[Drango]

it sounds like you are for the tax on smokers,

Bigtime. Several benefits. It will help mitigate the enormous cost cigarettes have on society. (Negative externalities)AND it will reduce consumption. Econ 101.

The side benefit of gettin' smokers panties in a twist is just a bonus.

[goat granny]

If you found that I want a tax on smokers, you have a comprehension problem, fuzzy thinking and must be a big lib democrat...thats the only shoe that fits your post. That old straw dog about a drain on society doesn't fly. That is the rational for dictatorship.

[Old Professer]

The harsh reality is that smokers, during the course of their lifetime acually are a smaller drain than non-smokers; throw diabetics and AIDS patients into the mix and it works out to about half.

They simply die before the big bucks are due.

But it is a nasty habit, it stinks, it annoys the flock overall and the law of diminishing returns brings in less revenue with each increase in taxes.

We’ll soon need another whipping boy and the fatties are first on the list, I’m afraid.

[GOPyouth]

(Negative externalities)AND it will reduce consumption. Econ 101.

Why not just make it illegal? Econ 101 will also tell you that if you want to fund a project via a tax on a product, you will have a hard time funding that project if your goal is reduce purchasing of that taxed product.

This reminds me of the Rainbow Push Coalition. They claim to fight racism, but they do not make money if there's no racism. Jackson is addicted to the money he makes with the racism claims, so does he REALLY want to end racism?