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Support Early Childhood Education: Smoke More Cigarettes
The American Thinker ^ | April 13, 2013 | Chad Stafko

Posted on 04/13/2013 12:09:35 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The Obama budget is finally out and there are, to no surprise, a potpourri of new tax hikes proposed, many of which are aimed at the "wealthy" among us.

Deep within the bowels of the colossal budget, however, lies a proposed tax that targets the poor among us and it is perhaps a precursor of other health-related taxes to come.

President Obama proposes raising the tax on cigarettes from $1.01 to $1.95 per pack--a whopping 93% increase in taxes. The White House estimates that the tax would raise $78.1 billion, of which around $66 billion would be used to fund pre-k education and around $11 billion used for expanded home visits and care for infants and toddlers.

Consider the impact of the tax on the taxpayer.  The 93% tax hike per pack of cigarettes affects lower income Americans far more than anyone else, making it a regressive tax.

You see back in 2009, President Obama signed into law another cigarette tax increase and according to a Gallup study done near that time, some 84% of cigarette smokers earn less than $60,000 per year, with 62% of smokers earning less than $36,000/yr. 

So, let's do a little math.  Suppose someone earns $30,000/year and smokes a pack of cigarettes per day for 365 days a year.  The federal taxes he pays in total for the year will jump to $712 from $369--leaving him paying $343 in additional taxes just to smoke.  That equates to shaving 1.15% of his income per year, a percentage of which could loom large for someone living paycheck to paycheck, as many are during Obama's presidency.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Education; Government; Health/Medicine; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: antitobaccoscam; calories; children; cigarettetax; education; food; health; nannystate; nutrition; obamabudget; regulations; scam; smoking; smokingiscool
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1 posted on 04/13/2013 12:09:35 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: SheLion; Eric Blair 2084; -YYZ-; 31R1O; 383rr; AFreeBird; AGreatPer; Alamo-Girl; Alia; altura; ...

Nanny State PING!


2 posted on 04/13/2013 12:10:13 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Drag Me From Hell!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Not to mention that smokers “pay” society in avoided costs due to shorter life expectancy.

Diabetes is very expensive to treat.

Fatal heart attacks, stroke and lung cancer; not so much.

The number, as I recall was $0.40 per pack in social services expense saved.


3 posted on 04/13/2013 12:14:07 PM PDT by cicero2k
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I still remember during panel debate on ‘special report’, Dr. Kraut said Obama/Pelosi should encourage everyone to smoke cigarettes (to cut down Obamacare cost).

And esp. Obama budget should not raise the cigarette tax.


4 posted on 04/13/2013 12:16:33 PM PDT by Sir Napsalot (Pravda + Useful Idiots = CCCP; JournOList + Useful Idiots = DopeyChangey!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Bummer.


5 posted on 04/13/2013 12:18:41 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Over 45% of all income earners pay no taxes.

While I am not in favor of social engineering via taxation, I am all in favor of low income earners paying their “fair share”. Or at least putting some skin in the game. If it is via cig taxes, so be it.

6 posted on 04/13/2013 12:19:04 PM PDT by llevrok (2013: The USA is in a Cold Civil War.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Gun owners are next in line to become the new “smokers” in Barack the Kenyan’s ObamaNation. The communists have just about milked the smokers for all they can get. Time to find a new group of suckers to be their hen that lays the golden eggs. Welcome to Amerika! Communism is a very expensive way to live. It requires the government to steal a lot of money from other people.


7 posted on 04/13/2013 12:28:47 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Dude! Where's my Bill of Rights?)
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To: llevrok

It’s a user tax too, which has an element of fairness built in. Don’t want to pay it? Don’t smoke.


8 posted on 04/13/2013 12:33:54 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: Drango

What if it was alcohol?


9 posted on 04/13/2013 12:41:13 PM PDT by Girlene
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To: Girlene

I don’t way to pay for low income smokers emphysema treatment or low income alcoholics live transplants. Both groups will receive highly subsidized medical care.


10 posted on 04/13/2013 12:47:02 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: Drango

What if it was food?


11 posted on 04/13/2013 12:48:56 PM PDT by Girlene
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To: Girlene

It will be and no one seems to realize it. They will care when it gets to them.


