On April 6th, 2009 at 10:06 am, lgm said:

Is the real (fictional) John Galt as stupid as the people who want to go Galt? The purpose of high cigarette taxes is to get people to to stop smoking. If you do, you will contribute to the greater good of the American people (something the real Galt would hate to do) by incurring less smoking related health cost. If you quit, you will prove that tax related social engineering works.

All i have to say to that is Bull$*!%.

the greater good of the people , I have no responsibility to the grater good of the people , I sure in the hell dont need to fund schip , yet what other product is more then 1/2 in tax alone?
the feds rape you and the states rape you again , your constantly beaten over the head and told where you can and can not smoke . I have my own health insurance , i own my own home. i smoke when i want and if you dont like it get out of my freaking face. Oh and just to help out ss i plan on being dead before I collect , so in the end wtf are you doing ? do you fund schip and will you not collect ss? If your answer no then stfu.

http://esmokersmag.com

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C. S. Lewis

I think that quote pretty much sums up S-Chip and all the other “sin” taxes the Libs can think up. With them it’ll never end.

Maybe they should start taxing condoms on a per use basis. Millions of those things are used everyday and the consequences of ill health and societal ills are as bad or worse than that of smoking.

Or maybe those who don’t smoke but support this tax, all for the children of course, should put their damn money where their mouth is. After all, this is a tax on cigarettes and not smokers per se. Therefore, all you non smokers who support this tax should buy cigarettes as a way of supporting the program and then give those cigarettes to a poor person who can’t afford to buy them anymore but is willing to smoke them.

Two problems solved. (Yea, I smoke and I am more than willing to accept donations of cigarettes. For the children you know)

Adam Smith also said something along the same lines. Of course, when he wrote, the Constitution was not yet written. But his observations and insights were and are timeless.

The Founders certainly believed that. Read them.

You won’t find much support for a “sin tax” from me. But I get that you approve of all kinds of taxation…consistent with your BIG GOVERNMENT love.

Dittos for slavery…either in whole or in part (the kind where you yolk one American to another via redistribution). I don’t approve.

Clearly, you do.

The ONLY legitimate purpose for which taxes may be levied on a free people is to generate the minimum revenue that will cover the costs of constitutionally mandated government.

Does it say that in the constitution? Have you heard the expression sin tax?

txvet2 said (#47):

I’m still waiting for a comment on …

I hold this to be self evident that some comments do not merit a response.

Cigars are WAY better…

better tasting,

better for your health (you don’t inhale),

WAY less expensive if you smoke a few per day.

I find that by judicious purchases, I rarely spend more than 3 bucks per stick, which is really good for quality cigars. I buy a lot for a buck a stick, or just over that.

I’m probably not going to quit, but I’ve cut my smoking a LOT in recent weeks (down to < 10 cigs a day).

Switching to cigars is another option.