Posted on 06/06/2012 8:12:53 AM PDT by SmithL
A measure that would have increased state taxes on cigarettes by a dollar was narrowly defeated, the Secretary of State's office reported early Wednesday.
Proposition 29, which would have raised $810 million a year for cancer research and smoking cessation programs, lost by just 1.6 percent of the votes, with almost 51 percent of voters saying no and just more than 49 percent voting yes.
The measure would have made California - which currently has a lower tobacco tax than 32 other states - the state with the 16th-highest cigarette tax in the country.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Fixed it
First, if the measure had passed. The state would have allocated/spent the $810 million on anything it was not intended for. Then, the $810 million would have come in well short due to people changing behavior to avoid the tax. For example, Indian reservations would become hot beds for cigarette sales. Finally, that shortfall would be added to the state deficit. This stuff is so easy to predict but somehow, the morons in California are clueless.
I live in a small 20-unit apartment complex. About 1/3 of the residents are retired and the other 2/3 are mostly young couples in their 20s.
One thing I have noticed is that at least one and, in several apartments, both young adults smoke.
I find it ironic, considering all the hoopla over non-smoking moneys since the big tobacco settlement in the 90s. It is obvious that the non-smoking programs are not working.
==
As for smoking cessation programs, the most effective one I found was my personal decision to stop after about 35 years of smoking. No gums, no patches, no gimmicks and no cessation seminars. I just decided I didn’t want to smoke because the prices/taxes were getting ridiculous, and I got tired of the smell and the activity of smoking.
I finished the last cig in a pack in early 2003 and have never had one since. Part of the incentive was the approximate $1800 per year I was saving. Now, I frequently treat myself to a nice present or two from the money I save.
The gimmicks (gums, patches, etc.) just trade one form of nicotine for another. The only way to quit is to not buy or light up that next one.
I’m not surprised the parasite class would refuse to support a tax they would actually have to pay. They are all about taxing thee for me.
They always push these "sin taxes" claiming the money will be spent on lofty programs. Who can say NO to cancer research?
But somehow the money never makes it to the promised programs - it always ends up disappearing down the liberal/big government rat hole to feed more leftist programs and further enrich politicians and their pals.
Thanks TomGuy. I’ll have my last cigarette at the end of this month. The idiots in the IL General Assembly just raised the tax by a buck a pack.
I’ll no longer pay it, so there will be a net revenue loss from me.
My dad says that occasionally, he misses having a pipe to fiddle with while he's thinking. I never acquired the habit hard enough to go through any withdrawl when I quit - but I miss the tension reliever at work, infrequently.
Now I walk instead. Occasionally, my co-workers comment, "Bad Day?", when I'm powerwalking harder than usual at lunch. :)
Apparently you didn't notice that this tax lost. Apparently not enough were clueless morons as you to elegantly put it.
I,too, had smoked for many years and decided to quit. Set a date a couple of weeks ahead when I was going to smoke my last cigarette and kept telling myself that was it. Well the night before I smoked my last cigarette and went to bed. Got up the next morning, had my morning cup of coffee, no cigarette and no desire for one then or since.
Oh, yes. I saw that it lost. I was commenting on how the newspaper was propagating the falsehoods of how this proposition would have worked.
Absolutely correct. Did the same thing myself after 37 years of smoking. Made up my own mind, set a date 3 months in the future and quit cold turkey on that date. Smoke free 5 years, 6 mongths and 6 days now. I still want one about 3 times a year.
In 2000 when I lived in NYC Bloomberg raised the cig prices to 3.35 from 2.85 overnight. I think this was the first big cig tax increase and the last for me, I quit then and there.
The Mrs and I smoked 2 packs a day for too many years.
Bloomberg was good for something though that wasnt the dirtbags intention
Cigs in NYC I think are now 11 dollars a pack
With this ‘targeted tax’ having failed, it continues the trend of CA voters not liking higher taxes. Doesn’t look good for Brown’s tax hike in Nov.
I need to stop. I’ve “quit” a couple of times. When I’m ready, I’m going to do what you did.
Thanks!
I have heard from former smokers....it never goes away.
As for smoking cessation programs, the most effective one I found was my personal decision to stop after about 35 years of smoking. No gums, no patches, no gimmicks and no cessation seminars. I just decided I didn’t want to smoke because the prices/taxes were getting ridiculous, and I got tired of the smell and the activity of smoking.I tried several methods of quitting, but the one that finally worked was just quitting. And I did it when the Navy Exchange raised the price to $.29 per pack.
Madness.
They just wanted the money .. there’s already a lot of research going on.
These people never figure it out .. we’re not stupid.
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