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Maine: Taxing the smoke you breathe
Republican Journal ^ | 7-8-05 | Peter Cook

Posted on 07/08/2005 6:21:56 AM PDT by SheLion

  Taxing the smoke you breathe

Coffee Flavored Coffee by Peter Cook 

Despite my deeply unpleasant experiences with tobacco, though, I think the legislature's plan to raise taxes on cigarettes is cynical and wrong. The state is preparing to raise the tax on cigarettes by 100 percent - from $1 to $2 per pack. For lawmakers and the Baldacci administration, this plan is a double-win situation.

Quoted in the Portland Press Herald, Baldacci spokesman Lynn Kippax said, "The cigarette tax is a horse of a different color. It does more than just raise revenue. It helps keep people from taking up smoking, which can become a lifetime addiction."

Maybe I don't understand all of the details here, but why are they raising cigarette taxes to help balance the budget if they ultimately want to prevent smoking? Won't the latter goal harm the efficacy of the former?

The government needs to make up its mind about smoking. Is it a societal evil that needs to be eradicated, or a cash cow to be exploited? For years, Maine has joined other states in condemning tobacco while benefiting from the tax revenues that come from those who use it. If the Baldacci administration and the legislature really want to take a principled stand against tobacco, it would pass a law to make its sale, use and import illegal in the state of Maine.

Instead, the government has embarked on a campaign to demonize smokers while simultaneously depending on them for income. As I said before, I happen to like restaurants where there is no smoke in the air. But I think the legislature was wrong to remove the right of business owners and customers to make that determination for themselves. Restaurants and bars are private industries, not public utilities.

When restaurants still had smoking sections, many of the establishments put smokers in the corner or in a separate room. Unless you were stuck near the room, one usually didn't smell the smoke. Now, thanks to the nanny-state meddling of the Maine Legislature, I get to smell smoke walking into and coming out of a restaurant, as smokers now congregate in the parking lot. If the law was meant to protect me from secondhand smoke, it's doing a poor job of it.

My major problem with the anti-smoking rationale for the tax hike is that I just do not believe taxation policy should be used for social engineering projects. It's not the state's job to discourage personal behavior just because those in the government happen to disagree with it or believe it to be risky. I would suggest taxing other risky behaviors, but don't want to give the legislature any ideas.

The simple fact of the matter is that smoking is legal.

It's time for the members of the legislature and the governor to stand on conviction and either make smoking illegal, or stop pretending to care about the health of its smoking citizens while profiting from their addiction.

Peter Cook is a graduate of the University of Maine with degrees in journalism and public administration. His daily rants on the state of the nation can be found on the Web at www.slublog.com


 


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: anti; antismokers; augusta; baldacci; bans; butts; camel; caribou; cigar; cigarettes; cigarettetax; commerce; fda; forces; governor; individual; interstate; kool; lawmakers; lewiston; liberty; maine; mainesmokers; marlboro; msa; niconazis; pallmall; pipe; portland; prosmoker; quitsmoking; regulation; rico; rights; rinos; ryo; sales; senate; smokers; smoking; smokingbans; taxes; tobacco; winston
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I've said this for years:

Maybe I don't understand all of the details here, but why are they raising cigarette taxes to help balance the budget if they ultimately want to prevent smoking? Won't the latter goal harm the efficacy of the former?


1 posted on 07/08/2005 6:21:58 AM PDT by SheLion
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To: Just another Joe; Madame Dufarge; MeeknMing; steve50; Cantiloper; metesky; kattracks; ...

2 posted on 07/08/2005 6:22:36 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: All
"The taxing power...must not be used to regulate the economy or bring about social change."
Ronald Reagan - 1981

3 posted on 07/08/2005 6:24:32 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: All
Peter really gets it!

If the Baldacci administration and the legislature really want to take a principled stand against tobacco, it would pass a law to make its sale, use and import illegal in the state of Maine.

Restaurants and bars are private industries, not public utilities.

It's not the state's job to discourage personal behavior just because those in the government happen to disagree with it or believe it to be risky. I would suggest taxing other risky behaviors, but don't want to give the legislature any ideas.

The simple fact of the matter is that smoking is legal.

4 posted on 07/08/2005 6:28:48 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: SheLion

will the last conservative to leave Maine please turn out the lights?


5 posted on 07/08/2005 6:28:56 AM PDT by Brilliant
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To: All

6 posted on 07/08/2005 6:31:16 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: Brilliant

What is sad is that they are pulling this crap in Texas too : (


7 posted on 07/08/2005 6:31:51 AM PDT by ravingnutter
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To: Brilliant
will the last conservative to leave Maine please turn out the lights?

I think we are kinda "thin" in this state, don't you think?

8 posted on 07/08/2005 6:32:11 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: ravingnutter
What is sad is that they are pulling this crap in Texas too

When you have the highly paid professional anti-smokers working against our no money's received to fight these coalitions, guess who wins out?  The ones with the money! 

There has to be a way to put these groups out of commission and we are wearing our think caps daily to figure it out.

We sure are aware of your plight in Texas as well.......

   

9 posted on 07/08/2005 6:39:37 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: ravingnutter

If memory serves, our government take in more money from evil tabacco then any company.

The company makes 27 cents per pack in profit and the government on average makes $2.50. It is evil government not evil tabacco that is making all the money.


10 posted on 07/08/2005 6:41:05 AM PDT by edcoil (Reality doesn't say much - doesn't need too)
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To: edcoil; SheLion

Good point.

