They've been talking about it here in Utah for a few months now. For those who defend higher cigarette taxes, have any rebuttal for this proposal? You don't need soda...and it causes obesity and higher medical costs-why, taxing it would stop people (and especially children) from consuming them!

And god help you if I see anyone drinking it. I'm allergic.

junk food obesifys

I probably just wouldn't buy as much. It would actually get me to switch to drinking juice more often. Which would be a good thing. So go ahead, I guess?

Junk food doesn't make you fat. Consuming more calories than you exert makes you fat. Take some responsibility.

robmilmel: They've been talking about it here in Utah for a few months now. For those who defend higher cigarette taxes, have any rebuttal for this proposal? You don't need soda...and it causes obesity and higher medical costs-why, taxing it would stop people (and especially children) from consuming them!

This is the main reason I've been against putting such a huge tax burden on smokers, even though I, myself, am a non-smoker. They found the easiest possible target, the one that the fewest people would sympathize with, and they taxed them to hell and back for something they could have merely regulated better. What was going to stop them from going after other things that some people find pleasurable? If you accept one, you have to accept all of them. People who support the huge smoking taxes are myopic idiots.

At least smokers can buy cigarettes on the black market. No black market for soda......YET.

/I could fit if I didn't have these damn arms
//*gnaw gnaw gnaw*

God you anti-tax nuts just won't let up, will you?

Would that include bottled water?

Why not just tax caffeine and get to the root of it all? It's the most widely used psychoactive drug on earth.

It's getting to the point where I'm seriously considering rolling my own cigarettes. They don't tax the hell out of loose tobacco and papers like they do cigarettes.

Soft drinks/soda/pop are beverages for children. Drink beer or wine, you pussies. If you cannot consume an adult beverage, drink water, tea, or coffee. "My daddy gave me a Coke after each Little League game, so I drink it to this day." Grow up.

go for it. The US needs fewer fatties.

Kids consume it in lieu of milk and juice. It's gone from a treat we know isn't good for us to a staple because of billions of marketing dollars. Sometimes the Nanny state needs to step in.

Health care costs for OBESITY related illnesses have surpassed those of tobacco related illnesses.

It's about damn time these fatasses started paying their share.

earlm: Nanny state

Your supply of FAIL has arrived. It's COD.

Caffiene? I drink tea instead.. and if they tax that... boy there is gonna be hell to pay!

vabeard: Health care costs for OBESITY related illnesses have surpassed those of tobacco related illnesses.

It's about damn time these fatasses started paying their share.

Better idea--why not base your tax rate on your body fat?? Fatties get a high tax rate, skinny people get off easy on taxes.

I bet the beer companies love this idea.

Slick Dick Lick: Soft drinks/soda/pop are beverages for children. Drink beer or wine, you pussies. If you cannot consume an adult beverage, drink water, tea, or coffee. "My daddy gave me a Coke after each Little League game, so I drink it to this day." Grow up.

Obvious troll is obvious.

As someone who neither smokes nor drinks soda I would support these taxes only on the condition that the revenue is spent on programs that could lead to conditions that support higher tax revenue, such as a revitalized economy, more infrastructure projects to promote job growth, and health care to free up money from people and jobs. However once these programs are in place and well financed the sin taxes need to be relaxed. Yeah, both of those things are unhealthy and people shouldn't be smoking/drinking them, but we should not be relying on sin taxes to finance anything in the long term. It should be a short term measure only, because sin taxes are ultimately unsustainable.

Bestbank Tiger: vabeard: Health care costs for OBESITY related illnesses have surpassed those of tobacco related illnesses.

It's about damn time these fatasses started paying their share.

Better idea--why not base your tax rate on your body fat?? Fatties get a high tax rate, skinny people get off easy on taxes.

I like it. I like it a lot!

/skinny and proud of it

In Maine, the legislature tried to balance Dirigo Health (the state's health insurance product) by hiking the cigarette tax. After a smoker's revolt, they decided to tax syrup for soda instead.

I'm actually kinda happy the states and the feds decided to tax the crap out of cigarettes. I've been smoke free for 5 days now and my urges are beaten back pretty quickly when I think about the price. Turns out 6$ a pack is the magic price point for me.

ruthlessliberal: In Maine, the legislature tried to balance Dirigo Health (the state's health insurance product) by hiking the cigarette tax. After a smoker's revolt, they decided to tax syrup for soda instead.

