Moving Towards Tobacco Prohibition

Texas Straight Talk ^ | 06/15/2009 | Ron Paul

[justiceseeker93]

Ron Paul could have added that, under current tobacco legislation and regulation, cigarette consumption in the US has been steadily declining for decades. So the point should be made that the present environment is getting the desired results: why fix something that isn't broken? Of course, statists would have much less to do if they didn't create "crises" that don't otherwise exist as a pretense for more and more government.

[bamahead]

Of course, statists would have much less to do if they didn't create "crises" that don't otherwise exist as a pretense for more and more government.

Thomas Sowell's 'Vision of the Anointed' nails this concept to a T. What's even more impressive is that he wrote it 15+ years ago. In addition to an excuse for more government, it's also a self-gratification and self-congratulatory thing with liberals.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Congress passed SCHIP last year— health programs ‘for the childrec’ which is totally funded by tobacco taxes, as I understand. Now they want to ban tobacco, and there is no sunset clause in the original legislation. What will fund SCHIP in the future???

I quadruple dare wimpy legislators to ban tobacco. It would be the happiest day of my life.

The only solution to State budget woes is a mandatory smoking law. Everyone must smoke. Even if you can't stand it and it stinks up your house and car and you get winded while playing racquetball. The STATE needs the money. Do it for the chilruns.

[monday]

“Won’t happen.Like other sin taxes like the lottery, too much tax money is being brought in.”

lol, you assume that tobacco prohibitionists are rational, while in fact they are anything but. Like any zealots they are more than willing to shoot themselves in the head in order to get their way. Lunatics are like that.

[bestintxas]

But the zealots do not control Congress, politicians do.

Politicians need the money, and will always seek to provide ways to keep it coming in increasingly.

Think the politicians support global warming? No way. They conveniently support the environmental zealots only because it gives them an excuse to add new taxes in the form of cap and trade.

Politicians are not stupid.