New increase of $2.00 Tax on ONE Pack of Cigs? - Taxes on Chips, Sodas and Alcohol - Congress Consid

I smoke, drink sodas and alcohol, all the "bad" lifestyle things they refer to, but there is an easy solution to all this. BOYCOTT. If they aren't bought in the first place they will not reap the benefits. Prices have direct proportion to supply and demand. No demand, the price on the supply drops. My father has to be the most frugal person I have ever met. He has been complaining about the price of everything for decades. I used to get upset about it. He always said if people just won't buy the items in the first place the price will go down. I believe him now. BOYCOTT is a means to protest something. I will give up my "bad" lifestyle just to give them one on their double chin.

People keep saying why should I pay for the health care of these people with "bad"habits. If it did not cost $900 dollars for an ambulance ride for 5 mile trip, if use of a towel was not $12, $17 for a wet towel, if a single aspirin was not $12. You would not have to pay for anyone. Health care has been overcharging for decades for everything. You are blaming the wrong people. Blame the A.M.A. You have not ever had to pay a penny for me. I do not go to the doctor or hospitals due to I do not want a $10,000 tab coming to my house. I do not have insurance. I do not go.

BOYCOTT income tax and they will rethink their ideas.

They jack the prices on everything because they know we will pay. DON"T PAY.

Pretty simple.

[edit on 13-5-2009 by timewalker]

[edit on 13-5-2009 by timewalker]

This is just going to lead to a black market on these products.

If cigarette prices go up $2.00 a pack, don't be surprised to see new mafia's being born, which grow, package, & distribute cigarettes for half the price, while bypassing the tax laws.

If they continue their insane tax gouges, expect Americans to eventually make a statement in the form of a tax revolt.

Great, just what I wanted to hear, more taxes. Guess I'll have to keep getting my cigs at the indian reservation, HA no taxes from me Fed!!

Seriously though, I'm really getting fed up with all these little tax hikes its getting rediculous. What kick us while we're down? Is that Obama's new slogan?

I was all for Obama's health care plan, but since he wants to tax the crap out of us then I'm officially coming out against his plan, I'll be writing my reps in DC and telling them to oppose everything. He wants to kick me while I'm down? Fine I'll make sure my reps fight him on EVERYTHING!

Woohoo, the bankrupty of Coke and Lays and we get to start up a new crime syndicate.

I can just see the guy on the corner with the trenchcoat now. You want spicy nacho or ranch??

I agree that the hospitals charge too much. My husband spent 9 days in the hospital and the bill was over $80,000. Medicare made them write the majority of that off, so why did they charge that much in the first place?

They need to control fraud in the health insurance field and then costs will start coming down.

edit: removed double post

[edit on 5/13/2009 by secretstash]

reply to post by XTexan


You know what I did before April 1st? I discovered RYO cigs - had no clue about them before. So I ordered 40 pounds of tobacco from a reservation and got a case of the tubes and the little machine thing - and guess what - my estimated cost is for one carton of cigs? - about 6 to 7 per carton!!!

Yep - the tobacco even on the reservation was going from $7.95 per pound to $33.00 with the tax increase in April - what will the new tax - if it goes through do to that price?

At this point a carton of cigs is in the 40's here - another $2 on top would make it $60 per carton - Outrageous! But I won't have to worry for a long time about prices! Plus where I live (tobacco growing area) I figured I will go driving around the country side and find myself a tobacco farmer - strike a deal with him in the future! There is no way - I want to give the govt. every dime in taxes.

Besides these are all just FED taxes - what about the state taxes? They are going to be doing things to raise their taxes - including raising property taxes throughout the nation.

so, when people are down - the govt. is getting a few more kicks in - to make sure they stay down!!

reply to post by XTexan


You know, we want someone to blame so Obama gets it, but if we stop to think about it, Obama had nothing to do with any of this. A couple of years ago, Obama was a run-of-the-mill senator, knocking on doors in his hometown selling raffle tickets for the next block party. The next thing he knows he is being groomed for President. He can't do anything that isn't pre-planned and fully written out for him on teleprompters. He looks totally shell-shocked everytime I see him.

Remember, Obama smokes too. If the truth were known, he's totally against this.



[edit on 13-5-2009 by Bombeni]

Amen Brother!

I agree with all your tax ideas. Unfortunately I don't see it happening. I must say I am getting severely disappointed with Obama and his administration.

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck
I'm thinking, though, that so-called "sin taxes" are fairly appropriate if they go to the right place...like cigarette taxes into health care. Then again, you still can't get big Tobacco to pony up the social costs of their product.

Same goes for junk foods...using sugars, fats, salts and neuro-exciters like MSG and Aspartame, all cheap stuff, to make a gazillion dollars and leave it to the taxpayer to fund the eventual costs.

