This is sickening.
25-30% of South Carolina's smoke, and now they have to carry the weight of the state budget.
"creating a trust fund that lawmakers would decide how to spend."
And I am SURE they will know what pet programs they want to spend it on, too!
This is sickening.
Ah, yes, make the smokers pay for it.
Got a pet pork project? Heck YES we got the money!
New Jersey taxes go up again this June for us polluters.
Increasing the tax burden to "Help" the payee. Yeah, right. (You know, politician's mothers should really have strangled them at birth.)
Here's what I'm doing: I bought a cheap, dorm sized refrigerator, a good quality cigarette rolling machine, a big, big box of filter tubes, and am filling the refrigerator with boxes and bags of high quality tobacco. (Taxes are minimal on bulk, internet tobacco at the present time.)
I plan to recoup my investment by selling product to friends and coworkers at about $10.00 per pack. (Make great Christmas presents.) Grandpa was a bootlegger so I come by it honestly.
By the time I'm finished with my "stash," organized crime will have established its black market cigarette operation along Prohibition lines. If people want to smoke, they're going to smoke.
I would have quit years ago if it weren't for the collation of "superior anuses" telling me I HAD TO. Lordy, how I hate social engineering. (I've already outlived a lot of those wise dickie birds too.)
I am a South Carolinian and just recently quit smoking. But this is a ridiculous tax. Just another example of blood thirsty revenue hogs. Why don't they tax alcohol more heavily? Or fast food? Or large vehicles? Or motorcycles? Or just about any damn thing else where they can make an excuse for.
It drives me up the wall that they act like they are doing society a favor. But is any of this money going to smoking cessation programs. Of course not. I think there should be a deceitful politician tax.
For those who missed this:
House Judiciary approves restaurant smoking ban bill
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Smoking would be banned in South Carolina restaurants under a bill that is headed to the House floor.
The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved the legislation that bans smoking in all restaurant, bar, lounge and recreational facilities. The committee agreed to exceptions for cigar bars and private clubs, such as the American Legion.
The bill no longer has the criminal penalties it had when it came out of a subcommittee.
State Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, said the bill was about clean air and protecting the public, but some on the committee said it would put the state on a course to ban smoking in other places.
The proposal moves to the House floor.