Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Ok, I know I rant through most of my stories, but this one is an officially sanctioned rant from the start.

All of the recent wave of cigarette taxes is bullshit.

New York City recently introduced a 3 dollar a pack tax and now the entire state of California is considering it.

Legislators all over are considering it as tax revenues are less than projected and budgets get squeezed.

These legislators are jackasses. I am personally NOT a smoker, never have been. Personally I think it is a nasty habit and I would like to see more people quit. HOWEVER, it is a LEGAL product and this is supposed to be a somewhat FREE country. Placing an arbitrary and exorbitant tax on a single item to suit a particular political or socioeconomic purpose is ludicrous. This is a DANGEROUS PRECEDENT. Why should one legal product be taxed at 700% and another, say M and Ms or McDonalds hamburgers (which ALSO cause a plethora of health problems), not be. This arbitrary decision to tax one because it is unpopular is crazy.

Many people may not like smoking. Maybe the chemicals in cigarettes SHOULD be regulated by the FDA. Maybe smoking DOES cause serious health risks and does put a strain on health care systems and costs, but its still perfectly legal. These valid issues should all be addressed by changing legislation or regulation if you like, but not by some easy to pass arbitrary tax.

Most of the people that smoke are on the lower part of the socioeconomic ladder. Not all mind you, but proportionately smokers have a lower income and education level. This means that this tax is basically a new tax to help out the budget by taxing the poorest citizens 700% and NOT taxing the rich at all. Again, dont get me wrong here, I think our entire taxation system sucks, I think the governments on local, state and federal levels generally already have MORE THAN ENOUGH of our money and still cant manage it. (Another debate altogether).

Why not have governments that can balance the ka-trillions of dollars in income and property and sales and fuel and capital gains and etc taxes they already levy. Our current trend towards this arbitrary taxation is far worse than the kings tea tax and yet there is virtually no uproar?

Cigarette taxes that are disproportionate to other products are stupid. After all is said and done, even it they do pass, what happens? Local merchants sell less cigarettes, people buy them online or in another state. Its just stupid.

Rant over.