Vermont: Tobacco and soda taxes under consideration

United Pro Smoker's Newsletter ^ | April 12, 2006 | Nancy Remsen          

[CindyDawg]

Well, there you go. Now I just need to figure out how to make diet cokes.

[SheLion]

How about if this is really about getting healthier that they give us some of our money back if we do so. Let's see what this is really about.

If smoking makes health care more costly then health care cost should be at their lowest historical rates since the 50's, since smoking has decreased per capita since then.

[lndrvr1972]

What are these greedy ass governments going to do when the tax basin draws up on people who use tobacco products?
It just amazes me how state, local and federal intities can get away making taxes when no vote has been made.

[CindyDawg]

The tea party is coming.

[RandallFlagg]

Virginia - home of PM..........

Figures!
Glad tomorrow's payday. I'll be getting some business cards printed up with websites that show and detail RYO. I'll be handing 'em out with every cigarette I give away to strangers.

I've converted five in the last 2 weeks.

[CheyennePress]

Diabetes and a host of other diseases and heart disease didn't increase during the same time period, did they?

Just checking.

[RandallFlagg]

Well, I'm reminded of a Limbaugh show where he stated that hurricanes weren't increasing in frequency and strength because of, "Global Warming." It just SEEMED that way due to the better technologies we've come up with in the last fifty years for detection.
I would guess that the same could apply to disease detection.

[Stayingawayfromthedarkside]

I am anti-smoking, but all of these anti-smoking laws are stupid. My mother has smoked most of her adult life and these laws don't stop her. I never really cared much for it anyway. If they start taxing soda here in AZ, I think I will make my own. I have seen the price of soda go up quite a bit around here. At our local Wal-Mart it costs $1.28 for 1 20oz. Pepsi. that is riduculous. Oh, well. I guess I'll have to drink tap water instead. Uh, nevermind.

[MPJackal]

For some reason people in government can't even consider saving money. They want to spend every dime that comes in. Programs only grow, none ever just end. Makes me sick.

[RandallFlagg]

I am anti-smoking,

Please don't misunderstand. there's a HUGH difference between an, "Antismoker," and a, "NONsmoker."

You sound more like a nonsmoker to me. No anti would ever say something like, "all of these anti-smoking laws are stupid." The anti would say something along the lines of, "GOOD! You ADDICTS oughta pay taxes until you're living on the streets, drowning in your own phlegm!!"

Or something very similar.

[CheyennePress]

Oh, I definitely think that our increased diagnostic abilities increase the cost of medicine in addition to its effectiveness. Same thing with the treatments.

Still, no question diabetes is increasing in frequency. The average dress size of a woman around 1950 was a size 8. We're up to a size 14. With vanity sizing.

Obesity just didn't exist then as it does now. It's only going to get more expensive, I'm afriad. Diabetes is a nasty little disease. It pretty much wrecks the rest of your body.

[Stayingawayfromthedarkside]

Speaking of phlegm, I have enough of that from my allergies.

[spunkets]

"They really don't care if we eat junk food and drink cola."

Looks like you haven't had some strange woman yank the salt shaker out of your hand in a restaurant while she's lecturing about how your killing your kid with it. Then the same kid grows up and chastises ya for giving the grandkid some M&Ms. It's contagious.

[CindyDawg]

Nah. Salt shakers are still kept on the tables around here and the kids still eat chocolates.

[Malesherbes]

How do people in this socialist paradise make a living (besides stuffing teddy bears)?

[ran15]

Yes we have to be careful with definitions.. especially since the do-gooders like to spin words and take things out of context..

I think you can be against smoking and try to convince your friends not to smoke... yet still support their right to smoke.

I personally am a non-smoker and don't care one way or another if friends or others smoke. If it makes them feel good, then cool. I might advise moderation is about it.

[RandallFlagg]

Aye. There are multiple nonsmoking FReepers who are on our side on this issue. They stand with us, and know that things like this are wrong in so many ways. We smokers can't thank them enough.

Thankfully, they also outnumber the antismoking FR crowd.

[ran15]

The ladies I know who smoke are thin. And really they only smoke four or five cigarrettes a day.

I'd have to say they are healthier then non-smoking but fat women. And they look good, and enjoy smoking..

[Husker24]

If they come after my Caffeine, I would
advocate violent overthrow of the government.

[RandallFlagg]

If they come after my Caffeine, I would
advocate violent overthrow of the government.

Oh, it won't be all at once, and it won't be a ban. It'll be incremental.
First, they'll come up with some, "Proof," that caffeine is dangerous and causes some obscure disease, and have to start taxing it to pay for this condition. Then, the already prominent anti-caffeine ads will increase slowly and people will start to claim that they, "See the light."

It'll only get worse from there. Read up on instructions on how to make your own coffee bean. Check applicable laws first.

No. I'm NOT kidding.
I'm currently growing my own tobacco.