PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama tax pledge up in smoke

[MtnBiker]

Does every person who uses tabaco die from the use of tabacco?

Smoking is banned in virtually every public place. If a person chooses to use a legal substance in permitted areas that should be their right.
Why should a person be taxed higher for a product they choose to use regardless of any potential health risk?

If the answer is because health problems caused by tabacco is burden to "our healthcare industry", then the problem is not people's tobacco use it is socialized healthcare.

[MtnBiker]

Wasn't this topic already discussed? As I posted there, this is a voluntary tax. Nobody anywhere is forced to pay it at all. Just don't buy cigarettes.

All the examples Obama used in that pledge on the other hand were involuntary taxes (except by Harry Reid and the IRS definition of voluntary taxation)

True, people do not have to buy cigarettes. However people who do choose to buy cigarettes(or any other legal tabacco product) are force to pay a higher price, not because of a market condition but rather because of a tax.

Consumers do not have to buy candybars or carbonated soft drinks, should the same taxes apply to create revenue?

[Kathianne]

True, people do not have to buy cigarettes. However people who do choose to buy cigarettes(or any other legal tabacco product) are force to pay a higher price, not because of a market condition but rather because of a tax.

Consumers do not have to buy candybars or carbonated soft drinks, should the same taxes apply to create revenue?

Or white bread, whole milk, butter, sugar, white flour, cake flour....

[sgtdmski]

homosexuality in monogamous relationships, is no more risky than heterosexuality, by the way.

You are right it is not. But can you please explain while the source you cited states that 48% of all diagnosed cases of AIDS come from male to male sexual contact.

If monogamy is so safe, why is the number so high?

One might assume that homosexual males are not practicing monogamy. So it is a fair question, why not tax them to pay for the high cost of healthcare they are forcing others to pay for the actions?

dmk

[moderate democrat]

You are right it is not. But can you please explain while the source you cited states that 48% of all diagnosed cases of AIDS come from male to male sexual contact.

If monogamy is so safe, why is the number so high?

One might assume that homosexual males are not practicing monogamy. So it is a fair question, why not tax them to pay for the high cost of healthcare they are forcing others to pay for the actions?

dmk

are you ready to tax the 52% of AIDS patients that come from heterosexual contact?

[moderate democrat]

Or white bread, whole milk, butter, sugar, white flour, cake flour....

if you don't agree with the concept of "sin taxes", then we'll just have to agree to disagree. Government has used taxes and fines to modify behavior for a long time... this is just one more attempt. Do you disagree, for example, with lowering the BAC limit for DUI? Do you disagree with increasing fines for driving while intoxicated?

[Jeff]

if you don't agree with the concept of "sin taxes", then we'll just have to agree to disagree. Government has used taxes and fines to modify behavior for a long time... this is just one more attempt. Do you disagree, for example, with lowering the BAC limit for DUI? Do you disagree with increasing fines for driving while intoxicated?

MD these are illegal smoking isn't, big difference

[Kathianne]

if you don't agree with the concept of "sin taxes", then we'll just have to agree to disagree. Government has used taxes and fines to modify behavior for a long time... this is just one more attempt. Do you disagree, for example, with lowering the BAC limit for DUI? Do you disagree with increasing fines for driving while intoxicated?

Actually, yes. They are a hazard and should be in jail, not allowed to drink or drive.

[moderate democrat]

MD these are illegal smoking isn't, big difference

up until a state changes the BAC legal limit from .10 to .08, driving with a .099 BAC is NOT illegal... and then, the law changes, and all of a sudden it is. It is an example of the state attempting to legislate individual behavior for the common good. Taxing tobacco at a punitive rate is just another example.

And... just for your edification, moron... I am as straight as the day is long. Married with children.... AND, unlike you, possessing enough individual will power to avoid addictive destructive behaviors. sorry.

[glockmail]

From a fiscal standpoint, cigarettes are a great tax revenue generator. The long-term price elasticity of cigarettes is 0.8, meaning that for every 1% increase in the price (e.g. due to taxes), consumption of cigarettes only goes down 0.8%. So you can tax cigarettes heavily and, even after some people quit or cut back, you'll still gain revenue.

I never went beyond Econ 103 therefore I've never heard that term before, although I knew that it must exist. Methinks that the the value (0.8) would tend to increase as prices rise, especially when they rise sharply. It also seems to me that with current historically high prices the prediction of that value is based on unpredictable extrapolation instead of predictable interpolation.

[Jeff]

up until a state changes the BAC legal limit from .10 to .08, driving with a .099 BAC is NOT illegal... and then, the law changes, and all of a sudden it is. It is an example of the state attempting to legislate individual behavior for the common good. Taxing tobacco at a punitive rate is just another example.

And... just for your edification, moron... I am as straight as the day is long. Married with children.... AND, unlike you, possessing enough individual will power to avoid addictive destructive behaviors. sorry.

Let me see you are so strong willed that you can't even admit who you are you fuckin idiot ,I have seen you post about your wife and kids and if this is true I pity them BECAUSE any man that can't admit to who he is is a real pussy!!!

After reading your post and watching your arguments on here I am to believe just cause you say you are straight you are,LMAO, if ya can't admit who ya are why should I believe what you are.

As I said if you have kids I feel for them, they must go threw the day everyday knowing there daddy is a fudge packer, I will say it one more time, do what ya want behind closed doors but don't try and justify it, try admitting who and what ya are it isn't hard and it will make ya feel allot better.

OO and by the way Gay moron drinking and driving is illegal , yes even if they change the legal limit it is still illegal, I see where you are trying to go with this but smoking isn't illegal ,so your argument don't fly.

Have a gay day homo

[moderate democrat]

Let me see you are so strong willed that you can't even admit who you are you fuckin idiot ,I have seen you post about your wife and kids and if this is true I pity them BECAUSE any man that can't admit to who he is is a real pussy!!!

After reading your post and watching your arguments on here I am to believe just cause you say you are straight you are,LMAO, if ya can't admit who ya are why should I believe what you are.

As I said if you have kids I feel for them, they must go threw the day everyday knowing there daddy is a fudge packer, I will say it one more time, do what ya want behind closed doors but don't try and justify it, try admitting who and what ya are it isn't hard and it will make ya feel allot better.

OO and by the way Gay moron drinking and driving is illegal , yes even if they change the legal limit it is still illegal, I see where you are trying to go with this but smoking isn't illegal ,so your argument don't fly.

Have a gay day homo

In truth, I am not gay. I have always been attracted to good looking women...but clearly, by your own admission, you are a weak-willed spineless character who is powerless to control his own self-destructive addictions. I pity you. If it makes you feel any better by insulting my sexuality and my family, good for you... ya little weakling.

why don't you go have another smoke. fool.

[glockmail]

Virgil, you're as queer as a three dollar bill.

[5stringJeff]

I never went beyond Econ 103 therefore I've never heard that term before, although I knew that it must exist. Methinks that the the value (0.8) would tend to increase as prices rise, especially when they rise sharply. It also seems to me that with current historically high prices the prediction of that value is based on unpredictable extrapolation instead of predictable interpolation.

Technically speaking, the elasticity at any point is the slope of a line tangent to the demand curve, so yes, in theory, as the price gets higher, the elasticity gets higher. But some economist somewhere calculated this out, and arrived at 0.8 (actually, -0.8; the negative is implied). I would imagine that would include the higher tobacco prices that we've seen in America the past 10-15 years.

[red states rule]

Virgil, you're as queer as a three dollar bill.

What an insult to a three dollar bill Glock. Next MD will preach about tolerance, God, and love to the community. What a hoot that will be