Anybody hear about this?

[jackal70058]

I don't know how many of you live in Louisiana, but they're trying to raise the cigarette tax. At first was going to be $0.50 but now its up to $1.50! It's actually part of the "sin tax" increase that will be added to liquor, gambling, and tabacco. But I think a $1.50 increase is simple too much! They want to use this money for teacher payraise, but can't they get the money from somewhere else? Do you think they shoud do it, or not. I'm simply not for a $1.50 increase on tax for a product that is already taxed too much!

[Bodyslide]

I say no. I don't smoke, but they will start with the smokes, then goto Beer and Hard Liquor. I happen to drink a few Bud Lights and Drink Crown Royal.

[makntraks]

I say no. I don't smoke, but they will start with the smokes, then goto Beer and Hard Liquor. I happen to drink a few Bud Lights and Drink Crown Royal.

Get ready to start a second job....

makntraks

[shelbyGT]

I don't know about where you are all at, but here in Johnson County, KS (richest county in Kansas, pretty damn near the top in the US, too, relatively).

Anyway, we are taxed out the wazoo here! If KS wants to pay for something, they tax us first. It's ridiculous. My neighbor across the state line pays a couple hundred in property taxes on his house. We pay 1500 at the LEAST!

Okay, rant over... I just hate my current situation. If I didn't despise Missouri, I'd live there

[Noahtuck]

Actually,
Where i live (michigan) i thought i saw on the new's along time ago we are only second in the country to new york for the highest cigg. tax in the country!!!!!!!!!!!
almost $5.00 total a pack!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can drive across the border and buy them for $2.50 a pack... and have friends that bring them to me from out of state for as little as $2.00 a pack!!!!!!!

[kenmasters83]

cigarrettes are disgusting they stink and it kills retarded people..the people who smoke them of course,,

i say raise the tax i cant stand being around someone smoking a nasty cigarrette its worse then smelling somebody ass smell at the gym after they get off the treadmill.....yes smoking is that grotesque..and foul smelling..

$5 a pack it should be $10 a pack..

cigarette smokings is a bad addiction for crackheads and poor people i have seen people become possessed cause they havent had a cigarette in a few days it was truly funny as hell

[lumis]

i say they make smoking illegal, life in prison if you get caught smoking..

smoking kills 440,000 americans a year

smoking costs $150 billion dollars a year in health-care costs

why would the united states government allow 440,000 americans to die each year from something that is easily preventable?

just ban smoking, arrest the smokers and throw them in prison forever.

[VCDHunter]

I'm paying £4.50 a pack of 20 - that equates to roughly $9.00, so count yourself lucky you aren't over here.

[Forum Troll]

Post the increase by quitting smoking.

[rallynavvie]

Get ready for the next level of political BS. Instead of raising taxes here on things the gov decided to tag "fees" on everything when you do your state taxes and for large purchases. No, it's not a tax, the bad word that everyone seems to despise and think he's a genius for not raising "taxes". I wonder how long it'll be before there is a sales "fee" in addition to the sales "tax"

As for smoking I could care less. I smoke cigars so they're expensive already. And since I only really getting a chance to smoke once a month or so I don't really mind an increase in taxes for that as long as the cigarette smokers are getting it. I can't stand cigarette smoke and I only smoke cigars as long as those around me are OK with it (since it isn't an addiction I can wait without going crazy). We do finally have a ban on smoking in all bars and restaurants here now and I love it. Do you know what a bar smells like without cigarette smoke?

[BJ_M]

i say they make smoking illegal, life in prison if you get caught smoking..

smoking kills 440,000 americans a year

smoking costs $150 billion dollars a year in health-care costs

why would the united states government allow 440,000 americans to die each year from something that is easily preventable?

just ban smoking, arrest the smokers and throw them in prison forever.

it cost between 40,000$ - $60,000 a year to keep someone in prison

[BJ_M]

I'm paying £4.50 a pack of 20 - that equates to roughly $9.00, so count yourself lucky you aren't over here.

also close to $9.00 a pack here - in some parts of canada it is already ..

at least in canada they dont have all those additives they add in the USA -- you can always smell an american cig far away ..

[smearbrick1]

I was in California recently where they have a law against smoking in public buildings. I've got to say, it's really nice to go to a restaurant and relax without having to breathe in someone else's smoke. You know, if they made cigarettes that only killed the smoker (and filled their lungs with smoke)... I'd be all for smoking.

There are quicker ways to get lung cancer you know.