Somebody's gotta pay, Lucy...

I, personally, do not mind paying a certain amount of taxes on items bought (whatever they are). BUT to continue to be overtaxed by the fed gov is crazy & will help lead to revolution!!!!

I would much rather be paying to the states - to benefit the people living in the state. But all the gov does is use our $$ for whatever stupid projects THEY deem necessary......the people have no damn say so & never will!

reply to post by Merigold
So?

Cigarettes, alcohol, pornography, gas, junk food, should be taxed more heavily.

I just don't get why it's such a big deal? Taxes are part of living in a society in which you expect the government to provide something. How else do you want them to be collected?

NOT!!!! Everything you [SNIP] buy needs to be taxed - to a certain extent ONLY!! Continuing to zero in on the middle (what is left oif it) & lower classes is wrong & UNCONSTITUTIONAL!! Read my reply above, also....

reply to post by Bombeni
I know the American people are slow to react but if the govt. goes thru with a 2 dollar addl. tax on cigs and taxes soda etc. I really believe they will have a riot on their hands.

They NEED to have a revolution on their hands!! But, unfortunately, the masses are basically STUPID!! When some, who have the balls to really take an active stand (revolt), do....the masses of STUPID people will believe the MSM & government when they are labelled DOMESTIC TERRORISTS!! Really do not know what will be worse - fighting the criminal US government or fighting all the STUPID people out there!!

Get a fricking grip, people! Stand up for something for once in your life....

reply to post by Common Good
Help me Question, I think I am about to go crazy. i dont know if its the stupid people, or if its the stupid people in power thats making me this way.

Please see above and you are NOT going crazy. The people in power know exactly what they are doing - they are counting on the STUPID people to act just like they always do and do NOTHING.

reply to post by Zerbst
Those calling for income tax increases need to educate themselves on how revenue is spent. Not one single dime of income tax is spent on anything but debt owed to The Federal Reserve. That massive sum of income tax money provides us nothing! It is solely used to repay the debt accumulated by all those costly decisions made in your honor, but against your will.

EXACTLY!! Hello, stupid people!! Time to wake the hell up!!

reply to post by Common Good
I think you are failing to grasp the point in all of this.
Its not the taxation of things that we use that upsets me, its the OVER-TAXATION that is what kills me. Not to mention all that they are doing is singling certain types of people out to bare the burden of the crisis that the govt itself created. What they are doing, in my opinion, is not only unjust, but unconstitutional, and against the law by singling individuals out to take the hit on their problems.

I totally agree with you Common! Some people just do not care about what is really going on as long as their cozy little lifes are not interupted. Disgusting......I, too, am ashamed at what the people of the US have become. I am tired of being treated like I do not matter & like a slave for the gov to take my hard earned $$ and use for their own purpose instead of using it on us!

Call me a criminal.....call me a domestic terrorist....call me anything you would like because I believe in the power of our Constitution and state's rights. At least I am not going to be called what the masses of people are - STUPID and a coward. Thank God for the many that feel like I do because they are the last hope of this nation.....




to the federal government!!

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 5/13/2009 by AshleyD]

reply to post by Champagne


Great post, and I think everyone here agrees with you. The problem is we all have about 15 family members on average, and not a one of them believes there is any type of conspiracy. They actually believe the G-men love us and want to take care of us. My mother actually said to me Obama is working his guts out and is going to save our country. I didn't say a word back to her (which is rare for me, lol). It was at that moment I knew I had to throw in the towel.

Is it illegal to grow your own tobacco? I'm genuinely curious, I'm a non-smoker myself, but I vaguely recall something about growing tobacco for personal use either being legal or illegal in certian quantities. Hmmm, guess I need to do some reading.

All the other stuff people you can get around it. Ditch the pop habit and drink water. Ditch the chips and eat fruit. If you like to drink (like I do) plant a vine or three and learn grape cultivation and how to make wine. Buy grain and distill your own spirits. Homebrew your own hooch. If enough people start doing this kind of thing, the government will get the picture.

reply to post by Seasick


Im pretty sure you are right, growing your own is illegal, just like another more harmless plant

I have a video on my youtube channel that I made a while back about this exact topic titled "If They Want to Kill Us, Then Why.."

It's having the opposite effect than intended already, just the 60 cent increase already. I'd say literally 50% of my smoking friends have either quit because of it, or are down to not even buying them trying to quit, and maybe bumming one or two throughout the day off people. But lots of people are quitting!

And its funny because they underestimate the public, and they overestimate the power of their addictive little product there. When you set your mind and heart to it, you can do almost anything. So let them lose money over this AND let the people become healthier .. I am a smoker and I am all for it! Lol.

All for the 60 cent increase, NOT a 2 dollar one ... I'd be quitting then too!

