It's the height of hypocracy that these people want to "provide health care" from the taxes on tobacco products. First they tell everbody that smoking is bad (which it is), then they say that they are going to increase taxes on smokers to fund health care?
So, OK, don't smoke, but keep on smoking because we need the revenue for another government program. Of course it makes no sense. Statistics show that smoking is declining every year in the US. But, if they can use the tax on evil tobacco ploy to get the program started, they'll have their foot in the door. Once tobacco taxes can no longer sustain the inevitable growth of this "health care program", they'll shift the burden onto the backs of all tax payers. A stealth tax is all this is.
When all of this crap about taxing the tobacco companies started several years ago, it was here in Florida where the first battle took place. The state of Florida - without voter approval I might add - decided to file a lawsuit against the tobacco companies because the tabacco companies allegedly marketed their product to an unsuspecting public and due to this, caused terrible harm to the public. Well, since I was a kid, cigarettes were known as "coffin nails", and "cancer sticks". We weren't unsuspecting or naive at all, we all knew the dangers that cigarettes posed.
The biggest mistake that the tobacco companies made, was not to simply agree with the state of Florida that cigarettes were bad and stop shipment of all product to the state of Florida...overnight. The loss of tax revenue would have had the legislators on their knees (where they belong), begging the tobacco companies to please ship their product again and save the sorry a**es of the lame legislature. It would have been a thoroughly amusing event to watch as those toadies were forced to explain themselves.
I'm not a cigarette smoker, and as I stated, I enjoy a good cigar only on occasion. But, I am a self sufficient, free man, who absolutely hates government intrusion into areas of my life where they don't belong...which is most all areas of my life. The best government is a small government, and the best regulation is self regulation as determined by the people themselves.
OK, I'm off my soapbox....
