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-   -   Senate Panel Approves Huge Tobacco Tax To Fund Child Healthcare (http://www.shreveport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2693)

piemaker720 10-01-2007 10:33 AM

Senate Panel Approves Huge Tobacco Tax To Fund Child Healthcare
 
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/77369.php

Quote:

In an overwhelming majority of 17 to 4, and in defiance of a threatened veto by President Bush, the US Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to expand child healthcare using a large increase in tobacco tax. Most of the Republicans on the Committee joined the Democrats to vote in favour of the bill.
The committee approved bill calls for a considerable rise in tobacco tax to pay for it. The tax would go up from the current 39 cents to 1.00 dollar on a pack of cigarettes. Cigars would attract an ever greater increase, with premium cigars that are currently taxed at 5 cents being taxed at 10 dollars each.
Going up again.:D

Texasbelle 10-01-2007 09:47 PM

What's wrong with raising the taxes on tobacco? Maybe they'll get so expensive people will quit buying them and lower the cancer rates which in turn will lower the cost many states are having to pay out for care to long term smokers.

rhertz 10-01-2007 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texasbelle (Post 21978)
What's wrong with raising the taxes on tobacco? Maybe they'll get so expensive people will quit buying them and lower the cancer rates which in turn will lower the cost many states are having to pay out for care to long term smokers.

I see your point, however..... Do you want to pay $10 for a Chee Burger Chee Burger just because the Government doesn't want to you get fat with high cholesteral. Perhaps cars should be taxed more to promote the use of bicycling and exercise to mandate better health. Where do we draw the line? Well, err I mean where does the Government draw the line? As it grows larger, we grow smaller...IMHO

Texasbelle 10-01-2007 10:12 PM

You have a minimal point Rhertz. Heart disease or the potential for it is something you can somewhat prevent but not everybody. There is a whole lot of genetics and other factors involved with heart disease. Smoking and the healthcare issues it brings on are guaranteed. Dollar for dollar that cheeseburger versus a cigarette are going to be very heavily weighted to one side when facing the long term side effects.

purpahurl 10-01-2007 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhertz (Post 21980)
I see your point, however..... Do you want to pay $10 for a Chee Burger Chee Burger just because the Government doesn't want to you get fat with high cholesteral. Perhaps cars should be taxed more to promote the use of bicycling and exercise to mandate better health. Where do we draw the line? Well, err I mean where does the Government draw the line? As it grows larger, we grow smaller...IMHO

That's what I'm talkin about. I was going to post to Tbell but you beat me. I personaly hate the smell of cigarettes, but this IS America, I don't care who smokes , that's their choice. What if they decide bottled water should be taxed heavily to help pay for obesity, I bet you workout folks would have something to say, and not to mention folks drinking Bossier water. By the way, you Greenies out there bottled water containers are the new big time roadside, waterway, landfill problem. Oh for the old big glass returnable bottle. I hope y'all see the irony in the what if.

piemaker720 10-02-2007 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purpahurl (Post 21984)
That's what I'm talkin about. I was going to post to Tbell but you beat me. I personaly hate the smell of cigarettes, but this IS America, I don't care who smokes , that's their choice. What if they decide bottled water should be taxed heavily to help pay for obesity, I bet you workout folks would have something to say, and not to mention folks drinking Bossier water. By the way, you Greenies out there bottled water containers are the new big time roadside, waterway, landfill problem. Oh for the old big glass returnable bottle. I hope y'all see the irony in the what if.

It doesn't matter with me if they raise the tax, I quit smoking 4 years ago and I don't miss it. Now of coarse there might be a fight if you mess with my tea or Dr. Pepper. HaHa!

Texasbelle 10-02-2007 07:52 AM

Come on Purpahurl comparing taxing bottled water to cigarettes?????????? Surely you can do better than that. Personally, I think if you do workout and take care of your body, you deserve a tax break!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:
I bet that would get more people up and at it.

joepole 10-02-2007 10:16 AM

>Smoking and the healthcare issues it brings on are guaranteed.

That's absolutely incorrect. Millions of people smoke like chimneys and never suffer health-wise because of it. My great-grandfather was a 3-pack-a-day smoker until literally the day he died a month shy of 100.

Texasbelle 10-02-2007 04:33 PM

Well Joe maybe if he hadn't smoked he could have lived to 101. I am sure he wasn't perfectly healthy when he died either. You just believe he was.

Pocahontas 10-02-2007 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piemaker720 (Post 21997)
It doesn't matter with me if they raise the tax, I quit smoking 4 years ago and I don't miss it. Now of coarse there might be a fight if you mess with my tea or Dr. Pepper. HaHa!

I'm with you...tax away on cigarettes that would probably be a good thing!
But don't mess with my diet Dr. Peppers or my M&M's!:laugh::laugh:

Al Swearengen 10-02-2007 07:36 PM

I dont mind em taxin cigarettes...but taxin premium cigars at 10 bucks a pop? Not only is that ridiculously outrageously stupid, but it just plain pisses me the hell off. But I'm not gonna worry too much about that cuz the prez has promised to veto it.

purpahurl 10-02-2007 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texasbelle (Post 21998)
Come on Purpahurl comparing taxing bottled water to cigarettes?????????? Surely you can do better than that. Personally, I think if you do workout and take care of your body, you deserve a tax break!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:
I bet that would get more people up and at it.

Hey Tbelle, maybe all the smokers should and drinkers should be able to claim all these taxes on their deductions. Seems they've been funding all kinds of stuff for years. What about the proposed .50 cent a gallon gas tax for "Global Warming"? How does that sit? Or a war tax, that's a good one.

rhertz 10-02-2007 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texasbelle (Post 21983)
You have a minimal point Rhertz. Heart disease or the potential for it is something you can somewhat prevent but not everybody. There is a whole lot of genetics and other factors involved with heart disease. Smoking and the healthcare issues it brings on are guaranteed. Dollar for dollar that cheeseburger versus a cigarette are going to be very heavily weighted to one side when facing the long term side effects.

Tbelle, as an ex-smoker, I agree with you in principle. Smoking will kill ya. However the erosion of our rights really bothers me. I quit smoking to better my health, not to avoid taxes. That should have nothing to do with it.

rhertz 10-02-2007 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purpahurl (Post 21984)
That's what I'm talkin about. I was going to post to Tbell but you beat me. I personaly hate the smell of cigarettes, but this IS America, I don't care who smokes , that's their choice. What if they decide bottled water should be taxed heavily to help pay for obesity, I bet you workout folks would have something to say, and not to mention folks drinking Bossier water. By the way, you Greenies out there bottled water containers are the new big time roadside, waterway, landfill problem. Oh for the old big glass returnable bottle. I hope y'all see the irony in the what if.

I agree wholeheartedly. I remember having returnable milk and coke bottles and I think we should recycle but I figure Shreveport will be the last city to issue color coded trash cans. Glass comes from sand not petroleum BTW... But our rights are being eroded little by little year after year and that equals big change over decades. Can't leave your trash can out overnight. Can't smoke. Soon we can't drink, and then where will I be?? :D

Texasbelle 10-03-2007 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhertz (Post 22043)
I agree wholeheartedly. I remember having returnable milk and coke bottles and I think we should recycle but I figure Shreveport will be the last city to issue color coded trash cans. Glass comes from sand not petroleum BTW... But our rights are being eroded little by little year after year and that equals big change over decades. Can't leave your trash can out overnight. Can't smoke. Soon we can't drink, and then where will I be?? :D

You'll be SOBER, that's where you'll be!!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:


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