New cigarette tax attacks business and personal responsibility
Posted by The Skyliner on April 8th, 2009
Cody Fields
What’s a tax hike on a legal but demonized industry? It’s all in a day’s work in the Obama administration.
The federal cigarette tax, formerly at 39 cents, more than doubled last week to $1.01. The revenue generated is supposed to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but the logic is flawed, if existent at all.
The Democrats have demonized and discouraged the use of tobacco use for years, though they never try to actually outlaw it. Not only do they cast successful businessmen in a bad light, but they use completely hypocritical tactics when they turn around and attempt other ways of “drug reform” by trying to legalize marijuana.
They also expect this massive tax hike to generate enough revenue to supply the nation’s children with health insurance, which isn’t exactly sound reasoning. The simple principle of supply and demand shows that when prices go up like that, people will buy far less than they would before. According to medicalnewstoday.com, the hike will lower the amount of smoking in the United States, but at the same time will drastically reduce revenue generated by the tax.
The measure is self-defeating. Logic shows that they can either have their revenue for the children, or they can twist people’s arms into quitting smoking. It’s not a true win-win situation for them.
But, in their minds, it is. They are exercising control over the private sector, which is their true agenda. In their minds, we are too stupid to make choices to help or hurt our health. Big Brother wants to make sure we are incapable of screwing up our lives.
I am by no means a fan of cigarettes and tobacco products. My grandfather died a few years ago after a battle with lung cancer, and I’m very allergic to tobacco. However, I realize that I may have to put up with smoking at certain restaurants, music venues and the like. I don’t enjoy it, but even I know that secondhand smoke’s effects over a small period of time are negligible, and I recognize the choice others make to fill their lungs with whatsit.
It just seems odd to me that the government would so viciously attack a private business. No one is forcing people to smoke, just as no one is forcing anyone to clog their arteries with Super Size fries.
Maybe America should adopt a new outlook. The education is out there, as are the easily accessible facts. Instead of relying on the government to tax the life out of businesses before we hurt ourselves, let’s try some personal responsibility for once. No one has a real excuse these days, and it will allow us to actually govern ourselves, which is the best kind of government.
Tags: Spring 2009, Vol. 108 - Issue 8