Posted on 02/18/2006 5:25:55 AM PST by SheLion
SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Hundreds of volunteers throughout the state will hit shopping malls and grocery stores Saturday at 9 a.m. as they kickoff efforts to gather nearly one million signatures needed to place an initiative on the November 2006 ballot that would provide critical funding to reduce smoking, keep emergency rooms open, fund health insurance for children and expand nursing education.
"This initiative will save lives, by raising the tobacco tax and funding urgently needed community emergency and related health care services," said Paul Knepprath of the American Heart Association of California. "This is the broadest coalition that's ever come together to reduce smoking, the number one cause of death in California."
The initiative, which is being sponsored by the Coalition for a Healthy California, would raise the state's tobacco tax by $2.60 per pack of cigarettes, providing approximately $2.1 billion annually for emergency room care, nursing education, children's health insurance, tobacco use prevention programs, and disease research and treatment efforts.
The Coalition for a Healthy California includes the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association of California, American Heart Association, The Children's Partnership, the California Hospital Association, the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, California Emergency Nurses Association, PICO California, Children Now, California Primary Care Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Association of California Nurse Leaders, Emergency and Acute Care Medical Corporation, and the California Association of Physician Groups.
Formal signature-gathering events will be held on Saturday, February 18 at 9 a.m. in San Francisco, San Diego, Visalia, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield and Los Angeles.
Coalition For A Healthy California -- A coalition of health organizations promoting disease research, tobacco control, emergency care and children's health services, with major funding provided by California Hospital Committee on Issues, the American Cancer Society, California Division Inc., American Heart Association and the American Lung Association of California, ID# 1278256 555 Capitol Mall #1425, Sacramento, CA 95814
Better start asking your lawmakers just where your cigarette tax dollars have been going. This is absolute BS and if California lawmakers pull the wool over the smokers eyes once again, then you deserve to have the cigarette taxes raised. This is outrageous! They might fool a lot of people but they can't fool us all!
Read just what California smokers have been contributing to the state economy. And the lawmakers want another TAX INCREASE??? Outrageous!
Tobacco Taxes
California's excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.870
California's excise tax collection for the
fiscal year ending June 2002: $1,074,323,000
Sales tax on tobacco products: 7.25%
Federal excise tax per pack of cigarettes: $0.39
Total federal excise tax collections in fiscal year 2002: $7,512,700,000
Number of six-packs of beer that must be sold in California to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 77.3
Number of bottles of wine that must be sold in California to produce the same state excise tax revenue generated by one carton of cigarettes: 219.6
California Smokers' Contributions to the State Economy - 2004 In 2003, California smokers comprised only 16.8% of the adult population in the state. Here is what they already pay because they choose to buy a legal product:
· Smokers Pay Excise Taxes $1,030,057,000
· Smokers Pay Sales Taxes $329,023,000
· Smokers Pay Tobacco Settlement Payments $802,400,000
TOTAL: $2,161,480,000
Smokers' Economic/Tax Profile 2003
· Income
... California smokers' median household income $36,230
... California nonsmokers' median household income $44,131
· Working families pay more
... 35% of California smokers had household incomes LESS THAN $25,000
... 16% of California smokers had household incomes EQUAL TO or GREATER THAN $75,000
The impact of smoker payments on the incomes of working families was more than THREE TIMES the impact on higher income smokers. Those who can afford it least pay a disproportionate percentage of their hard-earned income in smoker payments.
· Smoker excise tax/sales tax/tobacco settlement payments liability in FY2004
... Total average paid per California smoker in excise and sales taxes $328
... Cost per California smoker for settlement payments to California $194
Total annual payments to California per smoker $522
Total annual payments to California per nonsmoker $0
California Smoker Facts
· Total smokers' payments in California in FY2004 were:
... Nearly seven times larger than state alcoholic beverage taxes ($313 million).
... Five times larger than estate taxes ($397.8 million).
... Larger than insurance taxes ($2.115 billion).
... Larger than vehicle license fees ($1.5 billion).
