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Do Smokers Have Rights? The Science and Politics of Tobacco
Cato Policy Report, vol. XVI, no. 6, ^
| November/December 1994
| William Niskanen,Jane Gravelle
Posted on 01/20/2007 1:19:51 PM PST by sh0tgun willie
Jane Gravelle: After the Clinton administration proposed a fairly substantial increase in the cigarette tax as a way of funding health care reform, my colleague Dennis Zimmerman and I wrote a paper entitled "Cigarette Taxes to Fund Health Care Reform and Economic Analysis."* The part of the paper I'd like to talk about is the justifications for increasing the cigarette tax. I'm an economist, so I start with the presumptions that people have subjective preferences about what they like to do and how they spend their money and that, in general, we want to allow people to enjoy their lifetime resources in accord with those preferences. We would intervene in those decisions only under certain kinds of circumstances that we try to delineate and measure.
(Excerpt) Read more at cato.org ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: catoinstitute; potsmokerslaughing; smoking
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To: Jaidyn
Thank you.
For ten months of the year, five days a week, every day, I am stuck in my car in the gridlock of the Illinois Tollway system for hours.
Trading that time for a smoke-filled pool hall would be a blessing.
To: altura
Gays get rights and they are what? Supposedly 4 to 8 percent of the population (although sometimes it seems more like 90%)
The major minorities in this country raise a constant stink over everything and get accommodated.
Even the Muslims have everyone shaking in their boots.
And 20% of Americans smoke, but seem to have no inclination to take up for themselves. I don't get it.I don't get it either. And now the lawmakers are trying to make smokers pay more, when smokers already pay more then their fair share for health care!
I still say that the chicken chit lawmakers don't know what to do about all the illegals in our Country sucking our health system dry, so they have to blame something else, the smokers, on our rising health care cost. Smokers are easy pickings.
Getting the damn illegals out of here is not!
One illegal had to go into a Mass hospital. When he came out, he left behind a bill for over $10,000! Guess who pays for that? WE THE PEOPLE!
142
posted on
01/20/2007 5:43:10 PM PST
by
SheLion
(When you're right, take up the fight!!!!!)
To: bfree
His stats aren't true, just more troll numbers.Oh no? The National Highway Transit Safety Administration is lying?
143
posted on
01/20/2007 5:43:39 PM PST
by
Alter Kaker
("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
To: Alter Kaker
The Civil Rights Act could very well work in the favor of smokers. Maybe that isn't the best example.
144
posted on
01/20/2007 5:44:04 PM PST
by
berdie
To: texaslil
I'm afraid you're right. One can always identify the younger generation. They think they're going to live forever, never having been told life is fatal. The rabid envirnonmentalist also worship NATURE. Wonder if they know that in the end NATURE is going to break them on the wheel?
Here is one of my favorite cartoons: hehe
145
posted on
01/20/2007 5:44:40 PM PST
by
SheLion
(When you're right, take up the fight!!!!!)
To: berdie
The Civil Rights Act could very well work in the favor of smokers. Maybe that isn't the best example.Only after the passage of the 28th Amendment. Until then, tobacco addicts aren't a suspect class.
146
posted on
01/20/2007 5:45:36 PM PST
by
Alter Kaker
("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
To: bfree; Alter Kaker
Why waste time on a half wit?Who are you calling a half wit??????
147
posted on
01/20/2007 5:46:12 PM PST
by
SheLion
(When you're right, take up the fight!!!!!)
To: Alter Kaker
Ergo, obesity increases the life span. That's just stupid. But it also somehow misses the point It isn't stupid, it's true. But you are a half wit who can't comprehend simple facts.
148
posted on
01/20/2007 5:46:36 PM PST
by
bfree
(Liberalism-the yellow meat,)
To: Alter Kaker
Well, gee, thanks.
I now realize you are really a nice guy.
149
posted on
01/20/2007 5:47:19 PM PST
by
altura
(Woefully lacking in delicacy and tact, but working on it.)