The Mississippi Legislature wants to raise the cigarette tax to fund Medicaid but Haley Barbour is vehemently against it.

Haley would have a point except that (1) the state tax is only 18 cents a pack so it's not like we're piling on smokers, and (2) Haley's preferred funding mechanism is taxing hospital beds which is off the charts retarded.

What won't they tax to hell and back? Pretty soon we'll all be eating bathtub minestrone.

Social engineering: what our government constantly tries, but fails to achieve.

What is the official policy on how we're supposed to think and behave today?

it's about time. they should tax the hell out of soft drinks.

Bestbank Tiger: Better idea--why not base your tax rate on your body fat?? Fatties get a high tax rate, skinny people get off easy on taxes.

"Tax Dodgin' Tapeworm! Get your Tax Dodgin' Tapeworm here! Lose those extra pounds and protect your hard-earned dollars from the grubbing hands of Uncle Sam!"

fritton: Social engineering: what our government constantly tries, but fails to achieve.

What is the official policy on how we're supposed to think and behave today?

Look what they're up against in this case. Some of the largest most profitable companies in the world that make more money from people making poor choices with regards to their health.

1. Cigarettes
2. Soda
3. Alcohol
4. Fast food
5. Something people enjoy
6. Something else people enjoy

Being that I only drink soft drinks when there's shiat floating in the water, I'm not pressed about this on a personal level, but there is something wrong with the government being able to raise tax on whatever they want for such arbitrary reasons.

If nobody bothers to speak up about it now, it could get to the point that they can practically ban whatever they want by hiking the tax up so high that it's not feasible for most to buy the thing.

I don't personally care about the fattie soda junkies (not talking about the Dr. Pepper with lunch people, but the people who are practically on a drip of the stuff), but if they can do this to soft drinks, they can do it to anything, and that may be something I care about.

Not that I'm going to do anything to stop it, I'll be over here with my cognac.

They're raising tax on cognac?? NOOOOOO

fritton: Social engineering: what our government constantly tries, but fails to achieve.

Yes, you've made it abundantly clear what a cynic you are.

What is the official policy on how we're supposed to think and behave today?

Wow, that's a heckuva jump, Skippy.

ITT: Taxation as behavior control

fritton: Social engineering: what our government constantly tries all governments are designed for, but fails to achieve.

FTFY

/social engineering is the reason behind all government

I still like the email tax idea!
It should encompass all texting and FARK posts also.
2 dollars per message/email/thread post.

Erebus1954: It's getting to the point where I'm seriously considering rolling my own cigarettes. They don't tax the hell out of loose tobacco and papers like they do cigarettes.

They do now. Tax on a pound of tobacco just went from $1-something to $20-something. I've been thinking about taking a trip to a reservation or to Mexico and stocking up on cigarettes.

Car_Ramrod: /social engineering is the reason behind all government

I want to be clear in that I'm not saying it's necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but that's how it's always been, and always will be. You don't like social engineering, then the only choice is anarchy, which is a form of social engineering anyways.

/social engineering

CaesarSneezy: Erebus1954: It's getting to the point where I'm seriously considering rolling my own cigarettes. They don't tax the hell out of loose tobacco and papers like they do cigarettes.

They do now. Tax on a pound of tobacco just went from $1-something to $20-something. I've been thinking about taking a trip to a reservation or to Mexico and stocking up on cigarettes.



Approves

Puddinhed: I'm actually kinda happy the states and the feds decided to tax the crap out of cigarettes. I've been smoke free for 5 days now and my urges are beaten back pretty quickly when I think about the price. Turns out 6$ a pack is the magic price point for me.

Congrats. I've saved over 1500 bucks since I quit over a year ago.

Skail: robmilmel: They've been talking about it here in Utah for a few months now. For those who defend higher cigarette taxes, have any rebuttal for this proposal? You don't need soda...and it causes obesity and higher medical costs-why, taxing it would stop people (and especially children) from consuming them!

This is the main reason I've been against putting such a huge tax burden on smokers, even though I, myself, am a non-smoker. They found the easiest possible target, the one that the fewest people would sympathize with, and they taxed them to hell and back for something they could have merely regulated better. What was going to stop them from going after other things that some people find pleasurable? If you accept one, you have to accept all of them. People who support the huge smoking taxes are myopic idiots.