Two words:

Asbestos Cigarettes....

[northcat_8]

I say "HELL NO!!!"

I'm tired of these damn teachers whinning about being poor. That's 100% bullshit.

It's this simple...everyone had the choice of what they wanted to do when they went to college...it's not our fault these dumbasses chose to go into a profession that would qualify their children for free school lunches and they knew that going in.

I say F**k em', if they want to make more money...find a different profession.

[lumis]

it cost between 40,000$ - $60,000 a year to keep someone in prison

good someone took the bait.. yes it does, and what would happen if smoking were illegal and you imprisoned all the smokers.. no tax revenue generated from smokers (billions and billions) and you'd wind up spending billions and billions imprisoning them.. america needs smokers to stay financially stable.. next time you see a smoker, thank them for being patriotic americans..

[Grimey]

Smoking shouldn't be illegal, but i have no problem with raising taxes on cigs. if it gets people to stop becasue they can't afford it, then why not.

[lumis]

people dont smoke because its a wise economic investment. people smoke because they enjoy it, are addicted, etc..

considering how dumb smoking actually is, it should be illegal.. but there is too much money involved for the tobacco companies and the government to care that it is killing half a million americans a year.. billions of dollars = worth more than half a million human lives.

[rallynavvie]

I say "HELL NO!!!"

I'm tired of these damn teachers whinning about being poor. That's 100% bullshit.

It's this simple...everyone had the choice of what they wanted to do when they went to college...it's not our fault these dumbasses chose to go into a profession that would qualify their children for free school lunches and they knew that going in.

I say F**k em', if they want to make more money...find a different profession.

I dunno, BOTH my parents are public school teachers, one high school the other teaches kids with learning disabilities. Between the two of them they make well over $100k. In fact my dad turned down a position to be the head of the culinary school at the local Le Cordon Bleu accredited school because they'd pay him less AND he wouldn't have summers off. Apparently being a public school teacher pays if you stay in one place for 25 years

[Heywould3]

i think it is a perfectly good place to raise tax.. they can raise taxes 500% on things like that all they want. i do smoke and i do drink.. but its something that i DONT need.. and i would much rather that be raised than GAS or sales of goods like cars clothes electronics etc. i know i dont really need electronics but i would rather do with out drinking and smoking than my tv stereo computer etc..

and if it will help pay teachers then im all for it

for the record. we here in MI pay alot in "sin tax" smokes are like between 5.50 and 650 a pack..and its 35+ for a fith of booze.. more for real good stuff less for toilet water.

[jackal70058]

The proposal recently was changed. Now the $1.00 tax increase will only apply to cigarettes and nothing else.

This is ridiculous. The cost of cigarettes is already so heavy tax that more than half of the cost of cigarettes is tax! I shouldn't have to pay $6.00 for a product that should only cost $1.00!

Well, at least I'm glad I do not live in California. Or New York. Those people are completely insane. They whine about absolutely anything (those people were complaing about McDonalds and school vending machines) and are crazy.

I think American is the "land of the free" and so I should be able to choose wether or not and where I can smoke. Itis supposed to be free country but there is no freedom anymore.

[rallynavvie]

You are still free to smoke, but it's gonna cost you :P

Cigarette smokers do it for the nicotine so the worse you get the less you care about what those around you when you smoke think of your habit. Worse is that cigarette smokers give me more shit when I light up a cigar than non-smokers. That's just plain silly

[lumis]

how much does a pack of cigarettes cost where you guys live?

i pay around $3/pack, sometimes a little bit more, sometimes a little bit less. a carton can be had for about $28 (tax included), if you can find a good special you'll only pay $26 per carton (tax included).

[AlecWest]

Interesting factoid. Try as they might to shut down the Native American sellers on the Internet, cigarette tax police in the states have accomplished nothing. The Jenkins Act has a loophole ... namely, that the 10 tribes of the Seneca nation had previously signed a treaty that allowed free commerce. Federal laws can do lots of things. But one thing they cannot do is void treaty rights. That would have to be done via negotiations between the 10 tribes and the B.I.A. -- and such talks are unlikely.

The state tax cops only recourse was to attempt controlling things through the private sector. They got UPS to refuse pickup service from the sellers. So, sellers ship by U.S. Mail. They got the major credit card issuers (VISA, MC, Amex, Discover) to refuse service to online tobacco vendors. So, sellers either sell via e-check or align themselves with companies selling Native American hard goods (blankets, trinkets, artwork, etc.) and "mask" the credit sales as general merchandise.

