February 6, 200917 yr He did not raise taxes on people or their incomes. He raised taxes on a luxury product. Spin it any way YOU like it, but that doesn't make it the same.One of the triggers of the Revolutionary War was something as simple as a hike on the tax on tea. Some patriots in Boston threw a tea party to kick things off. :lol:
February 6, 200917 yr Isn't anything we don't need a luxury? Yes. I was just speaking in economic terms. I couldn't find anything good except one link stating that the short-term (i.e. 1 year) elasticity of demand of cigarettes (with regard to price of tobacco) is very low, meaning that, for example, if price went up 10%, demand would only go down like 2-4%. Which means that the brunt of the tax would be paid by smokers and not by tobacco companies. But I couldn't find any data on who makes up the smokers in America. I will try to look later.
February 6, 200917 yr He did not raise taxes on people or their incomes. He raised taxes on a luxury product. Spin it any way YOU like it, but that doesn't make it the same.Smoking is not a luxury . It's a vice .
February 6, 200917 yr One of the triggers of the Revolutionary War was something as simple as a hike on the tax on tea. Some patriots in Boston threw a tea party to kick things off. :lol: It wasn't the tax that bothered them, it was the lack of representation in making the tax, I think we fixed that.
February 6, 200917 yr All you have to do is not buy a house so you don't pay real estate taxes; not stay in a hotel to avoid hotel taxes; not pay a gas or electric bill to avoid those taxes; not buy any clothes to avoid paying sales tax; not have a phone so you don't pay those taxes; not have a car so you don't pay personal property tax, car insurance taxes or gasoline taxes; and not make a decent living to avoid income taxes. Last time I checked air is free....for now. You are absolutely correct. All those things are choices. For instance, I personally choose to only own used cars to keep down my taxes, AND my insurance rates. And I only own ONE car instead of two for the same reasons. You can do what you want. Everyone is free to make their own choices. But, if you make some choices, you will pay more for them. What's wrong with that?
February 6, 200917 yr Once again this has nothing to do with the fact that Obama flat out lied when he said he would not raise taxes on those making less that $250k. Keep deflecting but if it walks like a duck................................... You act as if the only people who smoke make less than $250K. :lol: This is a tax on cigarettes! People who smoke will pay the tax, whether they make 5K, 15K, 50K or 500K.
February 6, 200917 yr Author You act as if the only people who smoke make less than $250K. :lol: This is a tax on cigarettes! People who smoke will pay the tax, whether they make 5K, 15K, 50K or 500K. So if you make $50k and you buy a tobacco product after 4/1/09 your taxes will go up correct?
February 6, 200917 yr SO... I'd like to point out the 500 lb gorilla in the room... How are we going to maintain funding on what is the newest government entitlement program when everyone quits smoking and there's no more cigarette taxes to be collected? I would think that by then the cost of health care would go down because we would no longer be dealing with smoking related health care problems!
February 6, 200917 yr So if you make $50k and you buy a tobacco product after 4/1/09 your taxes will go up correct? Not the tax on what you earn, which is what his promise was. But feel free to continue to spin it your way. :lol:
February 6, 200917 yr FWIW, Cigarette Smoking Among Adults Interesting read (from 2002). According to the results at the bottom, the percentage of person 18 or older that are current smokers is 32.9% among those below the poverty line, while it is only 22.2% for those at or above the line. Coupled with the fact that short-term elasticity of demand for cigarettes is inelastic (aka people can't change their habits easily), the largest portion of this tax will be bore by low-income smokers! Probably not contradictory to what President Obama actually said, but still worth nothing.
February 6, 200917 yr So if you make $50k and you buy a tobacco product after 4/1/09 your taxes will go up correct? If you buy a tobacco product, yes. But if you don't, then know. Do you have a problem with alcohol taxes?
February 6, 200917 yr Author If you buy a tobacco product, yes. But if you don't, then know. Do you have a problem with alcohol taxes? I don't care for taxes in general and I hate increases.
February 6, 200917 yr Author Not the tax on what you earn, which is what his promise was. But feel free to continue to spin it your way. :lol: How is it spinning? It is a tax hike.
February 6, 200917 yr I don't care for taxes in general and I hate increases. How do you propose funding the government (in general, not specific programs).
February 6, 200917 yr How is it spinning? It is a tax hike. Yes it's a tax hike, no one said differently. But you're spinning into a tax increase on the middle class. Sorry but your reaching.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.