Posted on 02/05/2009 6:05:36 PM PST by DakotaRed
Washington States own Senior Senator, Patty Murray, tennis shoed lovable little mouse that she is, has joyfully announced how she and other Democrats have locked arms and decided to “stick it to the poor” people they claim to care about and want to help.
Of course that isn’t exactly what she says, but that is the obvious outcome of their strong support and passing of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, CHIP.
After all the bleeding heart fearmongering of children receiving no health care today and all the millions of dollars that will come to Washington State, Murray unwittingly reveals how their plan is going to hurt the very people they say they will help the most.
Murray announces, “The $31.5 billion cost would be covered by a 61-cent per-pack tax increase on cigarettes and other tobacco products.”
Ah yes, the evil tobacco user ponies up again to pay for their vile habit. Democrats know that smoke-nazi nanny staters have effectively demonized tobacco and users to the point that the majority will not oppose any tax increases on those “despicable, evil, nasty, smelly good for nothing smokers.”
Just a couple of small problems in the Democrats desire to once again “stick it to the evil smoker.”
First, if they truly expect to continue funding this and other entitlement programs by tobacco taxes, is it wise to also encourage people to stop using tobacco? If they stop smoking and stop buying the product, where will those increased tax dollars to fund this program come from then?
If smoking bans continue to be added, more people will stop smoking and again, stop purchasing the product, thereby once again, decreasing the available funding for this Children’s Health Insurance Program.
But, that isn’t the main way Democrats will once again be pushing the poverty stricken deeper into poverty.
Until recently the American Heart Association had on their Smoking Statistics page the following; “Studies show that smoking prevalence is higher among those who had earned a GED diploma (39.6 percent) and among those with 9-11 years of education (34.0 percent) compared with those with more than 16 years of education (8.0 percent). It's highest among persons living below the poverty level (29.1 percent).”
That’s right, it is the poorest among us, the very people Murray and fellow Democrats claim they must help by raising tobacco taxes, that will be primarily paying those taxes!
Quitter’s Guide.com, an online site to help smokers stop using tobacco tells us, “Ironically, studies show that the percentage of people that are low income and smoke is greater than the percentage of people who are at a high income level. If you consider the cost of smoking this is ironic, but many researchers believe this directly relates to the level of education one has received. The percentage of individuals below the poverty level whom smoke is a staggering 29.9%.”
Again, it is confirmed that the very people who will pay the increased taxes to fund this program are the very people they say they will help. The increase in tax they will have to pay will decreases available money to use on their families elsewhere, such as nutritious food or decent housing and clothes.
I know, all they need do is stop smoking and they won’t have to pay that tax, right? Of course that is so. But again, when they stop smoking and stop buying cigarettes, where does the tax needed to fund CHIP come from then?
Of course, not spoken aloud is the distinct possibility that helping children of the poor is secondary in this. It is very possible that the prime intent is actually more Socialist dependency on the government as to make up for the increased tax payments, those other areas mentioned above that will suffer can be made up by other Socialist programs, all the help the children, mind you.
This is a vicious circle with no end in sight now that the Dictatorial Democrats hold all the cards and can shove whatever Soviet style program down our throats they wish. It didn’t work in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, Communist China, Cuba or Viet Nam and it is doubtful it will work in the Union of Socialist States of America either.
Don’t be fooled by sneaker wearing little mousy Senators as their hearts bleed all over on how they need to help out the less privileged. The real goal is take from the citizens and to give out what government says you should receive, as dictated by aging holdover hippies and their minions.
This is NOT American liberty as envisioned by our founding fathers, but is rather the vision of Karl Marx, the father of modern Communism.
The DNC piggies are loose! Guard your wallet!
I’m not a smoker, I think smoking is dangerous to one’s health, and I’d prefer not to breathe secondhand smoke.
Nevertheless, it’s absolutely nuts to heavily tax smoking (presumably because you want LESS of it!) in order to fund a program that will, by its nature, incur ever-increasing costs.
Our supposed “betters” — those who would govern us — are absolutely insane.
I quit smoking about 10 years ago. If most smokers quit now, there won’t be money for this Commie socialized medicine program.
Encourage every smoker you know to quit. It’s good for them and will help fight Communism.
(no, I'm not going down that road again)
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