Targeted Taxation - No Representation. Obama Breaks Campaign Promise.

Why are cigarette smokers routinely targeted for tax hikes to pay for social programs? Cigarette smokers have been dealt a highly expensive blow this week when HR-2 passed hiking the federal per pack tax rate on cigarettes from $0.39 to $1.0066, a nearly 160% increase!

I'd like some opinions on how it's right that an unpopular minority continues to be picked on by the "moral majority" this way..

cigarette taxes are disproportionately extracted from the poor, argue Gerald Prante and Joseph Henchman of The Tax Foundation. They back up their claim with facts and figures found in the links below. This breaks one of the Cornerstone Promises of the Obama Campaign to cut taxes for families grossing under $250K/A..

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/show/24208.html

http://www.taxfoundation.org/blog/show/24296.html

Not only do we help pick up the tabs for these programs but then the "moral majority" has the gall to ban smoking everywhere. Even outdoors. hypocrits

But it is nice to see a nonsmoker see are point.

And how about a bailout for smokers

Non smokers wanna complain about smokers. Let everyone stop smoking at once. Everyone. Do they have any idea how screwed everyone would be? From the farmers that grow tobacco, to the factory workers that make the ciagettes. ALL of them would lose their jobs. Added to an already terrible economy. Oh and then you can all pick up the tab for all the taxes we've been paying for you from our cigarettes.
I had a woman that wouldn't even walk past me because I was standing outside smoking. She even said "It's not fair I can't walk by you without risking getting cancer"
OOOOHHH and the whole time she was b!tching at me, she was standing next to a deisel bus throwing fumes around all over the place.
I'd rather be stuck in a garage with my ciagarette than that bus.

former smoker but thanks. I try not to be hypocritcal in my views of personal liberties and burden of taxation .

Jill, You make an excellent point! the system would be screwed if those who get unfairly taxed somehow found a way to de-fund the government..

I truly wish we could. Even for a few days. Just to show all these people who complain about me and all the other smokers what kind of hypocrits they really are. I'm not blaming people for not smoking. I agree it's a choice. And I still choose to smoke and pay the tax. But it ticks me off when I'm paying these extra taxes for these people and they keep banning on where I can smoke. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. And then they keep raising the taxes because the gov KNOWS addicts will pay whatever price they have to. The poor are subsidising the rich on this one.

<---- thinks they should raise taxes on bottled water, mini vans, and lattes.

right exactly.. but they have it down though.. as long as the government continues to target minority groups for precision taxation, it's easy to get the majority to go along with it.

that's why all this "tax the rich" business gains traction.. the tax code is already so heavily progressive that almost 40% of people don't even realize a tax burden.. once that number gets over 50% the taxing party, ie the Democrat Party, has just bought itself a permanent electorate.

Of note is that this bill was vetoed by Bush at least once. So much for the President for the common man!

Just wait and see...

As we adopt more and more socialization, more and more things are going to matter to everyone, and therefore, there will be a drive to average everything from behavior to income and free time.

Gotta agree with you on this, my store had raised the cost of a carton last week, he said the cigarette maker raised it, so once again I switched to the next cheapest cigarette called Tough Guy..(strange name) No additives in them, and actually I chose the lights and they are quite good in fact. However he told me today that they also are going up the new fed 6.00 a carton next week. I told him it was nice to meet him but that's it for me.

The state raises the tax, then the company raises the price, then the fed keeps adding a tax. I am fed up to my ears with this crap.

There are tons of products that people can't do with out, but they pick cigarettes every time. Oh well, if enough people quite, and here on my street several have already quite due to the tax, guess they may have to find another avenue to pay for kids health.

Ya sure take away my one lousy pleasure, and if I complain because it eats up my budget, then on top of it tell me what a terrible person I am depriving some child of health care.. Yikes!!

I guess if guilt works for the church why not try it on smokers. I will be among those that say, the hell with you, I quit!!