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AMERICAN.COM A Magazine of Ideas Hate the Sin, Tax the Sinner? By Rev. Robert A. SiricoWednesday, May 20, 2009 Filed under: Economic Policy, Lifestyle, Public Square An excise tax on those goods that elected officials deem morally suspect has come roaring back. But the temptation to impose sin taxes is one that should be resisted for economic and moral reasons. Dramatically expanding the reach of the federal government by adding new “universal” entitlements, while at the same time pretending to manage the economy out of the pit of a severe economic downturn, is no mean feat. Which is why the sin...

With a simple marketing twist, tobacco companies are avoiding hundreds of millions of dollars a year in taxes by exploiting a loophole in President Barack Obama's child health law. Obama and Congress increased taxes on tobacco products earlier this year to pay for expanded children's health insurance, but tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes saw a disproportionate leap, from $1.10 to $24.78 per pound. Some predicted the tax would kill the roll-your-own industry, which had offered a cheaper alternative to packaged cigarettes.

The perfect example of the idiocy of sin taxes... "According to the State of Missouri, July and August liquor tax collection remained relatively flat before spiking in the month of September. The growth in liquor tax revenue was solely attributable to a phenomenal 41% increase in sales of hard liquor and wine as..." Read more: Missouri liquor sales skyrocket after Illinois alcohol tax increase

The Center for Science in the Public Interest believes that many states might be able to close gaps in their budgets by placing a tax on soda and other sugary drinks. The health advocacy group released a study this week that estimates budget-strapped states -- including California -- could generate a combined $10 billion a year by levying a tax of 7 cents per 12-ounce can of Coke or other beverage. Currently, 25 states impose special taxes on sugary drinks. The group, which is lobbying for such taxes and has suggested a national excise tax on sugared drinks, said raising...

Coke, bottler launching campaign against soda tax Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:27pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co and its largest independent bottler, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc, are mounting a campaign against a possible U.S. tax on soft drinks. In addition to a print and digital ad campaign in seven key U.S. markets including Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles, the effort will include public relations, speaking engagements and education designed to emphasize to consumers the benefits of a balanced diet and lifestyle that includes exercise. "Clearly, the threat of a soft drink tax demonstrates the need to better...

Newsom wants to charge stores that sell sodas (09-17) 20:36 PDT -- Calling soda the new tobacco, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will introduce legislation this fall that would charge a fee to retailers that sell sugary beverages. Newsom would need voter approval to tax individual cans of soda and sugary juice, but only needs approval from the Board of Supervisors to levy a fee on retailers. His legislation would charge grocery stores like Safeway and big-box stores, but would not affect restaurants that serve sodas. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/17/MNF619OSF4.DTL#ixzz0RfEhGzU6

(09-17) 20:36 PDT -- Calling soda the new tobacco, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will introduce legislation this fall that would charge a fee to retailers that sell sugary beverages. Newsom would need voter approval to tax individual cans of soda and sugary juice, but only needs approval from the Board of Supervisors to levy a fee on retailers.

The cost of living just went up for Illinois residents, but not because of inflation or other economic conditions. Rather, today marks the effective date for increased taxes levied upon alcohol, candy, soft drinks and personal hygiene products. The taxes, part of the $31 billion capital bill, are designed to offset the costs of infrastructure spending across the state. Starting today a fifth of liquor in Illinois will now cost an additional 81 cents, reflecting a 90% increase in the excise tax on hard liquor. In addition, a 90% increase on the taxation of a bottle of wine and 24%...

States across the U.S. have been taking a harder line against an old problem -- cigarette smuggling -- as part of the widening search for solutions to their budget problems. States including Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia this year have stepped up law-enforcement efforts with the aim of recouping taxes lost to bootleg cigarette sales. Studies indicate states are losing about $5 billion annually in tax revenue because of illegal tobacco sales, said Phil Awe, who heads the tobacco-diversion division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "We do not want to have our...

Governor Charlie Christ (R-Fla.) touted the state’s hike in cigarette taxes as “a perfect compromise between the need for more revenue and the promotion of healthier habits.” “In an ideal world we’d be banning the manufacture and sale of tobacco,” Christ argued. “We all know its bad for us. Yet, too many of us are addicted to the substance. But we can use this addiction to help close the gap in government revenues.” Christ said that “we shouldn’t let profiting from people’s vices be monopolized by organized crime. People’s addictions to cocaine and heroin are sources of income for mobsters....

