Federal Exise Tax on Cigerettes and Cigars

[imported_Tango]

I am a smoker, and a heavy smoker at that, and I support a tax on tobacco. If you need to tax something, I can't think of anything less questionable than cigarettes.

 

[manowar821]

It damages not only the people who do it, but everyone around them. Tax the hell out of it, please.

Maybe people will stop wasting their money on these concentrated cancer sticks, then.

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: manowar821
It damages not only the people who do it, but everyone around them. Tax the hell out of it, please.

Maybe people will stop wasting their money on these concentrated cancer sticks, then.

Get your hands off my body.

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: BoberFett

Originally posted by: manowar821
It damages not only the people who do it, but everyone around them. Tax the hell out of it, please.

Maybe people will stop wasting their money on these concentrated cancer sticks, then.

Get your hands off my body.

Then get your cigarettes out of my face!

 

[piasabird]

Any idiot that smokes does not deserve public money for their smoke related ailments.

When they inhaled their first cigarette, it is not like they did not cough. That was for a reason. Their body was telling them that smoking is bad for you. They chose to ignoring their own body when it told them smoking is bad for you. So Who cares if they were stupid enough not to realize breathing in Smoke is bad? Obviously they knew this already. Hard to cry for people that smoke! They put that warning on the cigarette packs for a reason, Duh!!!

Cant fix stupid!

The Government on the other hand is taxing the hell out of cigarettes and in doing so is taking advantage of people's addiction. The amount of tax from the government on Cigarettes is rediculous. It is like extortion. Cigarettes only cost about 00.25 to make all the rest is just tax.

 

[BoberFett]

Any idiot that smokes does not deserve public money for their smoke related ailments.

That's fine, then remove all taxes from cigarettes. I thought those taxes were to pay for the increased burden on the system? They keep piling on more taxes, so they obviously want to pay for smoking related illness.

 

[dmcowen674]

They should make it $61 tax a pack not .61 cents.

 

[BoberFett]

Why do you hate poor people Dave?

 

[m316foley]

I already know MANY people who have resorted to other means of getting their cigarettes without paying high taxes. Generally, online, you can get a carton for $15 shipped. For heavy smokers, that's a huge difference in cost per year.

 

[Wreckem]

Just the latest update.

The House decided to adopt the Senates engrossed versionm which while has a higher increase of taxes on tobacco is a lot less controversial, which is why it passed the Senate with enough support to override a veto.

The House is supposed to vote on the Senates version sometime this evening. The Bill is now HR 975 IIRC. Its easily going to pass, and more GOP members have decided to vote for it because they wont be able to explain to their constitutents why the didnt vote for Childrens healthcare.


The Senate version calls for a smaller increase of only 35billion, which is still more than the GOP and Bush wants.

The bill still allows those making 300% above the poverty level in certain areas to get coverage for their children(FYI thats $82,000, and is eligible for places like NY).

The increase to the excise tax on a pack of cigs is $.61 a pack, which bring the total federal tax on a pack of cigs to $1. Its an extremely regressive tax, and those who will be shouldering it are the ones the SCHIP bill is supposed to help out.

Bush has threatend to Veto. Key GOP members are trying to get him not to as it will add to GOP problems in '08

 

[brownzilla786]

I do not support smoking, but the government diggings its hands into the person's personal right to smoke to that degree is really taking it too far. Smoking is bad, but taxing to the point where one has to change there lifestyle not because they want to but because if they don't they would go broke is worse.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: brownzilla786
I do not support smoking, but the government diggings its hands into the person's personal right to smoke to that degree is really taking it too far. Smoking is bad, but taxing to the point where one has to change there lifestyle not because they want to but because if they don't they would go broke is worse.

Right to smoke? Where is that amendment in the Constitution?

 

[BoberFett]

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: brownzilla786
I do not support smoking, but the government diggings its hands into the person's personal right to smoke to that degree is really taking it too far. Smoking is bad, but taxing to the point where one has to change there lifestyle not because they want to but because if they don't they would go broke is worse.

Right to smoke? Where is that amendment in the Constitution?

The same place as your right to breathe.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: brownzilla786
I do not support smoking, but the government diggings its hands into the person's personal right to smoke to that degree is really taking it too far. Smoking is bad, but taxing to the point where one has to change there lifestyle not because they want to but because if they don't they would go broke is worse.

Right to smoke? Where is that amendment in the Constitution?

It's in the amendment where it's not forbidden. You might want to educate yourself on how the Constitution is written.

Amendment IX: Rights retained by the people
The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X: Powers retained by the states and the people
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Hacp

Originally posted by: brownzilla786
I do not support smoking, but the government diggings its hands into the person's personal right to smoke to that degree is really taking it too far. Smoking is bad, but taxing to the point where one has to change there lifestyle not because they want to but because if they don't they would go broke is worse.

Right to smoke? Where is that amendment in the Constitution?

It's in the amendment where it's not forbidden. You might want to educate yourself on how the Constitution is written.

Amendment IX: Rights retained by the people
The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X: Powers retained by the states and the people
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Obviously, none of you figured out that this was an attempt at a parody of the stringent constitutionalists in here who say that no one has any rights unless its in the constitution.

 

[BoberFett]

Whatever you say, Hack.

 

[Hacp]

Originally posted by: BoberFett
Whatever you say, Hack.

Keep blabbing, troll.

 

[Wreckem]

It passed the House 265 to 159. Suprising there were 8 or so dems voting against the bill, not suprisingly ~40 republicans voted for it, mainly to cover their asses. I can almost say will 100% confidence that those ~40 or so republicans are in competitive races in the 2008 election cycle. The dems where are already gearing up the rhetoric of "hating America's children."

In the end though they are 25 shy of overriding a veto.

The bills got problems other than the tax increases but I beg to god Bush doesnt veto it. Doing that will only make it worse for the GOP in 2008.

I watched both rounds of debates on the bill today, one was over a procedural motion and the other over the bill itself. Its sad how both sides blatantly distort things. Both sides have vaild points but that was drowned out by all the misinformation/distortions both sides were guilty of spread.

Im just glad the Senate refused to pass the House version of the bill. The house version was a monstrosity.

Next up is obviously Bush's desk. Senate Republican