To: Alter Kaker
Oh, my goodness! Now I remember you. You're that guy from OSHA. The guy with all the NUMBERS who comes to my business and fines me for not having all the salt shakers in the employee lunchroom labeled as hazzardous matearial.
150
posted on
01/20/2007 5:47:56 PM PST
by
texaslil
(and)
To: Alter Kaker
Regardless of statistics, people will smoke, I do. My problem with the whole issue, is the gov. telling businesses how they are to run their business and who they can and cannot allow to frequent their business. Let the business owners decide how they want to run their establishment.
151
posted on
01/20/2007 5:48:41 PM PST
by
phil1750
(Love like you've never been hurt;Dance like nobody's watching;PRAY like it's your last prayer)
To: Alter Kaker; altura
Sorry, but that is incorrect. 400,000 Americans die from smoking each year. 40,000 die from motor vehicle accidents. When you consider that nearly 100% of the population enters cars, but only 20% smokes, the danger rate isn't even close!Excuse me! But when a person is killed in a vehicle accident, it states on his death certificate as such. I dare you to show us all just ONE death certificate that states that a person died from smoking or even second hand smoke. I dare you!
And it better be official, notarized and with the state seal!
152
posted on
01/20/2007 5:48:48 PM PST
by
SheLion
(When you're right, take up the fight!!!!!)
To: SheLion
The only one I see posting, our little buddy, Alter, because little bikerboy left.
153
posted on
01/20/2007 5:48:53 PM PST
by
bfree
(Liberalism-the yellow meat,)
To: altura
Well, gee, thanks. I now realize you are really a nice guy.You called me a "damned liar" after I caught you making a blatant falsehood. That's chutzpah.
154
posted on
01/20/2007 5:49:00 PM PST
by
Alter Kaker
("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
To: bfree; Alter Kaker
Let me help out. You are a half wit fascist. Good grief - you give it FAR to much credit. This is not a half-wit, it is a total witLESS.
155
posted on
01/20/2007 5:49:18 PM PST
by
Gabz
(If we weren't crazy, we'd just all go insane.)
To: UpAllNight
'scuse me for not being PC. Facts are facts. Truth is Truth.
156
posted on
01/20/2007 5:49:27 PM PST
by
hotshu
To: SheLion; altura
I dare you to show us all just ONE death certificate that states that a person died from smoking or even second hand smoke. Oddly enough, SheLion is probably the only person on the planet not convinced that smoking will kill you.
157
posted on
01/20/2007 5:50:20 PM PST
by
Alter Kaker
("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
To: texaslil
Now I remember you. You're that guy from OSHA. The guy with all the NUMBERS who comes to my business and fines me for not having all the salt shakers in the employee lunchroom labeled as hazzardous matearial.Have it your way. But if Americans were still driving 1945 automobiles, something on the order of 500,000 Americans would die on the roads each year, instead of 40,000.
158
posted on
01/20/2007 5:52:43 PM PST
by
Alter Kaker
("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
To: estrogen
Ohio went totally smoke free and now I will not go out and spend $50-60 for dinner and a few drinks and not be allowed to have a after dinner smoke. It's a shame for the business owners, it's not their fault. I just don't see why I should go out and spend money on a non enjoyable evening. I'm furious and am in the process of moving to S.C. where I haven't found any smoking nazi's yet.(Not the reason I'm moving, the reason being Ohio is an armpit and with this latest fiasco, I really don't want to support this stupid state anymore. Only the poorest city in the nation (Cleveland) can also ban more things to further depress our economy. What a bunch of fools.I don't anymore either. And I was a good tipper. I now order in, do take-out or party at friends where we can lay back and relax. I don't need to spend my money in a reform school setting!
159
posted on
01/20/2007 5:53:05 PM PST
by
SheLion
(When you're right, take up the fight!!!!!)
To: hotshu; UpAllNight
'scuse me for not being PC. Facts are facts. Truth is Truth.I think UpAllNight's point was that if you supporttobacco because it was part of the bedrock of America's early economy, then you have to support slavery for the exact same reason.
160
posted on
01/20/2007 5:54:27 PM PST
by
Alter Kaker
("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
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