Subscriber login | Subscribe/register now | Subscription help

Where there's smoke...

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Daily Dunklin Democrat

Share your thoughts on Proposition B, which aims to raise the Missouri's tobacco tax by 73 cents, putting the new tax at 90 cents per pack. Money raised from the tax is said to is said to be directed to a fund aimed at K-12 schools, higher education and smoking cessation programs.

Comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on dddnews.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

Pick and freeze your target, isolate, marginalize, ridicule, demonize, then tax and flog them another mile like a rented mule.

The so called tobacco tax is is one of the most regressive taxes ever instituted against the low income and poor. What is a regressive tax? It is a tax applied uniformly to all citizens, but it's impact is most felt by the poor and lower income people. As an example. if your income is $10.00, a $1.00 tax on a pack of cigarettes is 10% of your income, but, if your income is $50.00 that $1.00 tax is only 2% of your income.

I would opine that beer, wine and distilled alcohol causes more health issues, mental impairment, deaths, broken homes, abused children, spousal abuse and assaults than tobacco ever could.

So, if tobacco is a social evil, why isn't beer and other spirits taxed in kind? Because those who vote to impose the tobacco taxes are imbibers of said beer and spirits down at their smoke free country clubs. Not to mention, there are many times more imbibers (AKA voters) than smokers and Copenhagen users, and it would cause an unprecedented rebellion.

I have never understood as to why a champion hasn't arisen out of the poor and start a protest movement against this tax imposed on those least able to pay the outrageous cost of these regressive taxes.

-- Posted by Lived There Once on Sat, Oct 13, 2012, at 10:40 AM

Not a smoker...never been a smoker...realize it is a terrible habit that is expensive and deadly...but with that said....beware of any Prop or law that is said to benefit edcuation. It will not. It is just a way to gain support. If the state legislature gets money from Prop B or gambling...or whatever it may be....that is directed toward education...they just withhold other funding from education. In the end, there will be no more money for education...it will be just a way to spend on other pet programs to help them get re-elected.

I will vote no on Prop B...because it does say it is for education...and in the end..will hurt education.

-- Posted by gobler on Mon, Oct 15, 2012, at 6:43 PM

Every tax they want to raise is for "education", so why is it that the schools are still suffering? NO on Prop B....

-- Posted by dmking on Thu, Oct 18, 2012, at 1:01 AM

They wanted the Lottery for education, and then the casinos to help education. They're just trying to out price the cigarettes so it might be a turnoff to smoking. I swore I'd never pay a dollar a pack in my smoking days, but I paid a many dollars for them. Vote NO on another stupid useless tax.

-- Posted by sholsten on Fri, Oct 19, 2012, at 3:32 PM

You dumb a** people need to move out of state.

-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Mon, Oct 29, 2012, at 4:51 PM

Way to add to the discussion Dexterite1. Must be a liberal. If we don't agree with you, just call names.

-- Posted by gobler on Tue, Oct 30, 2012, at 10:20 PM

If you want to discourage speeding, you increase the speed limit. One blogger makes a valid point about alcohol and other social ills, and I admit tobacco is an easier target. I'd be for taxing the socks off of all who partake in alcohol and drugs, including tobacco. Prohibition failed, and taxes on alcohol would be viewed as the equivalent of prohibition to many. Anyone so ignorant in this day and age to be smoking cigarettes should pay more, regardless of their income level. How much public subsistence is being spent on tobacco?

-- Posted by taxpayer parent on Wed, Oct 31, 2012, at 3:48 PM

As the taxes on cigarettes continue to increase ever upward, there is a another negative downside to be considered, CRIME and TERRORISM.

Cigarette smuggling to avoid taxes is now a major criminal enterprise. Supporters of terrorists use cigarette profits to fund terrorism abroad, and here at home.

Nature abhors a vacuum (to include human nature) and the higher cost of taxed cigarettes insures the criminal and terrorist community will furnish cigarettes at a lower cost, making a profit by so doing.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=les%...

-- Posted by Lived There Once on Thu, Nov 1, 2012, at 8:08 AM

I ask you now, what could possibly go wrong here?

"France to Hike Tax on Beer by 160 Percent"

http://thenewamerican.com/world-news/eur...

-- Posted by Lived There Once on Sun, Nov 4, 2012, at 9:49 PM

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/11/10/ch...

"Cigarette smuggling on the rise as taxes skyrocket

John Chambers, head investigator for the Illinois Department of Revenue, says cigarette smuggling now rivals illegal drug smuggling, and street gangs are getting involved.

"Keep in mind this is very similar to drug activity, smuggling drugs, and there could be concealed compartments, false floors in the bed of a truck, much like drugs, all packed with cigarettes," Chambers said.

With Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois taxes all included, smokers now pay $4.66 a pack in taxes in Chicago. That's the second-highest cigarette tax in the nation, trailing only New York City at $5.85. People looking to make quick cash don't need to travel far to buy cheap cigarettes. Indiana's tax is just $0.995 a pack, and Missouri's tax is the lowest in the country at just $0.17. Chambers says cigarette smuggling is now as lucrative as drug smuggling, with much lower penalties."

-- Posted by Lived There Once on Sat, Nov 10, 2012, at 1:38 PM

Home