Tax your sin, not mine

Times must be tough for smokers.  Last week $1-a-pack cigarette tax kicked in here in Florida, at a time when an extra buck is the last thing folks need to be parting with.  (Unless you're using it to vote for Mary!)  What must a pack of smokes go for here these days, $6 or $7?  Ouch. 

I think their intentions were somewhat noble in singling out a small group of people to tax: raise more revenue for the state while reducing the smoking rates, thereby improving people's health.  However I don't believe it's fair to pick on one bad habit.  Nor do I believe it's going to have any significant impact on the number of smokers.

Sure, smoking is obviously not the healthiest or smartest thing one can do.  But neither is being obese.  And according to the latest figures, the obesity rate in Florida is 23.6%.  One out of four people are walking, talking pictures of less than health.  If you're gonna stick it to "sinners" with a "sin tax" why just pick on smokers?  Last I checked smoking was not one of the seven deadly sins; gluttony was.  Why not tax candy bars, potato chips and pints of Ben & Jerry's?  Add a buck in tax to each item on McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's value menus.  After all, part of their motivation is to improve the health of residents; wouldn't discouraging people from eating such fatty, calorically-absurd food benefit everyone's health?

Not to mention they're punishing people who are ADDICTED to a substance widely considered more addictive than heroin.  Are they really the fairest target?  Which is easier, quitting smoking or quitting Twinkies, Ho Hos or Ding Dongs?  I've done both in the past few years, and losing nearly 60 pounds was a walk in the park compared to giving up smokes.  I did not need additional support from a product such as the patch to offset any unpleasant side effects from giving up chili cheese fries.

And the increased price isn't going to force people to quit smoking.  People don't successfully quit until they're ready to do so.  (And even then it's probably a losing battle.)  No, to make ends meet they'll switch to generic brands, or even roll their own, and cut corners someplace else, like buying cheaper beer or eating out one less night a month.  Which is going to reduce the amount of money they put into the economy, and offset the amount of tax revenue the state receives.

If they really want to increase revenue and make the state a better place they should add a tax for cell phone minute and text messaging usage.  We'd all be much better off if people were diddling with their phones less and actually paying attention to what they're doing.  Fewer car accidents, less time spent everywhere behind jackasses slowing the pace of society to a crawl, being spared from the torture of having to listen to some inconsiderate prick's insipid conversation.  Now that, my fellow Americans, is plan I can get behind.

So sayeth the shepherd, so sayeth the flock.

Comments

[Larry "The Snake Guy"]

Ah, but you're missing part of the economic picture. Treating lung cancer is expensive. People who eat too much fatty food actually save society money by just dropping dead one day. No expensive treatments, no social security checks.

[Creepy]

Expensive for whom? Everyone is making a profit from cancer patients. It's a cash cow.

Diabetes and heart disease aren't always quick killers. And you don't think open heart surgery is an expensive treatment?

[anne altman]

the solution is People Need to Die.

and in a perfect world, i get to decide.

cheers!

[Larry "The Snake Guy"]

Hmmm... Did I forget to add the smiley again? :)

[Freshlyevil]

I've tried getting off the fags twice now and I need to do it again. I can attest first hand that the additional tax is doing nothing but depleting my resources while my willpower catches up to my resolve. I don't have an issue with sin taxes in general but it has always bothered me to tax something that people are addicted to. Starting smoking might be a sin, but continuing is a sickness.

[Creepy]

Larry: how about we go out for double bacon cheeseburgers slathered with mayo, and a smoke afterward?

FE: Great point, smoking is a sin that becomes a sickness. How come everything else is viewed as a "sickness" today but not nicotine addiction? Just because you might not like the smell or think it's gross doesn't make it less of a monkey on someone's back.

And why single out just one sin?

[Larry "The Snake Guy"]

Sorry Creeps, I join you for the cheese burger, but I'm one of those people that can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke.

Besides, what do you have against monkeys.

[Creepy]

You can have the bacon cheeseburgers, I'll have the smokes. If I had to choose I'd take the cigs over the greasy food.

I don't care for monkeys (or apes). Not sure why, other than they smell bad and are pretty disagreeable: spitting, biting, pissing, throwing poo, ripping people's faces off. Horses I'm no big fan of either. I've had quite a few bad experiences with horses; we don't see eye to eye. And they smell awful.

[Larry The Snake Guy]

Yeah, I see your point. Monkeys are a bit too much like people...

Bad experiences with horses? Not a Roman torture thing was it?

[Creepy]

I was thinking that too. That could be another reason why I don't care for them, they remind me to much of humans.

Horses trying to bite me, kick me, throw me, head towards the barb wired topped entrance to the corral with me on back, forcing me to jump off at the last minute to prevent being decapitated.