced. Even now with the smoking ban, when I am in a bar I can often smell smoke when a door is opened by a smoker returning from smoking outside. Sometimes they smell like an ashtray.
John Hall
Kansas City
Have you seen a loved one suffer and die from lung cancer? Becoming a widow at age 54 wasn’t in the plan.
Perhaps it’s time to quit and save more lives, because you never think that it will happen to you.
Carol M. Steele
Leawood
Yaaaaaay! Look how great Obama's SCHIP taxation scheme is working. More jobs lost and more enterprise sinks. Let me guess, the government will now intervene with the tobacco industry and run it into the ground.
Where will the recurring SCHIP funding come from when the smoking revenues fall well short of some dipstick lawyers "projection"?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_re_us/cigar_tax
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | April 01, 2009 at 12:29 PM
"Would it pacify him?"-Wild Man
you would know. :-)
Posted by: solomon | March 31, 2009 at 03:52 PM
"I love to watch FOX but would never suggest that they are an impartial source. If a wild man jumped on your back would you beat him off?"
Would it pacify him?
Posted by: Wild Man | March 31, 2009 at 02:39 PM
What is remarkable to me is that people are still acting as if they didn't realize that all types of new taxes have been on the horizon for years now. Dem or Rep in power, taxes from many directions have been looming.
Hey El Mon Kee,
I love to watch FOX but would never suggest that they are an impartial source. If a wild man jumped on your back would you beat him off?
Posted by: solomon | March 31, 2009 at 01:58 PM
NoMo looke at this article I just saw, and see my previous post!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/31/cities-states-plan-strange-new-taxes-pretty/
Posted by: Kee | March 31, 2009 at 10:26 AM
How appropriate ----- “Letters” today has offered three more anti-smokers, Tom, John and Carol to confirm a Comic Strip definition of “Misanthrope”.
In yesterdays Pearls and Swine the Pig asks, “What’s a Misanthrope?” ------- The Rats answer? ”AN ELITE CLASS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE WISELY CONCLUDED THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE BAD AND THE CAUSE OF ALL THEIR PROBLEMS”!
Posted by: renfro | March 31, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Well No Mo the answer as to what will be taxed next is "anything". If it exist, moves, breathes, needs paint, whatever, our government will find a way to tax it. Count on it.
Posted by: Kee | March 31, 2009 at 08:42 AM
Mr. Hall you are obviously mmisinformed. The TAX INCREASE was implemented to fund expansion of SCHIP. Millions have been allocated for smoking cessation programs, which is a very backwards approach to funding a social program. When the number of smokers decreases, how will the socialists come up with the recurring funding? If you do not like smoke, don't go to bars. Have you ever seen someone die from A.I.D.S.? We could greatly reduce healthcare costs by erradicating sodomy.
Posted by: NoMoreMrNiceGuy | March 31, 2009 at 08:32 AM