[Responsibility2nd]

Nothing this Marxist does surprises me. Nothing.

[TexasCajun]

But will they be tax-deductible under ObamaCare as pre-existing condition?

[Berlin_Freeper]

Tax the people who raise taxes.

[C210N]

Hey, I have an idea for Ø... that WILL solve the national debt at the same time! Raise the cigarrete tax to $1 Trillion per pack. That way, the feral govt need only have to sell 17 packs of cigarrettes, and poof! the debt is gone!!!! And, for a mere sale of another 100 packs, we can make the unfunded liabilities disappear as well... oh, it's so simple... I cannot understand why nobody else thought of this!!!

[onyx]

Stand with Free Republic!

NO to the Marixst's plan for "free pre-schools for toddlers"!!!

Please Contribute Today, Monthly if you can.

[topspinr]

94 cents tax on ciggies, how can that be?
Isn’t smoking a pre-existing condition?

[The Great RJ]

Those who would increase taxes on cigarettes fail to understand the Law of Demand. Higher taxes mean higher prices which means a lower quantity demanded....cigarette sales will decline or the market will seek cheaper substitutes. I would expect that organized crime will see a great opportunity for bootlegging cigarettes.

[kabar]

This will support a new underground economy based on cigarettes. And the indian reservations should be able to do some business. And of course revenue from the sale of cigarettes will go down.

[KarlInOhio]

Stuff like this makes me want to get some tobacco seeds to grow a few plants... and I don't even smoke.

[OKRA2012]

“The median household income for a smoker in 2011 was $27,700 compared to $45,761 for nonsmokers, according to Reynolds American.”

That’s fascinating.

What causes such a disparity in income?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Responsibility2nd ~:(from the article) “ the president’s budget read. “Researchers have found that raising taxes on cigarettes significantly reduces consumption, with especially large effects on youth smoking.”

OBungler should read his own budget, specificly : “raising taxes (on cigarettes) significantly reduces consumption.
Then he has the nerve, to ignore the reduction of consumption in the economy ,
and tell us that we are on the road to economic recovery.
Where is the recovery ... ?
The economy is in the tank
and he wants to tax us more .. ?
What a piece of work .. !! /sarc

[Gator113]

But, but, but will Obama now raise the funds for the EBT cards to keep his people happy?

[Sarajevo]

The proposed tobacco tax increase would have substantial public health benefits, particularly for young Americans," the president's budget read. "Researchers have found that raising taxes on cigarettes significantly reduces consumption, with especially large effects on youth smoking."

Does anyone remember the tobacco litigation that was happening ten years ago? The "government" won...to the tune of $178B that was supposed to go to the very same thing. What happened to those funds? After hefty lawyer pay-offs, the money went into various states general funds where it is spent on everything but smoking cessation.

This is just more restrictive BS.

[Gabz]

And many members of FR will applaud this, just as they did when he raised them a month after he cam into office - after promising to not raise taxes on middle and lower income folks.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

So, we plunder nicotine addicts some more to fund programs to indoctrinate four-year-olds??? A win-win! /sarc

Nanny State PING!

[CodeJockey]

Hey refer smokers, be careful what you ask for (legalization)

Sometimes free markets, are the best markets.

[Kickass Conservative]

It’s time for a Wig Tax so Moochelle will pay her fair share.

[Vince Ferrer]

This is a winning issue if we are still trying anymore. More suffering caused by the rich white elitists from the Al Gore/Unabomber wing of the democrat party.

Cigarette taxes in the United States

In a study conducted on behalf of the New York State Department of Health, it revealed that low-income smokers (those in households making under $30,000), spent an average of 23.6% of their annual household income on cigarettes, compared to 2.2% for smokers in households making over $60,000.[15]

[clearcarbon]

"President's Obama's call for a 94-cent-a-pack hike on federal cigarette taxes to fund early childhood education programs"

Is the objective to kill smoking or kill funding for early childhood education?