Posted on 05/27/2009 6:53:00 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
Tallahassee - Gov. Charlie Crist signed into law a $1-per-pack cigarette tax hike Wednesday - the biggest of its kind in Florida history -- saying he hopes to kill the habit that results in thousands of deaths every year.
"I view it more as a health issue than a tax issue," said Crist, a Republican who broke with a career-long opposition to tax increases. " Ronald Reagan used to say if you want to kill something, tax it. It wouldn't be bad if we killed smoking. It would save a lot of lives."
As of July 1, Florida's new cigarette tax is $1.34 per pack. An equivalent increase applies to smokeless and pipe tobacco, but not cigars.
The extra $1 tax is expected to generate more than $900 million a year, to be used to offset Medicaid costs and fund cancer research.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
My wife buys cartons of cigarettes. They were $25 and change before the SCHIP tax, jumping to $33. This will take it up to $43. So, they’ve almost doubled the price in about 3 months, ALL of it taxes to support one socialist thing or another. The nominal reason for THIS tax is to pay for the Moffitt Cancer Center. Of course, it’s going to be funded on the backs of smokers, even though there is a lot of money being spent on breast, prostate, stomach, etc. types of cancers.
Another hidden thing in this one is the cigar tax. If it stayed in the final bill, there’s a $1 per stick hit on a cigar bought and smoked at a cigar shop. Another $1 if you want to take the stick home and store it at home. This is going to throw a lot of people out of work.
Thanks, Charlie! You jacka*s...
So you don’t believe in the law of supply and demand? Over 100 hundred studies have shown an increase in the price of cigarettes reduces the consumption. Particularly in children.
Every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces youth smoking by about seven percent and overall cigarette consumption by about four percent.
When they stamp out smoking they’ll go after someone else. Look at Michigan. Jenny Granholm is looking at raising other taxes and using “stimulus” money to balance the books.
Where do you think the govt is going to go when all the smokers quit. You read all the time how hard it is, blah blah blah. I did years ago, and guess what, it was surprisingly easy. The govt gets people mad enough by trying to bleed them dry, they can do without most anything.
Watch out when the cash cow stops giving milk, your products of choice will get hit next. ANYTHING can be tied to a health issue, and any product can cause death, even if only one. You will hear, if we save one life, it is worth it. Just wait.
I don't drink either, but I would be just as solidly opposed to taxing that to death. Even though far more kids get their hands on alcohol, and they shouldn't.
“He’s a deity now?
How did I miss that news report?”
You didn’t. YO=ou missed the English lesson on “rhetoric,” particularly metaphor.
Hank
Same here. Just because I don’t do those things doesn’t mean I want to punish those who do.
Alabama. Carton of generics 37.00 premium 45.00
A pack of Malrboros is listed at 5.35
No he didn't. Don't you know that really wasn't a tax? It was a...er...I forget, but it wasn't a tax!
With Republicans like this who needs Democrats?
Thanks, Hank, for the English lesson. This metaphor thing is so interesting.
By the way, you might want to brush up on your spelling.
This just gives the Indian reservations more business, you know a nation within a nation! Buy online and avoid this garbage tax.
Crist needs a tax for wasting suntan products, I bet his palms are always orange like his skin color...cheap
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