Frankly, I'm surprised more smokers don't buy online. A carton of "Smokin' Joes" (taste like Winstons) goes for $15 (includes shipping) if ordered in quantities of 6 cartons or more.

[northcat_8]

I say "HELL NO!!!"

I'm tired of these damn teachers whinning about being poor. That's 100% bullshit.

It's this simple...everyone had the choice of what they wanted to do when they went to college...it's not our fault these dumbasses chose to go into a profession that would qualify their children for free school lunches and they knew that going in.

I say F**k em', if they want to make more money...find a different profession.

I dunno, BOTH my parents are public school teachers, one high school the other teaches kids with learning disabilities. Between the two of them they make well over $100k. In fact my dad turned down a position to be the head of the culinary school at the local Le Cordon Bleu accredited school because they'd pay him less AND he wouldn't have summers off. Apparently being a public school teacher pays if you stay in one place for 25 years

That's really my point. I don't see where teachers can complain about how much money they make.

I just signed a contract for next school year, $43,600 and when I get my Masters I will be up around 50K. Now I know that doesn't seem like a whole lot, but considering I only work for six, 50 minute periods...or 300 minutes a day, for 182 days a year...I work for a total of 54,600 minutes per year or 910 hours. Considering most folks work a 40 hour week, 50 weeks a year....or 2000 hours...I'd say $43,000 is not too bad.

Besides, I've never heard a teacher complain about how much they make in June July or August.

And what you say about staying in the same school district is 100% right on. I've been teaching 10 years, 5 at this school, I am going to stay here, I've been teaching the same classes every year since the start...so, first and 2nd year takes some planning, but after that...cruise control
<and for those who think I need to change my plans from year to year, let me remind you that I'll have new kids next year, and Algebra 2 hasn't changed in 200 years>

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

cigarrettes are disgusting they stink and it kills retarded people..the people who smoke them of course,,

I wish this was true but it is not, as second hand smoke is far more dangerous and kills everybody else but the smoker.
Everybody has the right to be allowed to smoke as long as it does not injury anyone else, but that's the problem, when you smoke in a public place, you are actually injuring dozens of people. That is what is good about public building smoking bans, it protects people from this.
Here in Ecuador, we had a HUGE (you will laugh about this) raise in cigarette taxes, and after this ENOURMOUS raise, the price is now for a pack of Marlboros..... $1.25
Now, if you consider that most people here has a salary of $100 a month, that would be 1.25% of your salary a single pack; so, in proportion, even though the price is small compared to yours, it's still huge for locals.

I don't drink and I don't smoke, so, I really don't care if they raise the price of these items to 1000% it's actual cost, they are not necessary and ARE dangerous to your health. Paying for something that will kill me in the end is not my idea of well-spent money.

I think it is a good way to force out people out of the vice of tobacco, or at least a good way to induce them to use it less. And if the money goes to the people that teaches your children, I think it's not wasted money.
Other would be the case if it was a "$1 tobacco raise to support our foreign wars" campaign.

Just my HO.

[jackal70058]

Update Information!

So evey one know what's going on.

First the good news, there is a massive surplus in last years property taxes. This could easily cover the pay raise without having to raise any tax, meaning the tax increase could get more harder to be approved by the House. The Governor says she won't give up but it will be harder to pass.

Bad news is there has a bill out there to ban smoking in all public places. This would be a royal pain in the ass! But there also some good news too, they says this has actually come up many time before but never passed. Actually, the Restaraunt Industry has lobby against it. If it doesn't pass, I'll start eating out more.

[rallynavvie]

Meh, businesses here didn't notice hardly any change in revenue after the smoking ban passed. In fact I actually see more folks in my usual pub than before the ban, and this was a place that allowed you to smoke cigars at the bar which was a rare thing. A friend of mine that works at a bar now affected by the ban said the only thing they'd lose profit on was the packs of cigs they sold over the bar that were priced about 150% that what you see in a gas station (lazy smokers who don't want to walk across the street to get a pack would pay this). One of the other things he said was he loves not reeking of cigarette smoke when he went home late at night, which is something a LOT of the bar/restaurant employees, even those that smoke, are thankful for.

There are smoking areas roped off at most bars downtown, but it's going to get a lot tougher to burn one once the MN winter kicks in. Even with the heaters they used to put out for the lines to get into the bars/clubs going I think people are just going to give up smoking entirely and just start drinking more

[richdvd]

$10.25/pack here in Canada.
Some places are closer to $11/pack.