Cigarette Tax Debate
March 14th, 2006 at 12:29pm Geraldine
The Register reports that fourteen Republicans have joined Democrats in the call for debate on a cigarette tax increase (proposed by Vilsack) that would fund health care.
It still seems unlikely that they’ll get their way, though:
House Speaker Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City, is against the tax increase and is seen by many as standing in the way of a debate in the House.
On the letter sent to Rants in favor of debate, Republican Walt Tomenga pointed out:
“I don’t think it will have much impact,” he said. “Neither party wants a vote on this bill because they don’t to run with the tag of raising taxes.”
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3 Comments Add your own
1. Chase | March 15th, 2006 at 3:55 pm
Democrats are just wrong on this issue. Cigarettes are already taxed a lot, and it’s an incredibly regressive tax. Misguided attempts to curb smoking through tax-funded ad campaigns tend to fail, and demand is pretty inelastic.
AND cigarettes make you cool. And coolness tax just isn’t good for anyone.
2. Hannah | March 15th, 2006 at 4:18 pm
You’re thinking as a V1 liberal, Chase. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Demand isn’t thaaaaaaat inelestic, it just depends how much the tax is.
But that’s not the point. The point is that cigarettes give you cancer, which costs the healthcare system a lot of money. If you want cancer, shouldn’t you have to shoulder more of the costs?
3. Chase | March 15th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
V2 liberalism doesn’t exist!
And I DON’T want cancer; but, either way, I don’t think I’m ever going to get good, state-funded health care no matter how much I pay for my cigarettes. If there were universal health care, (1) it wouldn’t cost so much to treat cancer patients because of improvements in administrative efficiency, etc., and (2) I wouldn’t mind paying higher taxes for almost anything.
But we won’t have that for a while, because universal health care is only for pinkos.
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