[MTUCache]

Originally Posted by Tehspilly

That's just Chicago I'm sure. I know they aren't that much in the rest of Illinois. They cost $10 a pack in NYC, but once I take the train back to Long Island they're only $6.

No doubt. By the time I commute to my place (outside of Cook County), they're about the same price as they are in Michigan.

There's a lot of optional things they could tax, they tax cigs because they know damn well we'll pay it. It's like taking advantage of peoples addictions. If they thought, "Well hmm, If we raise the tax more people will quit and we won't make much off of that." They wouldn't do it.

I don't necessarily think that they do it because they know people will pay it, I think they do it because it's far easier to get a "sin" tax passed because you can sell it to the rest of the government as doing something good for the community as a whole. Any reps that don't agree with it automatically get labeled as a "pro-smoking" advocate that must be in the industry's pocket. It's easy to sell to the voters because the majority of people do not actively support smoking.

You could just as easily put a 1000% tax on anything else that's "bad", whether it's buying gas, fast food, pornography, alcohol, sky-diving equipment, or tattoos. It's all just about a return on investment. How many people can they afford to tick off at one time vs. how much money will it bring in? Sin-taxes are an easy way to drum up a ton of money... for what though?

[Mook1244]

Originally Posted by MTUCache

No doubt. By the time I commute to my place (outside of Cook County), they're about the same price as they are in Michigan.

I don't necessarily think that they do it because they know people will pay it, I think they do it because it's far easier to get a "sin" tax passed because you can sell it to the rest of the government as doing something good for the community as a whole. Any reps that don't agree with it automatically get labeled as a "pro-smoking" advocate that must be in the industry's pocket. It's easy to sell to the voters because the majority of people do not actively support smoking.

You could just as easily put a 1000% tax on anything else that's "bad", whether it's buying gas, fast food, pornography, alcohol, sky-diving equipment, or tattoos. It's all just about a return on investment. How many people can they afford to tick off at one time vs. how much money will it bring in? Sin-taxes are an easy way to drum up a ton of money... for what though?

Bingo.... Government in general is an industry and it has to be fed more as the years go by. This is about keeping the pigs feeding at the trough of public money. It really doesn't matter what you want to tax, just tax it by passing the required legislation and wa-la instant $. It doesn't matter that you are in Chicago, Detroit, NYC or LA - these elected officials and their appointees will find ways to dig deeper into your pocket and blame you for whatever it is they want to tax. Example - fuel taxes (federal, and state) is collected to keep the roadways repaired. Question - what do your roadways look like??? Where did the money go?? The Michigan Lottery - when it was voted in, the state said the money it received was earmarked for education and the children - and it was. What they didn't tell you was an equal amount of money was taken out of the existing state education budget and put into the general fund for our legislators to spend on pet projects. So, instead of adding to the education budget the lotto money was replacement money for what the legislature absconded. Basically, stealing from childrens' education fund. Nice. Grandholm needs to be gone and a part time legislature is needed.

[MI-IRISH]

the words jenny and blowing in the same sentence brings to mind a few things to a married man...in this case,where's the payoff?

[tjay]

Originally Posted by jeanniepep

It doesn't sound unreasonable to me. Cigarette prices are already crazy high, but hey - it's an optional expense. I pay a lot to drink beer, but I don't HAVE to do it, so I can't complain if they charge me more (haha, that's probably next).

I was wondering if the hike on bottled water was due to making them returnable? I know this was discussed a long time ago (how pop/beer bottles are returnable but water bottles are land-fillable) but I didn't hear whether anything happened with that. Frankly they are a pox upon the land - the plastic leaches cancer-causing chemicals into the water, then the bottles make the landfills bigger. But, that's just my opinion, man.

not to mention smokers don't do much to help the high cost of healthcare. if we can't be disciplined enough to take care of ourselves how can we complain? we can blame the government, but we should also blame ourselves. we are part of this equation.

also concerning plastic water bottles....i think a deposit is a great idea. if we don't start doing something about all this f'ing plastic, its going to take over the planet. plastic does not go away, yet we produce more and more every year. its sickening.....


YouTube - Pacific Garbage Dump- Nightline

[Lindseyup67]

Originally Posted by think first

Wisconsin just raised cigarette taxes another 75 cents a pack. Its now up to $2.72.

Buy over the internet.

Sorry my friend.....do NOT go there....buying over the internet....we live in Michigan, and 5 yrs ago my mom bought cigs for herself and friends via the internet....then got slammed with a bill from the state of Michigan for taxes...totaling hundreds of dollars! DO NOT order online people!!! Word of warning!!!!!!!

[junior 88 fan]

What do you expect out of a 'taxocrat'??? Stop voting for these thieves and it will correct itself. Just wait until the tax train steaming from DC gets up to full speed. When will people wake up and look at the history of these fruitcakes before they vote for them???:!!!

Originally Posted by WeLoveYpsi09

In the new budget, she proposes raising cigarette taxes AGAIN, we already pay $1.75 on a pack of smokes, adding sales tax to vending machines (WTF?), adding a .1 tax bottled water, add taxes to all services like housekeeping, landscaping, janitorial, etc.

Maybe if she and the do not legislative body take the same "furlough" days that she is making state employees take.....we would have have to RAISE taxes again. This witch is getting on my nerves. What is your option?

[michigan83]

What do you expect out of a 'taxocrat'??? Stop voting for these thieves and it will correct itself.

Unfortunately, it's not as simple as "not voting democrat." Both parties are a problem, they just waste our money on different things.

That's why I've recently adopted the stance of "less government, period." If you can reduce the size of government, I'll support you. If not, then forget it. I don't care what party you're from.

A Republican is more likely to hold this position, but a lot of them have shown through their actions that they have no interest in "smaller government."

In all honesty, I think we're pretty much screwed. It's almost impossible to shrink government... that's why you have fight the growth of government. And I think we're waaaaay past that nice balance between freedom and overbearing government (and have been for many years.)

[junior 88 fan]

Historically speaking, one party has proven itself to increase and support tax increases while they are in power. You are correct, less government is good, but if you look at the party in charge in DC, they want big government and are doing everything they can to control every aspect of our lives. I think the Republicans learned a valuable lesson in spending a few years back. One can only pray this tax madness and "We know what's best for you" ideology stops.

[michigan83]

Historically speaking, one party has proven itself to increase and support tax increases while they are in power. You are correct, less government is good, but if you look at the party in charge in DC, they want big government and are doing everything they can to control every aspect of our lives. I think the Republicans learned a valuable lesson in spending a few years back. One can only pray this tax madness and "We know what's best for you" ideology stops.

True. If I am voting for the lesser of two evils, it will probably be a Republican. The current group is trying to expand government at a rate that is mind-boggling.

John McCain would be doing the same thing, but MUCH more slowly (and less competently). And he would be making Republicans look bad in the process.

[wagonman76]

Makes me wonder how people like this get re-elected. Everybody you talk to wishes they were out of office, but come election time they win. Same thing with Bush's 2nd term.