Posted on 03/06/2014 2:29:55 PM PST by ThethoughtsofGreg
Last week, a bill was introduced but never heard in the Washington State Senate that considered a proposal to tax electronic cigarettes at 95 percent of their cost; the same as other tobacco or tobacco substitute products. A similar proposal is currently working its way through the Washington House as part of the House budget bill package. Whatever the intentions of policymakers, singling out a specific product or group of products for extra severe tax assessment is contrary to the principles of sound tax policy and will harm the state’s economy overall.
First and foremost, the tax code is the mechanism by which government collects the necessary revenue to fund essential government services and programs. Trying to manipulate consumer choices by penalizing and incentivizing certain products over others has no place in the tax code. Next, small businesses that rely on the revenue that tobacco and tobacco substitutes bring in would feel the most damaging effect of this type of specific tax penalty.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanlegislator.org ...
Government controls 100% of your money, sayeth The Supremes in re 0bamacare.
Get used to it.
How long before we see electronic joints on the market where pot is legal? I’ll bet the companies who market the electronic cigarettes are already on it. It would be a lot easier on the throat. (I heard.)
As this story perfectly demonstrates, the government doesn’t actually give a tenth part of a piece of dog sh$% about your well being - the supposed reason that taxes on tobacco products are so high.
From their point of view, electronic cigarettes are even BETTER and have more potential than do real cigarettes, because, much like the difference between a fatal virus and a parasite, electronic cigarettes don’t actually kill or cripple. A dead taxpayer is a non-paying taxpayer.
It’s okay. Chief Justice Roberts says government can make you do anything it wants as long as it uses taxation to enforce the law. Of course, he’s an idiot.
For the children no doubt.
Invent product that drastically reduces the main problem with cigaretets which is second had smoke and carccinogens in smoke...
TAX IT TO DEATH!!!!!
They told people to stop smoking and now tax revenue from cigarettes are going down and they are FURIOUS!
Time to find a new revenue source.
Yep. For all the wailing and gnashing of teeth that's why liberals are such douches.
Waaah! We wanted people to stop smoking, but at the same time we need the taxes to pay for children's health care.
Cigarette sales are down. Taxes go down.
What to do?
Legalize smoking...POT, and tax it.
Another example of liberal brilliance: Americans waste too much in fuel and cause pollution.
Push for electric cars and hybrids that use less gas.
Waaah! We don't sell enough gasoline now, and tax revenues are going down.
Better raise gas taxes!
Already happening. Electronic pot vaporizers
throat and lungs. maybe brownies are the best way to go.
That is just insane. When someone uses an e-cigarette that means one less person smoking real cigarettes. For some reason it has become fashionable on the left to bash e-cigarettes. This just shows how herdlike they are.
The nicotine in eCigs is not from tobacco, but various veggies. Not being a tobacco product, it cannot have a tobacco tax. This irritates the little tax commies. The tax is on nicotine itself to make up for the loss of tobacco taxes.
As usual, it will create a huge black market to avoid the tax. Politicians learned nothing during Prohibition or ridiculous “sin” taxes...unless they have a hand in the black markets.
Niacin, a B vitamin, was discovered when a scientist was studying nicotine. It is recommended you take the niacinimide form. (I do not remember the correct spelling for it.) Niacin, for some people, tends to cause flushing and a racing heartbeat. No, I do not have the study (many decades ago) on hand.
The author needs to read up on the "Whiskey Rebellion". This ain't nothin' new. Despicable, but nothing new.
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