Gov. Bredesen says education needs require increasing cigaratte tax

#1
Volitics

Volitics

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#1
Gov. Bredesen says education needs require increasing cigaratte tax

Gov. Phil Bredesen says that a $0.20 increase in the cigarette tax is on the agenda. It sounded on the radio like he might have a majority in the state legislature.

Bredesen said that the increased tax revenue will be used to fund education initiatives.

Another sickening example of government taking from the poor and giving to the rich. Disgusting.
 
#3
#3
No one is forcing these people to smoke. I'm sure there are some rich people who smoke, too.

Of course, if they really wanted to solve the revenue problem, they would legalize the largest cash crop in TN and tax it appropriately.

Money doesn't grow on trees. It grows on weeds.
 
#4
#4
I thought the lottery was supposed to feed in heavily to education. Guess they have already mismanaged that.
 
#6
#6
ever wonder why it seems the government pours more and more money into the education system every year, yet the kids are still walking out illiterate?

throwing more money into that system isn't the answer.
 
#7
#7
A lot of students do not put forth any effort and are there simply because they are required. The parents like to blame the schools and the teachers but they should instead take a long look in the mirror if they want to see the biggest problem.

I know it is cliche, but you truly get out of education what you put into it.
 
#8
#8
vader said:
A lot of students do not put forth any effort and are there simply because they are required. The parents like to blame the schools and the teachers but they should instead take a long look in the mirror if they want to see the biggest problem.

I know it is cliche, but you truly get out of education what you put into it.
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Yep.
 
#9
#9
the gov can kiss my marlboro white a**. why dont they put an extra tax on i-pods? why is it everytime they want more money they tax property owners and cig smokers? why not make a state wide wheel tax and make everyone pay for education than just a small number of Tennesseens who get screwed everytime????
 
#12
#12
melissa hyberger said:
the gov can kiss my marlboro white a**. why dont they put an extra tax on i-pods? why is it everytime they want more money they tax property owners and cig smokers? why not make a state wide wheel tax and make everyone pay for education than just a small number of Tennesseens who get screwed everytime????
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If you want to screw them; then quit smoking.
 
#13
#13
VOLracerx said:
If you want to screw them; then quit smoking.
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bingo!!

the sad part is that the government wants you to smoke because of the tax revenue generated from sales of tobacco products. Al Gore is a multi millionaire thanks to his family's tobacco operation near Carthage.
 
#14
#14
The irony is that we're told how evil smoking is and how insurance and the government is forced to pay for the medical expenses, etc. but now by taxing it, they have not only condoned such measures but are now exploiting it for their own gain. Glad to see that evil is exploited for political gain.
 
#15
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melissa hyberger said:
why is it everytime they want more money they tax cig smokers?
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The great thing about cigarette taxes is that people are so lost in their own addiction, they'll pay whatever they have to. The government is taking advantage of your weakness. If you really hate it that much, quit smoking.
 
#16
#16
Smokers cost the state in Medicaid/TennCare expenditures far out of proportion to their numbers. When all those poor trailer dwellers get emphysema and lung cancer who do thinks get stuck with the bill? The tax is way too low now. The proposed increase is actually 40 cents per pack, BTW, which would put the state tax at 60 cents per pack. Still far below many states that are at a dollor or more per pack in state taxes.
 
#17
#17
i'll quit smoking when i want to quit smoking. that is my right as a tax paying citizen. if we want to worry about our kids health then kick their asses out of the house when they get home from school instead of letting them play video games on there computer. make them go out an play outside for a change. lets outlaw everything made out of sugar thats causing all these kids to get fat. lets make the price of a big mac $10.00, and fries should at least go up to $6.00 a pack. hell they are even gonna put a 10 cent tax on individual bullets in one state. do you not see a pattern here? are you guys that blind? its not about smoking. im sure 99% of you guys drink. you can get a six pack of beer almost cheaper now than a pack of cigs. smoking a cig going down the road hardly ever kills a family of 8 as quick as dui does.
 
#18
#18
melissa hyberger said:
i'll quit smoking when i want to quit smoking. that is my right as a tax paying citizen. if we want to worry about our kids health then kick their asses out of the house when they get home from school instead of letting them play video games on there computer. make them go out an play outside for a change. lets outlaw everything made out of sugar thats causing all these kids to get fat. lets make the price of a big mac $10.00, and fries should at least go up to $6.00 a pack. hell they are even gonna put a 10 cent tax on individual bullets in one state. do you not see a pattern here? are you guys that blind? its not about smoking. im sure 99% of you guys drink. you can get a six pack of beer almost cheaper now than a pack of cigs. smoking a cig going down the road hardly ever kills a family of 8 as quick as dui does.
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Ok, pay the cigarette taxes then. It doesn't really matter to me. :peace2:
 
#19
#19
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Smokers cost the state in Medicaid/TennCare expenditures far out of proportion to their numbers. When all those poor trailer dwellers get emphysema and lung cancer who do thinks get stuck with the bill? The tax is way too low now. The proposed increase is actually 40 cents per pack, BTW, which would put the state tax at 60 cents per pack. Still far below many states that are at a dollor or more per pack in state taxes.
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I guess you are for taxing cheesburgers and fries as well. Since Heart Disease is a bigger problem than what you mentioned above. Or since you are for allowing the government to ban smoking in public places, perhaps you are for the government banning unhealthy foods in restaruants?
 
#21
#21
I may be wrong, but there is not some government account labeled "education" that these tax dollars from cigarette sells will be funneled directly into is there? I doubt it.

So what this really is, is the fact that the government has as usual, mismanaged it's finances. And so to fix this, Bredesen will throw out something like "education", because citizens don't want to feel that education is underfunded. Then he will tax something like "cigarettes", because they are evil, and people will be ok with this. Thus he has raised money, not necessarily money that will go towards education, and he has deflected any attention away from the idea that this is mainly due to government failure.
 
#22
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allvol123 said:
I guess you are for taxing cheesburgers and fries as well. Since Heart Disease is a bigger problem than what you mentioned above. Or since you are for allowing the government to ban smoking in public places, perhaps you are for the government banning unhealthy foods in restaruants?
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Fine, tax the heck out of fast/fatty foods. Won't bother me a lick. The big difference with a ban is that when some lardo wants to kill himself/herself with fast food it does not invade my atmosphere.
 
#23
#23
VolunteerHillbilly said:
Fine, tax the heck out of fast/fatty foods. Won't bother me a lick. The big difference with a ban is that when some lardo wants to kill himself/herself with fast food it does not invade my atmosphere.
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But it does impact your wallet, something you were worried about earlier.

The government imposing taxes simply because they are too inept to manage the money they have already generated, should bother you a "lick". It is a slippery slope.
 
#24
#24
allvol123 said:
But it does impact your wallet, something you were worried about earlier.

The government imposing taxes simply because they are too inept to manage the money they have already generated, should bother you a "lick". It is a slippery slope.
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I know I am going to be taxed for Medicaid and there's nothing I can do about it short of expatriation. As I said before, if someone wants to load up on grease that is thier problem. If someone wants to smoke in public he/she is poisoning the people around themself, which makes said person a menace. I don't know how else to say it.
 
#25
#25
Just make smoking illegal if you think it is so evil. That way the state doesn't have to pick up the tab. Or do our politicians not want to give up a revenue source?
 
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