Yep, but it'll be fun watching Farkers do semantic gymnastics to try to justify singling out just smokers....

BTW, how long before it's higher taxes on red meats, dairy, anything with sugar in it, etc. etc.

sirgrim: Puddinhed: I'm actually kinda happy the states and the feds decided to tax the crap out of cigarettes. I've been smoke free for 5 days now and my urges are beaten back pretty quickly when I think about the price. Turns out 6$ a pack is the magic price point for me.

Congrats. I've saved over 1500 bucks since I quit over a year ago.

And now you will both be an even greater burden on society and Mother Earth by your selfish actions to live longer!
Damn you both.

What is up with the new Mountain Dew packaging + cans? It's like they were taken over by sorority girls who $lt;3 abbrevs, OMG!

"mtn dew?" SRSLY?

/end threadjack, kthxbai

whidbey: fritton: Social engineering: what our government constantly tries, but fails to achieve.

Yes, you've made it abundantly clear what a cynic you are.

Do you have a lot of evidence to the contrary or do you just like arbitrary and useless labels? Hey! I'm a cynic! (rolls eyes)

What is the official policy on how we're supposed to think and behave today?

Wow, that's a heckuva jump, Skippy.

ITT: Taxation as behavior control

Really... you put behavior control right in your post and you are arguing social engineering is a "heckuva" jump?

fritton: Social engineering: what our government constantly tries, but fails to achieve.

What is the official policy on how we're supposed to think and behave today?

We've yet to learn the nuance of push -vs- pull policy. Push policy is when we attempt to legislate away something we don't want. Like trying to shove a puddle over a hill, it only ever has limited success and with a high expenditure of time and effort. Pull policy is incentivizing the kind of behavior that we'd rather you exhibit. You dig a hole, the puddle flows to where you want it. Cheaper, easier, and typically self-reinforcing as the new paradigm becomes the norm.

One day we'll learn that the answer to, "It's not working," isn't, "Then do it HARDER!!"

The RIchest Man in Babylon: What is up with the new Mountain Dew packaging + cans? It's like they were taken over by sorority girls who <3 abbrevs, OMG!

"mtn dew?" SRSLY?

/end threadjack, kthxbai

HTML FAIL.

/$ != &

matt2891: Skail: robmilmel: They've been talking about it here in Utah for a few months now. For those who defend higher cigarette taxes, have any rebuttal for this proposal? You don't need soda...and it causes obesity and higher medical costs-why, taxing it would stop people (and especially children) from consuming them!

This is the main reason I've been against putting such a huge tax burden on smokers, even though I, myself, am a non-smoker. They found the easiest possible target, the one that the fewest people would sympathize with, and they taxed them to hell and back for something they could have merely regulated better. What was going to stop them from going after other things that some people find pleasurable? If you accept one, you have to accept all of them. People who support the huge smoking taxes are myopic idiots.


Yep, but it'll be fun watching Farkers do semantic gymnastics to try to justify singling out just smokers....

BTW, how long before it's higher taxes on red meats, dairy, anything with sugar in it, etc. etc.

What if they tax red and preserved meat, dairy, and sugar and use the money on Medicare?

CaesarSneezy: Erebus1954: It's getting to the point where I'm seriously considering rolling my own cigarettes. They don't tax the hell out of loose tobacco and papers like they do cigarettes.

They do now. Tax on a pound of tobacco just went from $1-something to $20-something. I've been thinking about taking a trip to a reservation or to Mexico and stocking up on cigarettes.

Sigh, how hard is it to grow tobacco in my back yard?

I don't drink soda, so suck it you carbon belching fat asses!

fritton: Really... you put behavior control right in your post and you are arguing social engineering is a "heckuva" jump?
Newsflash: "Social engineering" aren't dirty words, either.

Erebus1954: CaesarSneezy: Erebus1954: It's getting to the point where I'm seriously considering rolling my own cigarettes. They don't tax the hell out of loose tobacco and papers like they do cigarettes.

They do now. Tax on a pound of tobacco just went from $1-something to $20-something. I've been thinking about taking a trip to a reservation or to Mexico and stocking up on cigarettes.

Sigh, how hard is it to grow tobacco in my back yard?

It's not difficult but when they start taxing the square footage of your dirt it will become cost prohibitive.