Originally posted by questioningall

We are going to be taxed so heavily on everything we purchase - we will be giving the big corporations and govt. any excess dollars we have been able to keep previously!
[edit on 13-5-2009 by questioningall]

A quick Business 101 course.

Any tax a Business pays is added on to the price of their products and services and is paid by the Consumer. That is true from the smallest, poorest business to the largest corporations.

Anytime any Federal, State or Local Government taxes a Business they are in fact taxing you the Consumer. Be careful what you wish for.

On another issue I see, people who smoke pay far more in taxes than their health care costs. That myth was put to rest more than a decade ago when it was learned smokers were already paying 40 billion a year and since that time the taxes have quadrupled or more in many area's. People need to put that lie to rest. In fact since these taxes go the general funds, if everyone quit smoking tomorrow; non-smokers taxes would go up dramatically to make up for it.

The answer isn't looking for someone else to tax.

I was watching a protest a few weeks ago here in New York about the State Budget and the cuts that were planed. I observed a person carrying a sign stating "let the boss take the loss."

That is just not realistic. If you tax the big corporations more, they will simply pass the added expense on to the consumer - just as an earlier post states.

What needs to be done is to cut spending. What do we do in our own homes? If we need to buy something we either save money to buy it, or buy it on credit and pay it off gradulally. If we want to buy nicer things, we have to make more money. If we want our money to go further, we cut out wasted spending.

Government is no different, except they are unwilling to cut wasteful spending and when they need more money, they raise taxes.

If we want to be taxed less, and we want the goods and services that we buy to be affordable, the government needs to STOP SPENDING OUR MONEY.

Suggestions:

Cut military spending from $650 BILLION to $450 BILLION. Instant savings of $200 BILLION and we would still spend more than the next highest six countries combined.

End Social security and allow us to put money into personal savings accounts that are tax free and not gambled in the stock market. Put the money in savings accounts that yeild 1.5-2.5% interest to keep up with inflation. Now you know that your contribution will be there when you are 65.

Get out of Iraq. It costs over $100 BILLION for each year we spend in Iraq.

I am sure there is probably hundreds of billions of additional federal spending that could be cut and none of us would even notice.

You know, we want someone to blame so Obama gets it, but if we stop to think about it, Obama had nothing to do with any of this. A couple of years ago, Obama was a run-of-the-mill senator, knocking on doors in his hometown selling raffle tickets for the next block party. The next thing he knows he is being groomed for President. He can't do anything that isn't pre-planned and fully written out for him on teleprompters. He looks totally shell-shocked everytime I see him.

Remember, Obama smokes too. If the truth were known, he's totally against this.


i agree to disagree here, i agree that obama and our mock congresss are just shills playing along with there rolls as supposed leaders. where i disagree with you is everytime i see obama or any of his counterparts they all have smiles written from one side of there faces to the other. been thinking is some great joke that the american public isnt aware of?

lol, or maybe the joke is on me and you

reply to post by questioningall


Personally, I wouldn't mind a cigarette tax, alcohol tax, and a beer tax. Beyond that, I wouldn't support it because at that point, you could tax anything that might be even slightly unhealthy.
Soda- too much sugar
Diet soda-too much altered sugar.
gatorade-too much sugar even though it's great for replenishing electolytes.
Iced Tea-again too much sugar
coffee-too acidic which can cause stomach problems. Too much caffeine which can increase blood pressure.
Water in plastic bottles-chemicals leach from the plastic.
Air ???
Where do you stop????

They need to draw a reasonable line and just STOP. Taxing everything is the equivalent of simply increasing the sales tax.

Originally posted by Bombeni
reply to post by Champagne

 

Great post, and I think everyone here agrees with you. The problem is we all have about 15 family members on average, and not a one of them believes there is any type of conspiracy. They actually believe the G-men love us and want to take care of us. My mother actually said to me Obama is working his guts out and is going to save our country. I didn't say a word back to her (which is rare for me, lol). It was at that moment I knew I had to throw in the towel.

I know and it is the same with my family. My mom really likes BO and believes he is doing the best he can.....some much for reality!!

S&F for you once again! Thanks for keeping us up to date on all of this. I smoke cigarettes and in NY State the taxes are crazy, 7.30 for a pack or marbs at one of the states lowest prices allowed stores. I'm just gonna go to Indian reservations for now until I quit which will be soon. The state has been trying to tax the Native Americans for years and have not been succesful yet so there are still places we can escape this crazyness. NYS's Governer Patterson does not have a clue....

reply to post by JohnnyCanuck


Natives don't pay taxes on smokes from the vendors themselves in canada...not sure if there's a tax, or if so, how many, before they receieve them. Thank God i frame with a lot of native boys!!!
To get into specifics, you're lookin' ata 45% reduction in cost per carton. Plus the five bux a carton tax when they make a run.