Posted on 05/01/2010 1:36:09 AM PDT by myknowledge
Did anyone else write off cigarette taxes as taxes already paid to the state on their 2009 1040A, or was it just me?
;)
Think about the insane amount of money a pack-a-day smoker spends per year... then consider that $3.025/pack is TAX in Washington state... and that Washington state is #2, behind Rhode Island at $3.46/pack.
But get a load of this... If you look at total combined state-local taxes, NYC gets $4.25/pack, IN TAXES.
I think for my dad it was seeing his older sister (who smoked for 45 years)die of cancer that finally made him kick the habit. He wanted as much time playing with his 5 grandsons as possible too.
I don’t agree with these “sin” taxes at all. Of course it erodes our freedom. The only thing it does is maybe motivate someone to try and quit as they realize they’re throwing upwards of $3,000 a year + down a rat hole every year if they smoke more than a pack a day.
It’s ridiculous.
People with big behinds probably cost the state more than smokers. People yakkin on their cell phones when they drive also.
But they just keep picking on smokers. And I believe it is because they know smokers, in a sense, have a chemical dependency.
That makes the state, for all intents and purposes, dealers.
You do realize, of course, that if you want to open up the basket about where you get to complain about how I spend my money, then I get to talk about the little titbits you enjoyed last year...
Right?
I’m not pickin on ya, I’m just sayin.
I’m not complaining about how people spend their money. Hell, if you have a 1-a-day fu fu Starbucks habit that’s about $1,000 a year. Just pointing out facts. I suppose almost everyone has stuff they could quit. If I turned off my cable I’d save over a $1,000 a year but I know I’d never do it.
Smoking is what it is. I realize it brings people pleasure and is relaxing, stress relieving etc...But it is money “wasted”. But you’re right, the same thing can be said about eating at fancy restaurants.
I look at it as plain economics. If I smoke a pack a day (I live in Massachusetts) that’s about what $8 a day? In 18 years that’s over $50 grand. Basically 2 years of college for one of my sons.
Thus, it just makes sense to avoid this habit. To me anyway. If anyone else wants to smoke it’s fine with me as long as they don’t do it in my house or car.
Good post djf.
Thanks.
Really, though, think about it.
On a per-pack basis, who makes more money?
The guy who plants and tend and grows the tobacco or THE STATE?
The guy who grades and buys the tobacco or THE STATE?
The person who trucks the tobacco to the factories or THE STATE?
The factory who processes the tobacco into cigarettes or THE STATE?
The trucker who transports the product to the retail outlets or THE STATE?
The Indian guy named Abu who sells you the smokes at the local 7-11 or THE STATE?
Who makes more money? I think we know the answers to all the above questions.
So who, exactly, is “the dealer” here?
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