12 posted on 04/13/2013 12:50:03 PM PDT by John W (Viva Cristo Rey!)
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To: John W
I know, and I don't smoke. obamacare is already going to cost smokers more before any increase in cigarette tax.

'Obamacare' to hit smokers with huge penalties
....The Affordable Care Act, which critics have also called “Obamacare”, could subject smokers to premiums that are 50 percent higher than usual, starting next Jan 1. Health insurers will be allowed to charge smokers penalties that overweight Americans or those with other health conditions would not be subjected to.

A 60-year-old smoker could pay penalties as high as $5,100, in addition to the premiums, the Associated Press reports. A 55-year-old smoker’s penalty could reach $4,250. The older a smoker is, the higher the penalty will be.......

13 posted on 04/13/2013 1:17:08 PM PDT by Girlene
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Freepers, your Contributions make every difference!
Please keep ‘em coming! Thank you all very much!

14 posted on 04/13/2013 1:30:02 PM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

It’s amazing
Even in his budget
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2014/assets/budget.pdf
On page 184
It shows an anticipated tax windfall from expected purchases.
Tobacco tax financing
2014 –8 Billion increase
2015 –10 Billion increase
2016 –9 B
2017 –9 B
It goes on and on.

And conveniently goes hand in hand with the next line up on that page with the cost of early childhood investments.

From 2014-2023 they are expecting:
$77 Billion increase in cost of early childhood
$78 Billion increase in tobacco tax
(That’s tidy /sarc)

Buy a pack of cigarettes a day - it’s for the Children

Tobacco tax is the Governments preferred tax delivery method of today. What will be the next preferred way?


15 posted on 04/13/2013 1:40:41 PM PDT by libertarian27 (FreeRepublic Cookbooks 2011 & 2012 - Click Profile)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Homosexuals should pay a homo tax. They will be an additional burden on the healthcare system because of their lifestyle.

HIV/AIDS treatment will increase more as more of them come out and engage in sodomity


16 posted on 04/13/2013 3:06:39 PM PDT by 23 Everest (When seconds count. The police are just 23 minutes away. 831 Bonnie)
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To: Drango
It’s a user tax too, which has an element of fairness built in. Don’t want to pay it? Don’t smoke.

Not only are you a statist, but you are a one-note-johnny.

How did your fuse get lit on tobacco?

17 posted on 04/13/2013 3:25:44 PM PDT by elkfersupper ( Member of the Original Defiant Class)
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To: llevrok
While I am not in favor of social engineering via taxation, I am all in favor of low income earners paying their “fair share”. Or at least putting some skin in the game. If it is via cig taxes, so be it.

I understand your point, however, cigarette smokers have always had "skin in the game." Even back in the mid 90s the price of a pack of cigarettes was more than 50% tax. That percentage is by far much higher now. The so-called Master Settlement Agreement added 45cents to a pack and that was in 1998. States have been raising taxes on them willy nilly since hen. And his heinous nearly tripled the fed tax on them within a month after being inaugurated.

Cigarette smokers have had MORE "skin in the game" than non-smokers for quite a long time. It's time to attack a different minority.

18 posted on 04/13/2013 5:42:07 PM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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To: Girlene
I know, and I don't smoke. obamacare is already going to cost smokers more before any increase in cigarette tax.

and just who is going to be stupid enough to reveal that they are a smoker????

19 posted on 04/13/2013 5:47:01 PM PDT by terycarl
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To: llevrok
While I am not in favor of social engineering via taxation, I am all in favor of low income earners paying their “fair share”. Or at least putting some skin in the game. If it is via cig taxes, so be it.

I understand your point, however, cigarette smokers have always had "skin in the game." Even back in the mid 90s the price of a pack of cigarettes was more than 50% tax. That percentage is by far much higher now. The so-called Master Settlement Agreement added 45cents to a pack and that was in 1998. States have been raising taxes on them willy nilly since hen. And his heinous nearly tripled the fed tax on them within a month after being inaugurated.

Cigarette smokers have had MORE "skin in the game" than non-smokers for quite a long time. It's time to attack a different minority.

20 posted on 04/13/2013 5:50:35 PM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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