· California FY2004 smoker payments were large enough to finance FY2004 expenditures for:
... The Department of Housing and Community Development ($310.1 million) AND the California Highway Patrol ($1.18 billion) AND the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection ($593 million)
... Local Assistance Programs at the Dept. of Transportation ($1.5 billion) AND the Wildlife Conservation Board ($469.5 million)
... The Department of Parks and Recreation ($868.2 million) AND the Department of Child Welfare Services ($765.7 million)
... The California EPA ($1.049 billion) AND Adult Education ($617.4 million).
CIGARETTES DON'T PAY TAXES - CALIFORNIA SMOKERS DO!!
Yeah, this worked soooooo well in Canada.
There is something wrong here.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
That's the same, lame excuses they used in Canada to hike up tobacco taxes. Tobacco smokers pay most of the cost of health care in Canada, yet they still have to stand in long lines. They should get priority service!!!
Smokers in California better get ready for the $11.25 per pack cost of cigarettes. And every other state as well. Sooner or later they will all jump on the cash cow.
This makes the government no better than the crack dealer.
sell an adictive product, then jack up the price when you have everyone addicted.
California would not be financial straits if they would stop giving away services to the "illegals" who are nothing more than criminals.As far as the other reasons go,it is NOT up to smokers to raise or provide for your illegitimate children or the education of those wanting to become nurses as they can pay for their own education the same as everyone else.
They really think we are all sheeple out here. Just where HAS all that tax money been going over the years? For California's pet programs and to build big golf courses? Just where the heck did all that money go already!
There is something wrong here.
That's it! California wants to keep paying health care for all those illegals so they say they need more cigarette tax dollars to do this. What a crock. This really makes my fur fly, and I'm not kidding you!
The California smokers better start asking some really HARD questions!
Well, I think it's time for the 'skunk' to turn into a defunked CAT, don't you?
Well, thank God there are alternative measures!
Can't stand the high taxes?
Afraid to order off of the Internet?
Then start rolling your own!!! I find everything but the machine downtown at the local Smoke Shop. Also, Rite Aid and grocery stores also sell the bags of tobacco and the filtered tubes.
I roll out a beautiful carton for a little under $8 dollars. Premiums in my state are now up to $45-$50 a carton. Can you imagine the money I have saved over the past 4 years since I now roll my own? It's mind boggling.
under $50.00
Check StuffYourOwn for prices on tobacco
$1.99 for 200 filtered tubes
Make your own cigarettes for as low as $6.99 per Carton! Smoke Quality FILTERED cigarettes that you make yourself using cigarette tubes (like a cigarette without the Cigarette tobacco), our cigarette making machines, and our "roll your own" cigarette tobacco.
-Stop Paying High Cigarette Taxes
-So Much Easier than "Roll Your Own" cigarettes!
and
I think it's about time the lawmakers pick on someone else. How much can one golden goose die btw?
$16/carton in FL. When will smokers mount an effective revolt?
So the religion of healthism demands more money from the heretics, the dhimmis, in order that its army of acolytes can grow.
Anyone here remember when America appealed to the best in human nature, rather than the worst?
Since the republicans claim these are such wonderful people and are only here to work then i suggest the following.1.An illegal alien tax where the government takes 75% of their earnings to cover various costs.2.NO money can be sent out of the United States for any reason.3.They have NO voice in government.
I wonder what they'd do if we all quit smoking? Who would they target next?
I live in Californistan, so thank you for the heads up. The "it's for the children" is a flat out lie. So is telling people that it will go for healthcare. I have no health care, and can't even afford my medication. So where is the money really going??? Nancy Pelosi's plastic surgeon, that's where!
Uh-ohThe four legislative leaders today sent a joint letter to the California Hospital Assn. expressing concern that a proposed ballot measure to increase the tobacco tax could put the state in violation of an agreement that settled nationwide litigation against the industry. That would lead to the forfeit of California's share of the settlement money from that lawsuit and force the state's general fund to repay bonds floated during the Davis Administration that essentially mortgaged that 25-year revenue stream to help bridge the state's budget deficit.
Have you used that site? I bookmarked it.
The link doesn't work : (
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