Obama's First Tax Hike

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Obama's First Tax Hike
Posted by: Amanda Carpenter at 7:42 PM
President Obama approved his first tax hike today.

The bill he signed to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program contains a provision to increase taxes on tobacco by a whopping 155 percent. That means the federal taxes on cigarettes have gone up an additional 61 cents a pack. This brings federal taxes on a pack of cigarettes to $1 per pack total.

(It also means the nation will need to maintain a steady level of smokers to subsidize kids health care, an unlikely outcome in light of a fledgling economy and increased taxes on the tobacco.)

Despite his pledges not to tax low-income Americans, Obama's tax increase on tobacco will disproportionately punish the poor, who are more likely to become addicted to cigarettes.

55 percent of smokers are considered "working poor" and one in four live below the poverty line.

“Tom Daschle and Leona Helmsley believe that only the little people should pay taxes,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Obama agrees; he just raised taxes on millions of lower-income Americans. His central campaign promise was a lie.”


LOL

Does anybody else think liberals are retarded, raise taxes on smokers to pay for health programs, but include $75 million in the stimulus bill for stop smoking programs.
 
Waawawawwwaaaaaaawaaaa!

Tax cuts as a solution to everything combined with deregulation is what gave us this HUGE mess.

You guys had your turn and fucked everything up.

Your ideas are as dead as your brain cells.
 
I dont think its a real good idea to be funding something as important at kids health care with smoker tax. Its creates a conflict of interest.
 
I've wondered what kind of piece of shit was behind the troll webbway.

I realized this week that it's probably Southern Man.
 
Dungheap said:
I don't really see the conflict.
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I do. If your funding an important kids health program from taxes off of something you really want people to stop doing. I always felt that cig tax should go towards thoes who are effected by smoking.
 
Those of you who still smoke better not quit now. If you do, kids will go without health care.
 
Chapdog said:
I do. If your funding an important kids health program from taxes off of something you really want people to stop doing. I always felt that cig tax should go towards thoes who are effected by smoking.
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It makes far more sense. As they quit there will be less people who need the assistance plus they pay for themselves.

Linking something this important to an item you are limiting in every way possible other than just making it illegal and you are trying to get every person who does it to quit...

Kinda stupid.
 
The funding can be shifted to other sources if we ever end up with no cig companies.

I think the health of children is worth it not to mention preventative care saves the most bucks in the long run.
 
webbway said:
Obama's First Tax Hike
Posted by: Amanda Carpenter at 7:42 PM
President Obama approved his first tax hike today.

The bill he signed to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program contains a provision to increase taxes on tobacco by a whopping 155 percent. That means the federal taxes on cigarettes have gone up an additional 61 cents a pack. This brings federal taxes on a pack of cigarettes to $1 per pack total.

(It also means the nation will need to maintain a steady level of smokers to subsidize kids health care, an unlikely outcome in light of a fledgling economy and increased taxes on the tobacco.)

Despite his pledges not to tax low-income Americans, Obama's tax increase on tobacco will disproportionately punish the poor, who are more likely to become addicted to cigarettes.

55 percent of smokers are considered "working poor" and one in four live below the poverty line.

“Tom Daschle and Leona Helmsley believe that only the little people should pay taxes,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Obama agrees; he just raised taxes on millions of lower-income Americans. His central campaign promise was a lie.”


LOL

Does anybody else think liberals are retarded, raise taxes on smokers to pay for health programs, but include $75 million in the stimulus bill for stop smoking programs.
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No, I personally think thats awsome...

Make sure everyone is educated about how bad it is for you, then tax the hell out of it to make sure that the cost of paying for those health effects are covered.
 
We should do the same thing with many drugs, legalize them, tax the hell out of them, and make sure everyone is well educated about how bad they are!
 
evince said:
The funding can be shifted to other sources if we ever end up with no cig companies.

I think the health of children is worth it not to mention preventative care saves the most bucks in the long run.
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I just dont like the idea of it. Creates a situation where the is no incentive to get people to stop smoking which is a far greater strain on our health care system.
 
Chapdog said:
I just dont like the idea of it. Creates a situation where the is no incentive to get people to stop smoking which is a far greater strain on our health care system.
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You are looking at it as if it were a business, its not.

The government has plenty of reason for getting peopel to stop smoking, the tax helps with that goal. The more cigeretts cost the less people will buy them.
 
Jarod said:
You are looking at it as if it were a business, its not.

The government has plenty of reason for getting peopel to stop smoking, the tax helps with that goal. The more cigeretts cost the less people will buy them.
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Living in a state where the tax is very high all I have noticed is people who smoke are going more into debt. Owing back taxes, Not paying credit cards BECAUSE smokes cost more. Financial penalty is not the answer for a drug addiction.
 
Chapdog said:
Living in a state where the tax is very high all I have noticed is people who smoke are going more into debt. Owing back taxes, Not paying credit cards BECAUSE smokes cost more. Financial penalty is not the answer for a drug addiction.
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I agree its not THE answer, but is an answer. That money should be used to provide help for those who choose to quit, and to pay for the negative effects of the drug.
 
Jarod said:
I agree its not THE answer, but is an answer. That money should be used to provide help for those who choose to quit, and to pay for the negative effects of the drug.
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I agree with that. But taxing the living shit out of it to pay for pet projects that are totally unrelated is just wrong. Its borderline unethical.

Its like taking charity for cancer research then using it to give pay raises to politicians.. OK i know thats an extreme but hopefully my point is made.
 
Chapdog said:
I agree with that. But taxing the living shit out of it to pay for pet projects that are totally unrelated is just wrong. Its borderline unethical.

Its like taking charity for cancer research then using it to give pay raises to politicians.. OK i know thats an extreme but hopefully my point is made.
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We can agree on that.
 
Chapdog said:
Living in a state where the tax is very high all I have noticed is people who smoke are going more into debt. Owing back taxes, Not paying credit cards BECAUSE smokes cost more. Financial penalty is not the answer for a drug addiction.
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The taxes aren't really designed to get people to stop necessarily. They seem more designed to keep people from starting.

Here's how I see it:

(1) Providing children with health insurance is a good thing but it costs money.

(2) Disincetivizing smoking is a good thing. Taxes are a good way to disincentivize smoking.

Using the taxes generated by (2) to pay for (1) makes perfect sense. Of course, relying of cigarette taxes into perpetuity isn't going to work, but for the present it will.
 
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