lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

The representative for the American Cancer Society in my State, had been lobbying our Legislature to add an additional $1.50 tax onto each pack of cigarettes. This would double the State tax on those products. This dude's rationale for the increased tax, was as a further inducement to quit smoking, then finished his speech with "it will generate an additional 125 million dollars in revenue". Do you see the joke?

If the American Cancer Society thought the added tax would incentivize folks to quit smoking...............there would be ZERO additional tax revenue.................because far fewer people would be smoking. That's like rationalizing going to war to "save lives" and ending with "no more than 20% casualty rate expected". Perhaps, those 20% ers are already dead.

Another thing that struck me as hilarious, was the fact that this dude was trying to buy my Legislature with other people's money. Ten years ago, my State doubled their tobacco tax when the Fed doubled theirs, promising that the additional revenues would fund a State wide trauma system......................ten years later, we have the same number of level one trauma facilities as we had..................ten years ago.

The Legislature chose to defer action on this bid - until after the midterms. I wonder why?

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Wonder no more, Doc...that is, if you ever wondered to begin with.

BigMike Loc: yerington nv

Ya...that's an old one that gets taken off the shelf, dusted off and put back up after e******n time. God knows where the money goes!
Tort reform and immigration reform same thing.

Hogback