City smokers to start paying $7 a pack today

News Radio 88 ^ | 7/1/02

[biblewonk]

Is your mother in law diabetic? I've never heard of someone losing a leg because of smoking - but it happens frequently because of diabetes.

Yes and that is probably 75 percent of the problem with her circulation. She started smoking at 13 though and smoking is also hard on circulation.

I understand your 'hatred' of smoking, but I find it appalling that they tax cigarettes as they do, yet barely touch liquor and leave porn totally unscathed. Perhaps those two 'sins' are the politicians favorites.

I think you might be right. I'm not a teatotalitarian Baptist type and this sin tax is obviously one small step short of prohibition. I wonder if there is a beer lobby and a porn lobby that is much stronger than the tobacco lobby. Drinking in moderation is actually not bad for your body and may even have a lot of benefits.

Porn is a whole different story. It is obviously prostitution which is also only illegal in the books but not in practice.

[YankeeReb]

Interesting thread. Watching every liberal politician scramble to raise tobacco taxes "for the sake of the childeren" has become sort of a sick joke. Just once I'd love to see some media talking-head ask one of these questions:

1) With all the money taken from the tobacco companies in lawsuts and given to the states for "anti-smoking programs", why are there still childeren smoking? You'd think by now these programs would have ended that problem.

2) Since smoking is so bad , why not outlaw the manufacture of cigarettes?

--- And the one I'd really like to ask ANY Liberal---

3) If taxes on cigarettes are a way to reduce Smoking, doesn't it follow that Payroll taxes reduce employment, sales taxes reduce sales and corporate taxes reduce economic output?

[Born in a Rage]

Meanwhile my wife and homeschooling mother of 8 has to haul her all over the city to get her hair done and buy her groceries and take her to new leg therapy.

What about all of the times your mother-in-law took care of your wife when she was sick when she was growing up? What about all of the places she carted her to?

If you 'talk' this way about your mother-in-law in front of your children, I wouldn't doubt if they feel the same way about you when you are elderly and sick. I feel sorry for you.

[biblewonk]

What about all of the times your mother-in-law took care of your wife when she was sick when she was growing up?

If she had to pick up my wife at the slammer for teen drunkenness she might be justified in supporting more nanny rules about drinking then mightn't she?

Ever read what the bible says about rage?

[Timesink]

This is also going to be a big financial hit on all the city's delis. Fewer people coming in to buy cigarettes = fewer people coming in to buy anything, to say nothing of the lost profits from the lung candy itself.

[Timesink]

Would it be legal for me to buy cigarrettes in my own town, then take them to NY and sell them to someone? A private sale?

No, it would not be legal. However, unless you're standing in the middle of Times Square with an entire truckload of cigarettes and a megaphone hawking them for $10 a carton, the cops aren't going to care. Hell, they'd probably buy from you themselves if they smoke. Just don't call attention to yourself.

[Timesink]

For anyone left who still thinks that Bloomberg is actually a "Republican".

Hey, lesser of two evils. If Green has won, the new tax would probably be three times as high, and he'd be working on trying to ban cars within city limits or something. Green's a true ultra-lefty. I'll take Bloomie.

[cynicom]

Was that the Civil War????

[Timesink]

I am sure spending a lot of effort taking care of my Mother in Law who smoked herself into a wheel chair. She lost her leg due to bad circulation due to 57 years of smoking and eating junk food...

It is impossible to definitively place blame on cigarette smoking for any individual person's diseases. IMPOSSIBLE. You can suspect. You can highly suspect, even. But you can never ever prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. She could have been genetically susceptible to circulation problems. It could have been entirely related to poor dietary habits. She could be one of those few unlucky people that got hit with fallout from all those above-ground nuke tests in the 50s and 60s. It could be anything.

Oh, and it's been proven that merely eating junk food is not the source of poor health in overweight people: It's being sedentary. You could be quite fat, but as long as you maintain just about any level of exercise whatsoever, even just a half-hour walk per day, then you're going to be in much better overall health than a thin person who eats absolutely "perfectly" but gets no exercise at all.

[truth_session]

Just buy tobacco and rolling papers.

[Timesink]

Why don't we just tax murder and make it legal? After all, it would save us SO much money from having to incarcerate all those people!

[truth_session]

LOL

[dmeara]

Bloomberg says the goal of this tax is to raise more revenue. Then he says it is to stop people from smoking. Well, which is it?

[per loin]

Doesn't Bloomy understand basic math? If he made the tax $7,000 per pack, the city could raise an additional $111 billion in taxes.

[Freedom4US]

"See, their argument is that if you tax something enough, people will stop using it. Their REAL agenda here is nothing more than money-grubbing since they know that no one will stop simply because it costs more."

That's exactly right, I don't know how they keep a straight face when they say that. They say they want people to quit, but I doubt it, not when they see the revenues generated.

The tobacco companies have raised prices since the tobacco settlements with various states. Ultimately, that money is going into tort lawyers pockets and filling their coffers so they can go after "junk food" and alcohol. http://www.smokes-spirits.com

[biblewonk]

It is impossible to definitively place blame on cigarette smoking for any individual person's diseases. IMPOSSIBLE,

Only in the philosphical sense that you can not prove that yesterday existed, IMPOSSIBLE!

Oh, and it's been proven that merely eating junk food is not the source of poor health in overweight people: It's being sedentary. You could be quite fat, but as long as you maintain just about any level of exercise whatsoever, even just a half-hour walk per day, then you're going to be in much better overall health than a thin person who eats absolutely "perfectly" but gets no exercise at all.

I'm a fittness nut and I agree 100 percent. I love biking to work and lifting weights.

[Born in a Rage]

If she had to pick up my wife at the slammer for teen drunkenness she might be justified in supporting more nanny rules about drinking then mightn't she?

There are already laws concerning "teen drunkenness" -- it's against the law for them to drink at all, as you know, so your analogy doesn't fit.

Ever read what the bible says about rage?

I'm not sure...maybe. Ever read what the Bible says about 'wonking'? Hehehe

[Born in a Rage]

I agree. My grandmother had cancer and she never smoked. My friend, only 35, has cancer and he never smoked. I have a few other extended family members who have had cancer and they never smoked. Of all of my relatives who smoke, none of them have cancer, thank God.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I quit smoking and would not smoke anywhere around him....he has asthma. When I was pregnant with my twins, the doctor said to just cut down on smoking, but don't quit because the stress would be bad for the babies and I could lose them....they don't have asthma. Go figure.

[tomkat]

biblewonk

good argument for agnosticism since  September 12th, 2000

[biblewonk]

I'm here to stay (bring it down)
Bring it down!
Gonna bring it down
Gonna break it down
Gonna break it

This state is elevating, as the hurt turns into hating Anticipating all the f*cked up feelings again