Good morning, Lady!
Thanks for the ping.


11 posted on 07/08/2005 6:47:52 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Roll your own cigarettes! You'll save $$$ and smoke less!(Magnetic bumper stickers-click my name)
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To: SheLion

Someone said, "The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money to spend."


12 posted on 07/08/2005 6:57:01 AM PDT by NaughtiusMaximus (Stop being a victim, resist social engineering.)
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To: edcoil
If memory serves, our government take in more money from evil tabacco then any company.

I've been saying this over and over:  let the states ban tobacco products.  Pull them off the shelves! 

Since most states can't balance their budgets without the tax dollars collected from smokers, the states would go into a tail spin.  Yet, the lawmakers continue sticking it to us, "for our own good."

If smokers could find an alternative way to buy cigarettes elsewhere and stop the glutton taxes from going into the state budgets, maybe then and only then would the states wake up.

I wish all smokers could just stop buying cigarettes for 6 months and then lets see just how much the states need us.

Read how much smokers are contributing to their state economy.  And some have the nerve to say smokers are the reason for higher health costs.  Read this and know the truth.

Your State Information:    (up to date)

View your tobacco taxes, a comparison of state excise taxes on cigarettes to state excise taxes on beer and wine, MSA payments to date, State laws, and links to other state-specific information.

Alabama Information / Alaska Information   / Arizona Information / Arkansas Information   / California Information / Colorado Information / Connecticut Information / Delaware Information   / DC Information / Florida Information   / Georgia Information   / Hawaii Information / Idaho Information   / Illinois Information   / Indiana Information   / Iowa Information   / Kansas Information / Kentucky Information / Louisiana Information   / Maine Information / Maryland Information / Massachusetts Information / Michigan Information / Minnesota Information   / Mississippi Information / Missouri Information / Montana Information   / Nebraska Information   / Nevada Information / New Hampshire Information / New Jersey Information   / New Mexico Information / New York Information / North Carolina Information / North Dakota Information   / Ohio Information   / Oklahoma Information   / Oregon Information   / Pennsylvania Information   / Rhode Island Information / South Carolina Information / South Dakota Information / Tennessee Information / Texas Information / United States Information / Utah Information / Vermont Information / Virginia Information / Washington Information   / West Virginia Information   / Wisconsin Information / Wyoming Information  


13 posted on 07/08/2005 7:14:28 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: All

All these tobacco taxes mean is that the government NEEDS PEOPLE TO SMOKE in order to fund their programs.
What a bunch of crap.
Either ban it or leave it alone.


14 posted on 07/08/2005 7:22:47 AM PDT by jackv
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To: RandallFlagg
Good morning, Lady!

Good morning back at you! :)


15 posted on 07/08/2005 8:03:37 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: jackv
All these tobacco taxes mean is that the government NEEDS PEOPLE TO SMOKE in order to fund their programs.
What a bunch of crap.
Either ban it or leave it alone.

See?  Even the general non-smoking public is getting the idea!  The lawmakers spew lies out of both sides of their mouths.  They say they want smoke free but can't balance their damn state budgets without hitting the smokers up again.

Are we tired of this yet???!!! I sure am!

16 posted on 07/08/2005 8:06:13 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: SheLion

Could you please add me to your ping list....thx


17 posted on 07/08/2005 8:12:36 AM PDT by justkillingtime
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To: justkillingtime
Could you please add me to your ping list....thx

Got you added! Thanks!! :)

18 posted on 07/08/2005 8:17:47 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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To: SheLion

Thanks for the ping, and good morning!

When is the general public going to catch on to this little game the states (and the tobacco companies!) are playing? It makes me wonder just how stupid -or just unaware, period- people are. How long can they bury their heads in the sand?

It's willful ignorance, I guess. I don't see how people can let the states get by with this, otherwise. Then again, I am reminded of those quizzes they give to folks on the street, and they can't even figure out who the vice president is, where the country's capital is located, ect. Why should I expect them to be able to figure out this is blatant hypocrisy?

Of course, it's really more of a case of people ignoring the implications of taxation like this, because it's "feel-good" legislation at it's best. We're all going to reap what has been sown here, though.


19 posted on 07/08/2005 8:32:34 AM PDT by exnavychick (There's too much youth; how about a fountain of smart?)
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To: exnavychick
When is the general public going to catch on to this little game the states (and the tobacco companies!) are playing? It makes me wonder just how stupid -or just unaware, period- people are. How long can they bury their heads in the sand?

It's willful ignorance, I guess. I don't see how people can let the states get by with this, otherwise. Then again, I am reminded of those quizzes they give to folks on the street, and they can't even figure out who the vice president is, where the country's capital is located, ect. Why should I expect them to be able to figure out this is blatant hypocrisy?

Of course, it's really more of a case of people ignoring the implications of taxation like this, because it's "feel-good" legislation at it's best. We're all going to reap what has been sown here, though.

Good morning back at you!

That's why I ping every one on my Maine ping list and I know a lot of them don't smoke, but I want the Maine people, ALL of them, to realize what is happening in this state.  We need to wake up the general public.

I know what you mean about interviews on the streets.  It's down right embarrassing.  And how the people giggle when they don't know the answer.  Questions like "Who is our President?"  They don't KNOW?  Too many people in the US wrapped up in their own little lives I guess.

 

20 posted on 07/08/2005 8:45:05 AM PDT by SheLion (Donate to Free Republic! Help keep our forum free!!!)
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