Attention drinkers: Congress has heard your call, and lawmakers have finally found a way for you to contribute to our grand national effort to expand healthcare availability. Here's the deal: a possible new increase in taxes on beer, wine, and liquor, if passed, will help raise an estimated $60 billion over ten years. That money will help fund health insurance for the more than 50 million Americans who currently go without. So the more you drink, the more you contribute to this admirable effort! It's kind of a perfect plan. Detractors say it's a "sin tax," and that it isn't...

“This week, in honor of Tax Day, CFA is officially launching Tax Bites. In an effort to highlight the hidden burdens imposed by government, Americans for Tax Reform Foundation has estimated average prices and taxes imposed on 13 popular targets for multiple layers of hidden taxes. “

When federal or local governments need to add to their coffers, there are 13 items that they find so easy to tax. The cost of these items is inflated with everything from business tax to sin tax. The Center for Fiscal Accountability has a chart showing the breakdown of the “Tax Bites” for these goods and services. The highest ranking item is a pack of cigarettes at 81.30% and this is before the SCHIP bill.

Barely two weeks in office, President Barack Hussein Obama will raise taxes this afternoon with his signature on the SCHIP bill scheduled to pass the House of Representatives today.The reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program includes massive tax increases on cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products. Similar bills were vetoed twice by President George W. Bush in part because of the tax increases. Democrats in the House and Senate have voted overwhelmingly for the tax increases each time the bill was proposed and were joined by a handful of Republicans.The bill Obama will sign today raises the federal...

New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food 'Sin' Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals Reporting Christine Sloan WINDSOR, N.J. (CBS) ― The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now some lawmakers in New Jersey are considering taking food taxes a step further and install a proverbial "sin" tax on fast food. Yes, the idea of marking up your favorite fast food burger or pack of fries is actually being tossed around, and it's not settling well with many residents. "They're taxing everything. Now you're gonna tax fast...

A state lawmaker wants to tax in-room adult movies ordered at hotels to help fund child sex-abuse investigations. The current version of House Bill 1086, sponsored by Rep. Amy Stephens, R-Monument, would impose a 99-cent fee on all in-room movies ordered at hotels. Stephens, though, said she plans to narrow her proposal to apply to just adult movies. The money would go into a fund for children's advocacy centers, which counsel sexually abused children and help police and prosecutors interview young victims. There are 14 such centers in Colorado and more than 600 nationally. Stephens said imposing the fee on...

Tax on alcohol should be increased in order to protect public health, a leading medical expert has said. Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said higher taxes were particularly needed on strong cider, other high strength drinks aimed at young people such as alcopops. But he warned the alcohol industry operated a powerful lobby which argued against future tax hikes. Speaking at the Promoting Responsible Drinking conference in London, Prof Gilmore said: "We should try to return the cost of alcoholic beverages in real terms to what they were 20 years ago over a period of...

ALBANY, N.Y. - The world's largest shipping carrier, UPS Inc., will stop delivering cigarettes to individuals in the United States under an agreement announced Monday with state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.The agreement is the latest in federal and state efforts to combat the sale of under-taxed cigarette and to fight underage smoking. Most under-taxed or untaxed cigarettes are sold by Indian tribes, where the taxation of sales to non-Indians is disputed.Monday's agreement leaves only the U.S. Postal Service among major carriers to continue to deliver cigarettes to individuals, Spitzer said. He called that practice "an embarrassment." Spitzer continues to negotiate...

Campaigning has already begun for Ohio’s next governor’s race. Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell have left the gates a bit early to try to capture the support of Ohioans. This early campaigning is likely to pay off for the candidates, because no matter who is running in 2006, Ohioans will choose just about anyone who isn’t Bob Taft. Governor Taft has watched his political career take one of the largest falls from grace in recent history. The state currently holds a $720 million deficit. In a recent approval rating survey, Bob Taft held the...

Firing Smokers - Reading Beyond the Headlines Trend: You smoke? You're fired!May 11, 2005 By Stephanie Armour More companies are taking action against employees who smoke off-duty, and, in an extreme trend that some call troubling, some are now firing or banning the hiring of workers who light up even on their own time.The outright bans raise new questions about how far companies can go in regulating workers' behavior when they are off the clock. The crackdown is coming in part as a way to curb soaring health care costs, but critics say companies are violating workers' privacy rights....