Free Republic

ANNAPOLIS — Maryland health advocates are lauding Gov. Martin O'Malley’s proposal to increase the state’s cigar tax, but critics say such an increase would create another financial burden for consumers and business owners. Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, proposed a state budget Wednesday that would raise the 15-percent excise tax on cigars, smokeless tobacco and other noncigarette tobacco items — a group collectively known as other tobacco products (OTP) — to 70 percent. The OTP tax has gone unchanged since 1999 while the cigarette tax has gone from 36 cents to $2 a pack during that period. Health advocates argue raising...

(CNSNews.com) - The increase in federal tobacco taxes that congressional Democrats are proposing to fund their new healthcare initiative is being praised by anti-smoking advocates as an effective way to discourage tobacco sales. "We are strongly in favor of the SCHIP proposal," Erika Sward, director of National Advocacy for the American Lung Association, told Cybercast News Service. "We see it as a win-win for children's health." "The first win is that the cigarette tax will be increased by 61 cents, which will have a significant impact on youth smoking rates," she said. "And the other win is that millions of...

RUSH: Jerry in Scottsdale, Arizona, hello, sir. CALLER: Morning, Rush. How are you doing? RUSH: I'm fine. CALLER: Let's get straight to it. The source of the controversy in the Democrat Congress was proposing to raise a tax on cigars to $10 per cigar -- RUSH: Yes? CALLER: -- to raise $35 to $50 billion for state children's health insurance. RUSH: Right. CALLER: It's "for the children." RUSH: It's for the children. In the name of saving the children, big government has targeted yet another industry to destroy. CALLER: So the Winston Churchill that I just started smoking cigars with...