A Perfect Funding Source
President Obama recently signed a bill to reauthorize the "CHIP" - the Children's Health Insurance Program - and expand its coverage. Since it is impossible to argue against something that will provide medical care to children, or at least of one were to argue against it, he or she would be doomed and probably drawn and quartered. Sure, the CHIP program will cost some huge amount of money, but since everybody has their hands out already, the government needed to find a funding source that no one in their "right mind" would object to. And, there is one: tobacco. That vile, evil spawn of the devil. If you are merely in a room with any kind of tobacco, you'll develop a disease. I am surprised that if tobacco is as horrifying as it has been described, why is it even legal? If tobacco were made illegal, there would be no more cancer since tobacco would cease to exist. Worked for cocaine and marijuana, right?
Tobacco, though, is a legal product so the government can tax it and use those taxes in whatever way the government knows is best. In this case, the government will take money from the evil users of tobacco and use that money for children. Again, impossible to argue against. This concept has already been used with other legal products, like soft drinks (Chicago and being discussed in New York). Soft drinks have been proven to increase obesity and a host of other ailments. Since a pack of cigarettes will have a $1.00 federal tax starting April Fool's Day - how appropriate - the government should jump at the chance to tax all soft drinks the same amount, $1.00 per can or bottle. Can you really argue that consuming soft drinks is good for you? Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew may not be as harmful as tobacco, but the government has the opportunity to be preemptive and start the tax now rather than wait years for studies to confirm how damaging soft drinks are to human health.
Tobacco is still sold as a raw material, where you have to roll your own cigarettes with it. That tax goes up from about $1.00 a pound to $24.00 a pound. This type of tobacco is often sold in cans, which coincidentally resemble coffee cans. Interesting, since caffeine has been linked to all kinds of health risks. And, it's also legal. The government could put a $24.00 tax on every pound of coffee. Note how this process is rapidly generating enormous amounts of revenue for the government to spend as it wishes. All legal products, all harmful products to one degree or another. Isn't it easy to ignore a tax on something you consider sinful or bad - because it won't affect you - and then become so outraged when the government hammers a huge tax onto something you do use?
The government has a lot of work ahead, but I am sure it will manage to tax enough products that everyone will get to enjoy the spirit of giving for the greater good. Me? I am going to go have a cigarette.
Tobacco, though, is a legal product so the government can tax it and use those taxes in whatever way the government knows is best. In this case, the government will take money from the evil users of tobacco and use that money for children. Again, impossible to argue against. This concept has already been used with other legal products, like soft drinks (Chicago and being discussed in New York). Soft drinks have been proven to increase obesity and a host of other ailments. Since a pack of cigarettes will have a $1.00 federal tax starting April Fool's Day - how appropriate - the government should jump at the chance to tax all soft drinks the same amount, $1.00 per can or bottle. Can you really argue that consuming soft drinks is good for you? Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew may not be as harmful as tobacco, but the government has the opportunity to be preemptive and start the tax now rather than wait years for studies to confirm how damaging soft drinks are to human health.
Tobacco is still sold as a raw material, where you have to roll your own cigarettes with it. That tax goes up from about $1.00 a pound to $24.00 a pound. This type of tobacco is often sold in cans, which coincidentally resemble coffee cans. Interesting, since caffeine has been linked to all kinds of health risks. And, it's also legal. The government could put a $24.00 tax on every pound of coffee. Note how this process is rapidly generating enormous amounts of revenue for the government to spend as it wishes. All legal products, all harmful products to one degree or another. Isn't it easy to ignore a tax on something you consider sinful or bad - because it won't affect you - and then become so outraged when the government hammers a huge tax onto something you do use?
The government has a lot of work ahead, but I am sure it will manage to tax enough products that everyone will get to enjoy the spirit of giving for the greater good. Me? I am going to go have a cigarette.
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