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Are Cigarette Taxes Out Of Control?

sKiTzo said:
Americans are paying a 400% mark-up in taxes for cigarettes these days. I understand the concept of luxury taxes, but at what point does luxury tax become unfair tax gouging?
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Considering the damage they've caused and continue to cause I'd say taxing the things into oblivion is a good move.
 
I don't smoke but it is true that the tax on cigarettes is getting ridiculous.
Cigarettes are bad for for you? Fine, lets tax Coke Cola, Cookies, Ice cream, All booze and such. (Yeah buddy, that beer will cost you 4.74 a can.)
Sugary coffee, and the list goes on. Not fair to punish smokers just because "I don't like them" That's Chicken Shit.
 
sKiTzo said:
Americans are paying a 400% mark-up in taxes for cigarettes these days. I understand the concept of luxury taxes, but at what point does luxury tax become unfair tax gouging?
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I'm against punitive taxation. Taxes should be what they are for everything else.
 
sKiTzo said:
Americans are paying a 400% mark-up in taxes for cigarettes these days. I understand the concept of luxury taxes, but at what point does luxury tax become unfair tax gouging?
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Booze & Smoke taxes are beyond ridiculous.

This coming from a non-smoker & non-drinker.
 
We don't want Americans to smoke but we sure want to export them to China.
 
sKiTzo said:
Americans are paying a 400% mark-up in taxes for cigarettes these days. I understand the concept of luxury taxes, but at what point does luxury tax become unfair tax gouging?
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They're not luxury taxes, they are sin taxes. Smoking is apparently sinful, even to the non-religous Democratic party.
 
I pay 10 dollars a pack for smokes. If it cost less, i would smoke more.

I'm fine with it.
 
Peter said:
Considering the damage they've caused and continue to cause I'd say taxing the things into oblivion is a good move.
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Smoking is insane. Shame on anybody sticking up for these rude scums.
 
sKiTzo said:
Americans are paying a 400% mark-up in taxes for cigarettes these days. I understand the concept of luxury taxes, but at what point does luxury tax become unfair tax gouging?
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At one point children's health was supported by this easy tax to pass:

CMCS Medicaid and CHIP All State Calls 2020 2021 2022 State Waiver and Amendment Approvals Tools and Checklists for States Other Agency Guidance CMS Guidance Clinical and Technical Guidance Billing and Coding Guidance Survey and Certification Guidance Medicare and Other Coverage Guidance Provider Enrollment Guidance Marketplace Plan Guidance​

But how many children smoke?

Then the CHIP program ended, but the taxes did not.

To help fund CHIP (sometimes known as SCHIP), a federal excise tax that was capped at 40.26 for each cigar and at 52.75 percent was imposed on every cigar imported into the U.S. CHIP also increased the federal tax on cigarettes to $1, up from 39 cents.​

So what have we seen here?

Politicians pass a tax on a segment of the population which was politically easy to defend, and once the program ended, simply, silently, continued the targeted and punitive taxation.

This appears to be typical of politicians as well as the federal bureaucracy, it is moves, tax is to death; if it stops moving, subsidize it.

This behavior is little more than complete bullshit and fraud, legislative malpractice.
 
HIP56948 said:
I don't smoke but it is true that the tax on cigarettes is getting ridiculous.
Cigarettes are bad for for you? Fine, lets tax Coke Cola, Cookies, Ice cream, All booze and such. (Yeah buddy, that beer will cost you 4.74 a can.)
Sugary coffee, and the list goes on. Not fair to punish smokers just because "I don't like them" That's Chicken Shit.
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They should overly tax anything that is obviously bad for you. I wish we could switch too a consumption tax and get rid of the IRS. Make the stupid people think twice about doing a stupid thing.
 
Mongidig said:
They should overly tax anything that is obviously bad for you. I wish we could switch too a consumption tax and get rid of the IRS. Make the stupid people think twice about doing a stupid thing.
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Why shouldn't people be allowed to make decisions for themselves?
 
eohrnberger said:
Why shouldn't people be allowed to make decisions for themselves?
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They smell when they come back from smoking. They bump up the cost of healthcare for everyone. Sometimes you have to walk through their smoke to get somewhere because they are rude scumbags. I would bet a high percentage of smokers are criminals so I have no sympathy for them. They all just huddle around in a little smoke filled area at work. They are disgusting people.
 
sKiTzo said:
Americans are paying a 400% mark-up in taxes for cigarettes these days. I understand the concept of luxury taxes, but at what point does luxury tax become unfair tax gouging?
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They're not luxury taxes but rather, vice taxes, which are popular because state governments try to keep income and corporate taxes low to attract corporations and wealthy retirees or relocators. The problem with this is, lost tax revenue to attract these folk has to be made up somehow, and that usually comes in the form of encourage vices, traffic light cameras, speed traps, property taxes, sales taxes, and DMV (and other) fees that go up every year.
 
Mongidig said:
They smell when they come back from smoking. They bump up the cost of healthcare for everyone. Sometimes you have to walk through their smoke to get somewhere because they are rude scumbags. I would bet a high percentage of smokers are criminals so I have no sympathy for them. They all just huddle around in a little smoke filled area at work. They are disgusting people.
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I used to believe in sin taxes, but the governments typically piss away the money - it doesn't go to offset medical care. What they're really doing is trying to replace the money they sacrifice trying to attract rich people and corporations. People who are addicted to cigarettes or alcohol will pay to keep feeding their addictions. I'd feel differently if the money were earmarked for addiction treatment, but it's not.
 
Mongidig said:
Smoking is insane. Shame on anybody sticking up for these rude scums.
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If the state were interested in using taxpayer money to end smoking or alcohol abuse, they'd use the money to open treatment centers and offer free or low-cost naltrexone. The government wants addicts. They need addicts - more importantly, they need their money. Few things are more corrupt than the state encouraging vice. They encourage gambling and rake in billions and billions. You can't tell me that the state that encourages problematic, financially ruinous behavior wants smokers and drunks to give up their habits. Addicts are addicts. They can lose everything and end up spending their nights in a sleeping bag under a bridge and they will still get their fix.
 
It’s a good tax revenue stream that doesn’t impact “necessary” items - so I’m fine with it.

We need $$$ to fund very necessary programs. That money has to come from somewhere.
 
aociswundumho said:
So you want to tax people for damage they cause to themselves?
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There's also passive smoking so they harm others as well.
There's a reason smoking inside public buildings is banned.

Yes, tax them.
 
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